CES 2022 has been a time for tech firms to showcase some of their more experimental ideas, and this year it seems that PC case manufacturers have been having a whale of a time in that regard. First, we had the unusual breathing PC case, and now Showcase PC is following up with a case that displays moving holographic images on its sides. Because RGB is so passé these days.
The feature is found in Showcase’s upcoming Solo and Dual Hologram PC cases. The Solo case projects a hologram out of the front side, which is wild enough. The Dual, as the name suggests, adds a second that emits from the top of the case. No word yet on whether these visual illusions can perform concerts.
The effect works thanks to a specialized fan system that bears 224 LEDs on its blades. As the fans spin, the LEDs project your desired image, with the blades spinning fast enough to fool your eyes. This system has 8GB of internal storage and is mounted into an NZXT H510 case, which is used to house the holographic animations. If you want to switch between holograms, there’s a remote control to cycle through them.
I was never a massive fan of the RGB craze, but at least I can see the appeal. RBG lighting looks kinda pretty, and when combined with other smart lights, you can create an effective ambient lighting setup. But these holographic cases just make me fear some in the PC industry have jumped the shark.
In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if the holograms are actually quite distracting. There you are, merrily flaming your way through another toxic Twitch chat, when suddenly you spy a floating head out of the corner of your eye. Sure, it turns out to just be a hologram effect rather than, say, the Ghost of Christmas Past, but how are you supposed to concentrate with that in your peripheral vision?
Nonetheless, it’s certainly a neat piece of tech, and it’s one that could some extra bling to your case in a way that RGB lights never could.
If you are interested in picking one up for yourself and pulling a questionable flex on other PC owners, the Showcase Hologram Solo case is on sale for $299, while the Dual model is going for $449. The current pricing lasts until tomorrow (January 8) and the case will launch in June 2022.
