I tested Acer’s wild flip-and-swivel handheld — why Project DualPlay Mini is the ultimate netbook love letter

I recall a fondness for netbooks from the late 2000s. Asus Eee PCs and Acer Aspire Ones were ultra-portable, but they were sluggish with Intel Atom chips and lacked the ability to run 3D games. However, stepping up to Project DualPlay Mini at the IFA 2026 show floor felt like a glimpse into a different era where netbooks had evolved and improved.

This 8-inch concept brought back the lost art of the netbook, offering the best of both worlds: a handheld console for relaxing moments and a traditional clamshell laptop for typing emails or playing classic shooters. Upon closer examination, the device's design felt unconventional with its protruding sides, but comfortable for gaming.

The central feature is the flip-and-swivel display, which smoothly transforms into a full QWERTY keyboard, providing enough space for daily essentials and gaming beyond just controller preferences. The 8-inch touchscreen display strikes a balance between being large enough to display Windows 11 UI elements and game HUDs without squinting, yet small enough to maintain the handheld and netbook balance.

Attention to detail is evident, with "Acer 50 since 1976" etched in Morse code on the rear cover, celebrating the company's golden jubilee. Physical limitations do exist, as the keyboard is smaller than other full QWERTYs, but still sizable enough for comfortable typing and gaming. In handheld mode, keys fold back, returning to gaming mode with ergonomic comfort.

The absence of a touchpad means relying on touchscreen Windows, which can be inconsistent, but the overall experience is smooth once accustomed to it. Performance-wise, Acer claims an "Intel chip," but it seems more likely to be an Arc G3 Extreme, capable of running Forza Horizon 6 at 100 FPS with XeSS3. Powered by rear dual-fan active cooling from the Predator Atlas 8, the device offers a significant contrast to the outdated 2008 netbook experience and today's standards.

Acer has labeled DualPlay Mini as an "innovation concept," while launching the standard Predator Atlas 7 alongside it. Despite this, the unique form-factor and appeal of Project DualPlay Mini suggest that there is still demand for such devices. The gaming handheld market has become stale, with brands releasing similar products. Project DualPlay Mini demonstrates that form-factor experimentation is not dead and has the potential to be a hit among those who loved netbooks and PC gamers seeking a true all-in-one travel machine.