News in Short

• Arc X1 is the company’s first handheld gaming device in India.
• It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 Gaming Platform.
• The device features a 7-inch Full HD 120Hz display.
• It runs OwlOS, a custom Android-based operating system.

Homegrown gaming company Arc has entered India’s handheld gaming market with the Arc X1.

The device focuses on portable gaming and controller-based play. It combines Qualcomm’s Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 Gaming Platform with a 7-inch display and active cooling.

Arc says it developed the X1 over 16 months. The company also used feedback from its gaming community during development.

The handheld runs OwlOS. The operating system is based on the Android Open Source Project.

120Hz display targets smooth gaming

The Arc X1 features a 7-inch Full HD LTPS TFT LCD display. It has a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio.

The panel supports a 120Hz refresh rate and offers 500 nits of typical brightness. It also covers 100 percent of the sRGB colour gamut.

For protection, Arc has added Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

The display is paired with hardware designed specifically for gaming. This includes TMR analogue sticks and microswitch-based ABXY buttons and D-pad.

Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 powers the handheld

The Arc X1 uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 Gaming Platform. The 4nm chipset features an octa-core Kryo CPU and Adreno A22 GPU.

It comes with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM running at 8,533 MT/s. Storage stands at 128GB using UFS 3.1 technology.

Users can also expand storage by up to 1TB through a compatible microSDXC card.

The handheld also features active cooling. A centrifugal fan pulls air through rear vents and pushes hot air out through vents on the top.

Hall-effect triggers and programmable controls

Arc has focused heavily on the controls. The analogue sticks use zero-drift Tunnel Magnetoresistance technology.

The triggers use Hall-effect sensors and feature mechanical trigger locks. This setup is designed for precise control during gaming.

The X1 also gets two programmable buttons on the rear grips. Players can calibrate the sticks and remap controls for individual games.

Dual Linear Resonant Actuators provide the haptic feedback.

OwlOS adds gaming-focused features

The Android-based OwlOS brings several software tools for gamers.

Players can create performance and control profiles for individual games. The system also includes frame-rate overlays and resolution scaling.

There are also custom fan curves and a Quick Resume feature.

These features give users additional control over performance and the handheld’s behaviour during gaming sessions.

Arc X1 price and availability in India

The Arc X1 is priced at Rs. 29,500 for customers who joined the early waitlist.

Early access orders will open on October 2. The handheld will later be available to the general public for Rs. 33,500.

The device also packs a large 9,300mAh battery and supports 27W charging. Arc claims more than eight hours of battery life in Silent Mode.

Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, USB OTG, a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

With the Arc X1, the company is bringing a dedicated Android gaming handheld to Indian consumers. Its combination of Snapdragon hardware, gaming controls, active cooling and a large battery puts the focus firmly on portable play.