LAS VEGAS - One of the cool things about CES is getting to see concepts from major tech companies. These ingenious technologies may not always see the light of day on retail shelves, but it's always fun to get a preview of what could be a major breakthrough, months or even years before it's released Corsair's latest concept is called Project Orion, which I one of the most beautiful gaming PCs I've seen recently.

I saw Project Orion in Corsair's suite at CES 2020 and immediately understood that it could be the next evolution in RGB lighting technology for PCs; Project Orion can illuminate an entire chassis with gorgeous rainbow-colored light. However, Project Orion does not use LED strips. Instead, it uses dozens of tiny LED lights superimposed on a very thin film that is glued to the glass. In theory, the entire PC is lit up like a galaxy of rainbow-colored stars.

While the actual manufacturing of Project Orion is probably quite complex, the concept itself is quite simple: Corsair attaches dozens of tiny LED lights (a proprietary Corsair technology called Callipex) to an almost invisible film that is attached to a glass PC chassis; the gaming rig Corsair modeled had LEDs on all sides, but Corsair could theoretically produce a machine with Callipex lights on only a single panel, such as the front or sides of the machine.

From there, users can control Project Orion's lighting with Corsair's proprietary iCUE software. iCUE can synchronize Orion's lighting with other Corsair gadgets as well as Corsair's mouse, keyboard, and headset, program eye-catching color patterns. From rainbow waves to solid colors to visualizers that follow the colors of the computer screen, there are many ways to make Orion stand out.

A word of warning, however, Project Orion will probably not be available in DIY rigs anytime soon; since Callipex is a Corsair technology, only Corsair has the means to integrate it into their chassis at this time. This means that if you want a chassis with Project Orion, you will probably have to buy a pre-assembled machine. Of course, this situation could change further as the technology gains momentum and Corsair is able to streamline its manufacturing process.

Since Project Orion is currently just a proof of concept, there is no definite release date or price for the technology; Corsair representatives speculate that a full set of Orion lights will probably add about $100 to the chassis. Any more than that and users may not be willing to purchase, and any less and Corsair would not be able to recoup its manufacturing costs.

As for whether Corsair can make Project Orion mainstream, it seems like a logical evolution of the RGB craze that has swept PC gaming over the past few years. Project Orion is ambitious and very attractive; Corsair's PCs are not. As long as it doesn't get prohibitively expensive, this is a great aesthetic. Some gamers may be willing to pay a little extra for such a feature; others may not.

If Project Orion does become a commercial product, Tom's Guide plans to do additional coverage later this year. If not, at least we will get some nice (albeit very difficult to focus) pictures.

For the latest news and hands-on impressions from Las Vegas, be sure to check out our CES 2020 hub.