The '90s See-Through Tech Trend Is Making A Comeback - Here's Why

My earliest memories of technology are of big, beige behemoths. The old-school essential computers and accessories of my youth were chunky and utilitarian, like brutalist monuments to technical progression, meant to be used, not perceived. At some point in the '90s, however, as computers and other tech moved into the mainstream, fashion and aesthetics began to intersect with what had previously been pure function. As tech became fashionable, in other words, fashion penetrated tech, and nowhere was this trend more evident than in the rise of translucent gadgets.

Part of it was Hollywood's fault. Movies played a huge role in making tech cool, and manufacturers picked up on the trend, making tech more colorful and, ultimately, less opaque. See-through tech gives builders a broader canvas to paint on, with more surfaces, textures, and even moving pieces. Now, in an era when everyone is saturated by information but everything feels arguably more opaque than ever, and as retro gadgets are making a comeback, the return of transparent devices feels almost inevitable.

There are a number of reasons driving the transparent Renaissance, but at the heart of it is likely a feeling of alienation. As the media and entertainment become increasingly more digital and ephemeral, and as people feel further divorced from it, the desire to not only hold something tangible but to see within it, to see physical structures and how they function, has become increasingly palpable. This is especially true in gaming, where physical media continue to disappear, and so many social interactions are mediated by screens.

"We see transparent tech as both nostalgic and futuristic," Chris Thorne, chief marketing officer at Beats, told Gear Patrol. "It's iconic to the Y2K era, yet shows off the technological chips and components that continue to develop and be more powerful than ever."

That dichotomy is key to the resurgence in transparent tech. While modern devices aren't full of the whirling cogs and gears of antique gadgets, they are vast landscapes of fine detail that often combine into compelling mosaics resembling modern art. Today's systems on a chip (SoCs) are wildernesses of fine copper wires connecting sleek, black processors and ridges of mountainous RAM. Properly arrayed and lit, they become less functional tech and more museum pieces.

It's a trend that's infected the gaming PC space for many years, with glass panels replacing opaque metal. The pulsing neon of RGB lighting combines with brilliantly painted components and flashing peripherals to transform desktop computers into psychedelic immersive art. Now that trend is expanding to include retro gaming accessories, handhelds, and even laptops.

If you want some slick transparent gaming gear but don't want to commit to an entire desktop PC setup (or mod an iPhone X to make it transparent), maybe one of Xbox's new Ghost Cipher line of Elite controllers is more up your alley. It combines a gorgeous, clear chassis with sleek silver internals, with golden highlights on the triggers and D-pads. If you're looking for a more colorful transparent look, consider the rest of the Cipher series, which offers a similar transparent case but tinged in shades of red, blue, purple, or pink.

If you prefer a full gaming handheld with a similar aesthetic, Anbernic has you covered with its RG 35XXPro. It's a retro handheld with a 3.5-inch screen, and comes in a transparent teal version that lets you see all the electronics toiling away under the hood. Perhaps most impressive of all is Lenovo's ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop. Though it's sadly only in the proof-of-concept stage, it features a stunning, fully transparent Micro-LED panel that displays content in a pane of glass, recalling the hologram future tech that previously only existed in science fiction.