Renderboxes named recommended hardware vendor for Disguise X1

Renderboxes has been named a Disguise-recommended hardware vendor for Disguise X1 — the software-only solution from Disguise for real-time visual control, mapping and playback at one 4K output. The Renderboxes Photon workstation pairs directly with X1, giving production teams a compact, standardised hardware platform to run Disguise’s Designer software on their own kit.

What is Disguise X1?

Disguise X1 is a portable, software-only version of Disguise’s Designer platform — the production engine behind the majority of the world’s biggest live shows. Rather than requiring dedicated Disguise media server hardware, X1 runs from a portable licence key connected to a Windows workstation of the user’s choice. It’s Disguise’s entry point into their ecosystem, designed specifically for small-to-medium live events including concerts, theatre productions, corporate brand experiences, and immersive installations.

What X1 delivers:

• Real-time visual control, previsualisation, mapping and playback at one 4K output
• The full Designer software workflow, including the Designer timeline for scheduling and editing visuals live
• 3D mini-replica stage previsualisation, so teams can design and test shows before deployment
• Built-in 1:1 failover redundancy for show-critical reliability
• Seamless show file interoperability between X1 and Disguise media servers — the same file works on either without rebuilding
• Access to the same 24/7 expert support Disguise provides to all its users

Why running X1 on your own hardware matters

Traditionally, working within the Disguise ecosystem meant dedicated Disguise media server hardware. That works brilliantly for arena-scale productions, but for smaller shows — touring visuals for a club tour, projection mapping onto a heritage building, corporate events with LED backdrops — the fixed-cost, fixed-footprint media server can be a barrier.

X1 removes that barrier. By running Disguise’s Designer software from a portable licence key on your own Windows workstation, teams gain the same real-time visual control that powers the industry’s tier-one live shows in a form factor that fits touring rigs, tight installation spaces, and portable production setups.

For teams already invested in the Disguise ecosystem, X1 also solves the scaling problem. A show file built on X1 for a small tour date drops straight into a full Disguise media server rack for a festival main stage — no re-authoring, no re-programming, no lost time.

The Renderboxes Photon: a compact powerhouse for Disguise X1

Running X1 on your own hardware only works if the hardware is up to the job. That’s where the Renderboxes Photon comes in.

Photon is a compact, standardised, transportable workstation engineered for professional real-time visual production. Standardised parts across builds mean fast service and swap-out between shows. Its small form factor fits touring rig cases, portable production kits, and installation environments where space is tight.

Renderboxes appears on Disguise’s X1 product page under the recommended hardware vendors section — a signal to teams evaluating X1 that the Photon is a workstation Disguise points them toward for their own hardware setup.

What Disguise X1 unlocks

X1’s use cases span the full range of professional real-time visual work at small-to-medium scale:

• Touring live music — portable visuals for club and theatre-sized tours, allowing crews to travel light without transporting media server racks
• Theatre productions — the full Designer workflow from a single workstation, especially valuable in older venues with limited rack space
• Corporate events and brand experiences — keynotes, product launches, and immersive corporate installations where content edits happen up to the moment of showtime
• Projection mapping — complex geometry and pixel-accurate mapping onto LED façades, architectural surfaces, or projection canvases
• LED wall installations — permanent and pop-up video walls with real-time visual control
• Immersive experiences — environments where content responds to space, audience, or trigger
• Virtual production — colour-managed workflows using ACES and OCIO for XR and virtual production shoots

X1 supports open integrations with the major real-time content tools — Notch, TouchDesigner, Unreal Engine 5.5, and Unity — via Disguise’s RenderStream protocol. It also works with tracking and automation systems including Kinesys, Tait Navigator, and PSN, and can trigger from MIDI, DMX, and OSC devices.

See Disguise X1 demonstrated by the Disguise team at ISE 2026:

Renderboxes Photon specification

The Photon is engineered for professional real-time visual work — compact enough to travel, powerful enough to drive demanding real-time software at 4K output, and standardised across builds for reliable service between shows.

CPU options:

• AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D — 4.3 GHz base / up to 5.7 GHz boost
• AMD Ryzen 9 9950X — 4.3 GHz base / up to 5.7 GHz boost
• AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D — 4.4 GHz base / up to 5.5 GHz boost

GPU: 1x full-length PCIe GPU, maximum 4-slot wide, up to 600W (NVIDIA RTX)

Memory: 2x DDR5 DIMM slots, up to 128GB

Storage: 1x NVMe M.2 Gen 5.0 (x4), 1x NVMe M.2 Gen 4.0 (x4)

Cooling: 4x Noctua Industrial 120mm fans, 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler for CPU

Connectivity: 5x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x USB4 Type-C, 1x USB-C 20Gbps, 1x 2.5GB LAN, 1x HDMI, WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Dimensions: 36.5cm L × 25.5cm W × 19.3cm H, 10kg

Power supply: 1000W Platinum SFX

Warranty: 3 years on all parts, 1 year return-to-base on labour, 3 years technical support (remote, email, telephone)

Need NVIDIA Genlock? Custom Photon configurations are available with NVIDIA Quadro Sync II for X1 deployments where genlock is required within a wider video system. Configure your Photon or get in touch to discuss a custom build for your specific requirements.

Learn more

Explore the Renderboxes Photon or read more about Disguise X1 on Disguise’s website. For deeper case study coverage of X1 in the field, Disguise’s Insights Hub profiles a range of X1 productions across theatre, touring, and corporate environments.