HP's new VR-ready backpack PC will be usable as a regular desktop computer, goes on sale next month

When HP first introduced the idea of a backpack PC, everyone is a bit sceptical. The company is making some crucial changes to the original idea, and it’s today introducing the new Omen X Compact Desktop that takes the original idea a step further. Similar to the original version, the new Omen X Compact Desktop is portable and you can take it with you wherever you go thanks to the $599 backpack accessory.

The device includes Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1080 GPU and Intel’s 7th-gen Core i7-7820HK processor which means it’s capable of powering VR headsets. You also get the usual 1TB PCIe SSD for the storage and up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM.

That’s all pretty cool — but one of the main problems with the original backpack PC idea was the fact that you couldn’t use it as a regular desktop PC. With the new Omen X Compact Desktop, HP is changing that. The company is introducing a new dock for the computer which will allow you to dock the computer, connect it to a monitor, and use it as a regular desktop computer.

HP is actually going to sell the backpack accessory and the Omen X Compact Desktop separately. The Omen X Compact Desktop goes on store shelves in July, starting at a whopping $2,499 while the backpack accessory will sell for $599. If you want to get the full package, you’ll have to spend around $3100.