Every year at CES, companies present a variety of concepts. We are not sure which category Alienware's "second screen" concept falls into, but it is at least interesting.

Alienware is not breaking new ground here with its idea of treating a smartphone as an extension of a gaming PC. The current concept is to synchronize with the Alienware Command Center, a utility on Alienware desktops and laptops that allows real-time monitoring of CPU, GPU, and RAM. It can also be used as a control hub for Alienware's RGB lighting.

That is not what intrigues me. This is because it will only work with Alienware PCs (the company states that Dell's G-series products will likely be supported as well). Also, it is unlikely that there is a significant market opportunity for gamers to spy on their system vitals by looking at their smartphones while gaming. Sure, it might be useful in some situations, such as seeing how often the CPU or GPU throttles, which would indicate inadequate cooling. But other than occasional troubleshooting, it is not something that would be regularly activated.

Fortunately, Alienware is willing to consider other use cases if they decide to make this a real thing.

"While this is purely an exploratory concept, we are looking at ways to enhance future iterations of the software and welcome feedback from the community on new features they might like to see. I think this idea will pique the interest of mobile gamers who don't always have access to a second monitor, but are looking for a way to track their performance without having to leave the game," Alienware said.

I am more interested in maps, HUDs, and other in-game content being transferred to smartphones. Alienware actually mentions this point, stating that it would be useful for tracking kills, managing inventory, etc., without taking up space on the primary monitor. The screen is quite small, but in a sense it functions as a dual monitor.