How cool (and prepared) does it look when a pro shows up with a briefcase with whatever it is he or she needs to get a job done? The GAEMS Guardian represents that sort of got-it-all-with-me solution — specifically with gamers, game developers, content creators, and streamers in mind.
GAEMS is a company that started in 2010 with the idea in mind they could make more grounded games experiences more portable. The GAEMS Guardian is the latest and most robust iteration of the mobility-in-gaming objective that motivated the creation of the company and its products.
At a recent showcase event in San Francisco, GAEMS representatives showed off what was essentially the finished version of their Guardian build. In the demo room, the popular multiplayer game Fortnite (among other games) was shown on an Xbox One X console, which was mounted inside the Guardian’s case.
The Guardian, like other “personal gaming environment” GAEMS products, begins with a hard shell case and a monitor. In this instance, the 24″ built-in QHD 60 Hz 1440p IPS monitor is bigger and higher-resolution than the GAEMS Sentinel’s monitor. The “9ms response time with overdrive,” as it’s described on the sales page of the GAEMS website, won’t put it in the topmost echelon of gaming monitors by spec, but the action I saw during the time I followed the demos certainly looked clean and smooth.
The “dynamic sound stage” system was surprisingly punchy. Said another way, when playing a DOOM Eternal trailer on it, we had to quickly turn it down quite a bit so that the thumping bass and screeching demons did not risk disturbing anyone next door. The Guardian definitely can put the 9 watts of audio and subwoofers to good use.
Interestingly, the GAEMS Guardian could be a good device for a game developer with a system-on-a-stick game demo to show, since the USB ports will take, say, an Amazon Fire TV Stick or Google Chromecast. Or an event or game demo use case can be made, since, through the HDMI port, game video can be exported to a projector or to a capture card.
In terms of accessories, the Guardian is expected to come with several necessary cables, like power and USB. Interestingly, the Guardian comes with a hex wrench for mounting the consoles and the gear.
In terms of connections, on the front right of the case, a port hub can be found loaded with 3 USB (2 1.8a and 1 0.9a) ports, an HDMI port and a 3.5mm mic and headphone jack. For most folks, that should provide enough connectivity for the usual assortment of accessories that may be needed.
An extra touch that shows a hat tip to the content streamers and pro gamers, who are also intended to be among the audience for the GAEMS Guardian, is the addition of designated areas on the case for mounting gear, like mics and lights, on designated areas on the case designed with content streamers in mind.
As any good case would offer, there’s plenty of storage baked in for cables and controllers and other gaming gadgetry. But all this mobility with protection in mind doesn’t come light. The weight of the GAEMS Guardian is 18 lbs. before considering the weight of the gaming hardware to be included inside.
GAEMS crowdfunding trailer (Video credit: GAEMS)
The GAEMS Guardian is slated to ship this July in North America, with the international release to follow by the holidays at the end of the year. Essentially, the only difference between the models will be the provision of universal power adapters.
While the mobility, durability, and versatility of GAEMS Guardian could definitely hit the sweet spot for streamers, pro gamers, content creators, even game developers, the $700 price tag is going to definitely challenge some budgets. In fact, some of the older, smaller GAEMS gaming mobility solutions may be a better fit for some. But if the Guardian is the gaming case or gaming mobility solution you’ve always dreamed of, more info can be found at the Indiegogo page.
You can also check an excellent gaming monitor article here.
