HP Omen Transcend 14 – make light work of big titles
HP have given us a first look at the Omen Transcend 14 – which they say is the lightest 14” gaming laptop ever made. If you can believe it, it weighs in at just 1.6 kg. Which means you probably won’t even know it’s there when you pop it in your backpack. Sounds like an absolute game changer for gaming on the go.
What about the specs though? Well, it’s rocking support for a 14th-gen Intel Core Ultra 7 or Ultra 9 processor, an RTX 4070 GPU and 32GB of RAM. Meaning you should be whizzing through the latest games with smooth framerates, shiny graphics, and lightning-fast loading times.
It doesn’t seem like space will be a problem either (which is the bane of gamers everywhere). There’s 2TB of storage to play with. Giving you plenty of room to store all of your favourites. Games keep getting bigger and bigger, so it seems like there’s some good future proofing here.
And even though this thing is as slim as can be, it’s still packing all the connectivity you need. With two USB-C and a couple of USB-A ports, along with an HDMI 2.1 jack too. Letting you plug in a gaming mouse, keyboard and an extra monitor for some next-level sessions once you’re home.
Sony show off their snazzy PS5 faceplate colours
Not a fan of the standard white look on your PS5? You’re in luck. Sony have revealed a bunch of jazzy faceplate colours for their console. You can pick from Cobalt Blue, Sterling Silver, or Volcanic Red to give your PlayStation a fresh lick of paint. Just clip off the old ones and swap them out for a much cooler finish.
The WowCube takes gaming to another dimension
Yes, it does kind of look like a Rubik's Cube. But there's way more going on. There are four separate screens built into each side - which means there's 24 in all per cube. Take that, Rubik's.
You can shake, tilt, tap and twist it to play different minigames. There's over 40 to try out at the moment, and these cover your classic genres, from puzzlers to arcade platformers. The brand say that you'll be able to download extra titles through an app store at launch too. And if you fancy yourself as a bit of a game dev, we’ve spotted that you can create your own app and share it with your mates. That's pretty neat.
It looks like you can order one already as well. So, be there or be square!
Nvidia Super Series graphics cards – time for an upgrade?
All you PC gamers are in for a treat. Nvidia are launching three new graphics cards to upgrade your rig with. There’s the GeForce RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super and RTX 4070 Super. All of which will be out before the end of January.
The trio are aimed at different budgets and needs. If you want to up your game with some 4K gaming, then the RTX 4080 Super looks perfect. With double the performance of the old card it’s replacing, it’s a graphical beast. Need something that’ll easily handle 1440p, but won’t break the bank? Grab the RTX 4070 Super and get a bit more bang for your buck. Super.
Razer’s ‘Project Esther’ gaming cushion
Razer are taking the word immersion up a notch with their ‘Project Esther’ gaming cushion. It attaches to your office or gaming chair, but it’s nothing like that flowery one your nan got you for Christmas. The cushion uses 16 haptic pads to create physical feedback that matches your in-game audio. So, you’ll be able to feel (in theory) the boom from that explosion nearby. Or the rumble of a tank as it rolls by. We reckon you’ll be on the edge of your seat…
Old school games on the train or a plane
HyperKin haven't revealed a ton about their Mega 95. But we do know that this handheld will run any old Sega cartridges you might have knocking about. If you're after a hit of video game nostalgia on the go, it seems like a pretty good bet.
NPCs with more brains
Nvidia weren't just telling us about their new graphics cards. They've also collaborated with Convai - a developer who specialises in all things AI. And together, they demoed some non-playable video game characters that are controlled completely by AI.
But what's the big deal? They've said that the tech will let these NPCs interact with their environment - and you, the player - in a way that's far more realistic.
In a talk about the system, Convai and Nvidia mentioned the characters will "display emotional awareness and engage in organic interactions". This is a fancy way of saying that they'll react randomly to your actions. So, if you draw a weapon in a crowded diner, some might fight back, while others flee. And this is spontaneous, instead of being pre-programmed by the devs. That’ll keep you on your toes…
MSI Claw – snappy handheld gaming
In the last few years, handheld PC gaming has really levelled up. And now MSI have announced their own console to claw back some interest from the ASUS ROG Ally, Steam Deck and Legion Go – the MSI Claw.
It’s built around an Intel Meteor Lake processor, which is fairly unique, as the other handhelds we’ve mentioned use an AMD chip instead. Oh, and there’s a 7” Full HD IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate. And the higher that is, the smoother and more responsive your gameplay will be. So, we’re expecting good things!
There’s one big point that makes the Claw stand out though. Apparently, it’ll give you two hours of battery life, even when it’s running graphically demanding titles. A lot of companies haven’t quite nailed this with their handhelds just yet, so it’ll be interesting to see how it turns out. It’ll hopefully be out in the first half of 2024.
HyperX’s Alloy Rise might be just your type
The Alloy Rise is hot off the press, becoming their very first hot-swappable mechanical keyboard. What does that actually mean though? Basically, you can swap out the keys for some new ones to fully customise the look and feel of it. Tricking it out for gaming, or some more satisfying typing.
It’s not just the keys you can change though. The shell itself can be replaced too if you want to go further. At launch you can pick from white or navy - and if neither of those tickle your fancy, HyperX will probably release more at some point down the line.
The Samsung 2D/3D gaming monitor is a real looker
If you like the idea of VR but aren’t keen on strapping a headset to your face, then check this out. Samsung are developing a monitor that lets you play VR games without using a headset. Its built-in eye tracking tech means that it doesn’t need one to work properly. And you won’t have to shell out on new games either, as it’ll be compatible with any experiences and titles you’ve already got.
Sony and Honda team up
Forget self-driving cars, they’re so last year. Honda and Sony got together to show off an Afeela being driven with a DualSense controller. While it was pretty cool – and would probably make parallel parking nice and easy – this was just a flashy tech demo. So, it might not ever actually make it into our hands. We can dream about some real life Gran Turismo though.
More TV video game adaptations
The Last of Us was a smash hit when it premiered over on HBO last year. And it looks like even more of our favourite titles are getting the small screen treatment. Sony have confirmed that writing has started on a Horizon Zero Dawn show for Netflix and a God of War series on Prime Video. We really can’t wait for those – us Sony fans are really being spoilt!
Vision Pro gets a release date
Ok, ok. Apple aren’t actually physically there in the convention centre in Las Vegas. But we thought you’d want to know anyway. The Vision Pro headset (their shiny new augmented/virtual reality headset) is set to hit shelves on February 2nd, 2024. That’s only a few weeks away, so it’ll be interesting to see how it stacks up against headsets from Meta, PlayStation, HTC and Pico.
Small but mighty PC gaming
Bulky gaming PCs have their place. But we’re sold on the dinky ASUS ROG NUC. This mini machine is only 1.6" wide and 5.6" tall - so, if you haven’t got room for a desktop monster, here’s the solution.
Don’t underestimate its size either - the NUC still packs a proper punch from what we can tell. Just looking at its specs shows us that there’s 64 GB of RAM, and support for beefy processors like the Intel Core Ultra 7 or Core Ultra 9. Which is impressive for a teeny-tiny computer like this.
And if you still need some added oomph in the future, ASUS have mentioned that it’s got an entirely tool-less chassis. Making it easy to open up and swap in some new parts when it’s time for an upgrade.
The best of the rest
Here are a few more highlights from the show so far:
AMD Ryzen 8000G series CPUs – A range of more affordable processors for gamers trying to build a powerful rig on a budget. We’re definitely onboard with that.
Razer Iskur V2 gaming chair – The spring loaded lumbar pad moves automatically to match the shape of your spine. Those gaming marathons should be extra comfortable!
Razer Blade laptops – The Blade 14, Blade 16 and Blade 18 make up the cutting-edge line-up. And with Calman-verified displays, they’ve got pro colour clarity and accuracy. In other words, your games will look super realistic.
LG OLED UltraGear curved gaming monitors – The ultra-wide display with an 800R curve makes gaming even more immersive, filling your field of view almost completely.
HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini mouse – With 100 hours of gaming on one charge, you won’t have to press pause on your campaign. While a lighter build means you’ll be quickly nailing headshots left right and centre.
Samsung OLED Odyssey gaming monitors - Glare-free tech reduces annoying light reflections, so you can still see what’s happening in the brightest rooms. Plus, they’re equipped with the Samsung Gaming Hub (for cloud gaming) and Samsung’s Smart TV platform (for streaming Netflix etc).
Hyperkin DuchesS controller - This chonky controller looks just like the old-school gamepad from the original Xbox. But it combines that nostalgia with modern touches, like a 3.5mm headphone jack for your headset and modern triggers and joysticks.
Want more from CES?
For the latest info straight from the show, we’ve rounded up all the big news right here. And it wouldn’t be CES without some whacky reveals too. So, we’ve gone deep on the best weird and wonderful tech from CES 2024.
