All-round home entertainment center Laura Unicorn home entertainment host first review

Previously, we brought you the first preview of the Lara Croft gaming unicorn home entertainment console. For this console, which is said to be the most powerful home entertainment console in history, can it really be the "strongest" in terms of functions and content?

Host first experience

In terms of appearance, the Unicorn's all-aluminum alloy shell and six-centimeter narrow body design do give people a stunning feeling. The overall size is comparable to traditional consoles such as PS4. Compared with ordinary PCs, it is easier to carry and more suitable for the living room environment.

However, the Unicorn, which is as big as a traditional host, has no way to configure a wireless network card, which forces us to plug a wireless receiver like a tail behind the host, which can be said to be a small regret.

The Windows system that starts up at startup also makes us, who are used to seeing domestic Android consoles and TV boxes, shine. Although Windows has already appeared in front of players as a host operating system as early as when Xbox One appeared, it is indeed a brand new attempt for domestic consoles.

The Laura gaming system that starts automatically when the system is turned on is the biggest highlight of this console. As a game entertainment system that spans PC and TV, it appeared in 2014. On the basis of the original emphasis on games, it has added many modules that are suitable for living room entertainment. Compared with the mature UI of the console, the UI of the Laura system still retains the original operation method, and the horizontal browsing is also consistent with the horizontal screen setting of the TV, and the overall operation of the system is smoother.

In terms of operation, under Windows system, Unicorn's adaptation to the handle is very perfect and the operation is quite smooth, but the feel of the Feizhi handle that comes with it is still a bit unsatisfactory. Compared with the Xbox One handle, the feel of the R1 and L1 buttons of the Feizhi handle is relatively good, but the comfort of the R2 and L2 buttons is significantly reduced. In addition, during the account creation process, the input method that comes with Unicorn and the operation of the handle make it feel a bit cumbersome and a bit difficult to operate.

Let the living room entertain first

Although Unicorn is called a console, it is essentially a home entertainment device equipped with PC hardware. The biggest feature of the Laura system in the console is that it allows players to return to the living room for entertainment at the lowest cost.

What is low cost?

Players only need to spend the cost of purchasing the console to enjoy a large number of free resources without the need for secondary consumption.

Based on the actual situation of Chinese players, like Steam, the Lara system also has its own "game store". There are as many as 378 games available for download in Tekken games. We can find that among the 22 games that have been installed in advance, the latest 3A masterpieces such as "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain", "NBA 2K 16" and "GTAV" are also included.

For players who are used to games like Modern Warfare 5 on domestic Android consoles, 3A masterpieces such as Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed on Unicorn are undoubtedly eye-catching. In the management interface, the game lists of sandbox, ACT, FPS, etc. are clearly classified, making it easy for players to find.

It doesn't matter if players are just looking for games in a casual manner. The system is also very considerate and lists detailed introductions for each game, such as the game's videos, screenshots, content introductions, etc. Compared with Steam, "Unicorn" is more in line with the usage habits of Chinese people, and specifically lists the configuration requirements that PC players are very concerned about.

Regarding resources and network speed, take the AAA masterpiece "The Witcher 3" as an example. There are a lot of game resources in the download options, so there is no need to worry about not being able to download. In terms of speed, in addition to normal downloads, Lara games also provide acceleration options, but the corresponding cost is Lara coins. For games on Steam that cost dozens or even hundreds of dollars, the games in Unicorn are all provided for free, and the little cost of downloading can be said to be almost the same as "zero cost".

Of course, the download speed is not comparable to ordinary ones. Take a 20M small water pipe as an example. When it is about 3M close to the router, the download speed basically reaches 800KB/S. If it is connected to the Internet cable, it can reach about 2M/S. The one-click installation after the download is complete also saves time and effort.

As for download speed, many factors will affect the network signal. If you are confident in your network, wireless is definitely a good choice. Otherwise, it is better to plug in the network cable to be safer.

Traditional hosts are under pressure to beat Android boxes

The biggest difference between consoles and PCs is that many environment plug-ins must be installed on PCs to ensure stable operation of the game. Unicorn eliminates the trouble of environment installation for players. DX and other game environments are all installed, so any game can be easily run.

The configuration of this unicorn host is i3 processor and GTX950 graphics card. This configuration is already better than the next-generation host. As for how it performs in terms of games, we use the recently popular "Witcher 3" and "GTA V" as the objects of experience.

Grand Theft Auto V

As a 60G large sandbox game, "GTA5" can definitely be called a masterpiece. When entering the game, with a seemingly not-so-powerful configuration, the game still runs smoothly at 1080P resolution and 60fps, and after turning off vertical synchronization, the frame rate remains above 70.

We changed the resolution to 2K standard. In addition to the more refined game screen, the game fluency did not decrease much, and it can still be played smoothly, and the frame rate is basically kept close to 60fps. This shows that for sandbox games such as "GTA5", Unicorn can easily reach the 2K level.

The Witcher 3

Similarly, after entering the game, we adjusted the picture effects to the highest level. At a resolution of 1080P and without frame lock, The Witcher 3 ran perfectly, with the game frame rate maintained at 70fps and the character combat process was also very smooth.

After adjusting the screen resolution to 1920*1080 and keeping other settings unchanged and still in the highest state, the game fluency decreased slightly, but the picture effect and rendering level improved a lot. Although the FPS remained at around 60, frame drops would occasionally occur when switching between screens, but it did not affect the overall gaming experience.

As a server for the living room, the Unicorn home entertainment console is not limited to games. On the main page of the Laura system, we can also find that Unicorn also integrates functions such as videos, movies, information and online shopping.

In addition to local videos that can be obtained through an external USB, Unicorn has also added an Android emulator to the system. With the support of powerful hardware and Windows system, Unicorn can simulate and use any software under the Android system at will.

As we all know, the online video playback business of TV boxes is subject to many restrictions by relevant departments. In contrast, the video playback business of Unicorn is positioned as a living room PC, providing video services from the computer side, and will not be affected.

After adjustment of the simulator, in the Magic Video module, users can enjoy the same content as Android smart TVs or even more complete content. In terms of picture performance, it beats most TV boxes, and 1080P HD or higher 4K can be played clearly and smoothly.

Among more functional options, Unicorn also provides users with popular APP software. Whether it is video software or early childhood education system, it can run perfectly under the operation of the simulator, and users can also add their favorite programs through external devices.

Therefore, we can see that the functions of TV game boxes are almost all surpassed by unicorns. On the basis of the same audio-visual experience, the game functions of Android game boxes cannot compete with them. Compared with the next-generation consoles, in addition to the game screen performance and experience, the free acquisition of resources is an important factor in attracting users. The most important thing is that the full Chinese localization of the masterpiece is enough to arouse the interest of players.

Is HTPC a new way out for domestic consoles?

After the ban on game consoles was lifted, domestic manufacturers quickly launched a number of TV game boxes based on the Android system, hoping to gain a foothold in the living room. However, it is well known that the most widely used platform for the Android system is mobile phones. Although the boxes have been ported and modified, the core has not changed, so the player experience is not ideal.

For domestic gamers, PC is still the first choice, whether in terms of resource richness or powerful performance, which is unmatched by domestic Android consoles. However, the graphics card hardware with a price of thousands of dollars and the not-so-small chassis size make PC out of the living room.

The emergence of unicorns has brought the concept of HTPC back into people's horizons. Compared with the size of traditional PCs, HTPCs have achieved a balance between size and performance, and their design is more suitable for living rooms. At the same time, the rich video and game resources in the Windows system are also quite convenient to obtain in China.

Most importantly, the entry-level Unicorn is priced at 2,198 yuan, which is extremely competitive for Chinese users, because whether they DIY or buy an all-in-one machine, there is no way to achieve the performance level of the Unicorn.

Experience is always the most concerned issue for users. Unicorn integrates tedious steps with one click through its own system, and at the same time establishes a huge content resource library to meet the needs of users. Faced with the current situation where Android still occupies a large share of the domestic console market, HTPC with Windows system is a beneficial supplement to the console market and also gives players another reason to return to the living room.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.