CES is upon us again and we’re here to let you know all the latest news. The show doesn’t technically begin until tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean companies aren’t making their big announcements now. Here’s the gaming tech news that you missed from the show today.
NETGEAR unveils new Pro Gaming network gear
NETGEAR unveiled a pair of gaming-centric networking items today. First up is the new NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming WiFi Router (XR500). It will feature a suite of features tailor made to eliminate lag for the most demanding gamers, including a new gaming dashboard, Geo Filtering, Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities, and network monitoring. It also packs its own dual core 1.7 GHz processor, Quad-stream Wave 2 WiFi with MU-MIMO, and a set of four powerful external antennas. The enclosure, as seen below, also features a new and more aggressive look.
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The second gaming-centric item they announced is the new NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming SX10/Multi-Gig LAN Switch (GS810EMX). The switch allows you to prioritize your streams with QoS to eliminate lag. It also features auto-adaptive 10Gigabit/Multi-Gigabit ports for smooth connections at a variety of speeds, up to 20Gbps with link aggregation. The Gaming Dashboard also provides a wealth of analytics to best fine-tune your network.
Cooler Master announces new M800 peripheral line
Cooler Master is starting things off strong. They announced their case line-up for the first half of 2018 with some real beauties in the mix. Pokde has a good write-up with pictures of every one. They also unveiled their new line of MasterWatt V and MasterWatt Maker PSUs, the latter featuring unique monitoring capabilities in combination with the Overlay.live app.
On the peripheral front, things get really exciting with the announcement of their new M800 Gaming Series of accessories. First up is the new MM830 mouse which features the popular PixArt 3360 sensor driving sensitivities up to 24000 DPI. It also features low profile buttons, an OLED screen, and RGB lighting. Along with the MM830 is the new MP860 RGB Dual Mouse Pad. It features dual surfaces for to suit your taste as well as an RGB light pipe along the side.
Cooler Master also showed their new MH850 gaming headset. It features virtual 7.1 surround sound, as well as Focus FX technology to draw out the mids and highs to accentuate footsteps in competitive play. It also features cloth and leather ear pads, USB Type-C and 3.5mm cables, and a detachable boom microphone, on top of RGB lighting and a fold-flat design for easy storage.
Finally, what I find personally very exciting is the new MK850 and MK851 mechanical gaming keyboards. They feature the same genuine Cherry switches and RGB illumination, but the MK851 also features analog control, not unlike the Wooting One we reviewed in October. Cooler Master has an exclusive partnership with AimPad to deliver smooth, gas-pedal like control to a cluster of eight keys. The keyboard will also feature two customizable precision scroll wheels.
Image credit: Tweaktown.com
Corsair goes wireless with new peripherals
Corsair is cutting the cord with their latest series of peripherals. First up is the new “Unplug and Play” K63 mechanical keyboard. It features a 2.4GHz wireless and a 1ms response time for lag-free gameplay, genuine Cherry keyswitches, and a customizable blue backlight. It also supports bluetooth for easy cross-device compatibility. For the security conscious (which should be all of us), it also features built in 128-bit AES encryption to keep your keystrokes secure. Battery life is an impressive 15 hours.
If you plan to use it in the living room, Corsair is supporting the device with a wireless Lapboard, making it the perfect companion to your console or Steam Link. The devices slots right into the housing and includes a built in mouse pad.
To fill that pad, Corsair also announced their new wireless Dark Core RGB gaming mouse. Like the K63, it features a 1ms response time on the 2.4GHz band and also features bluetooth. It features a 16000 DPI adjustable in 1ms increments.
A Special Edition of the mouse is also available an includes the bonus of Qi charging, which makes it a perfect companion for their new MM1000 wireless charging mouse pad. This pad features a Qi charging zone for the Dark Core RGB SE that will also work any other Qi compatible device, including your cell phone. If your device isn’t compatible, it will also come with a number of adapters to take advantage of the wireless charging benefits.
Nvidia announces huge BFGD G-Sync Displays
Nvidia went big… literally. The big announcement for gamers this year comes in the form of Big Format Gaming Displays (BFGDs). These displays are huge, coming in a 65” and feature full 4K resolutions, G-Sync, and HDR. If that weren’t enough, they’ll also be certified to run at 120Hz. Few details are known yet, but Nvidia is partnering with ASUS, Acer, and HP on the first batch and says we can expect these displays to hit the market this summer.
Vertagear adds RGB illumination to their PL4500 Gaming Chair
RGB is taking over the PC market and today one of our favorite manufacturers is adding it for the first time. Vertagear revealed their new racing-style gaming chair, the PL4500. The new model will feature full spectrum RGB illumination, complete with audio-syncing and smartphone and PC apps for customization. Vertagear has earned itself a loyal following due to their exceptional quality and dedication to the gaming community. We’re excited to see how this turns out.
HTC updates the Vive with the Vive Pro and Vive Wireless Adapter
HTC had a surprise up its sleeve for VR fans today in the form of the Vive Pro. While few people would argue that the Vive is an impressive piece of technology, the Vive Pro offers substantial improvements that take advantage of the increases in modern computing power. For starters, HTC is dramatically improving the displays, bumping the resolution up to 2880x1600 combined up from the original 2160x1200. That’s a 78% improvement and should more than address the “screen door” concerns some users have voiced. The headset also features improved headphones with a built-in amplifier for improved sound, as well as an improved strap with sizing dial. Other improvements include dual microphones with active noise cancelling and dual front facing cameras.
HTC also announced the upcoming Vive Wireless Adapter, set to launch in Q3 of this year. The adapter will feature Intel’s WiGig technology and operate on the open 60Ghz band to offer the best possible performance.
HTC’s Viveport storefront is also receiving a substantial update, allowing users to experience the store in full virtual reality. It’s more than just a 3D catalog, however, as users will be able to interact with potential experiences in fully interactive immersive previews. As any VR acolyte will tell you, a quality virtual reality title is often less about the game’s looks and more about engaging in that virtual space, so we can’t help but feel this is a smart and novel move.
Image Credit: Tom’s Guide
MSI’s new displays alert you to incoming messages
MSI announced two new high performance monitors at CES in the new Optix MPG27C (1440p) and MPG27CQ (1080p). These monitors carry the impressive specs you might expect from the company’s most premium displays, including ultra-fast response times, 1800R curves, and 144Hz refresh rates, but what really makes them interesting is their integration with Steelseries GameSense software.
Each display will feature five programmable RGB panels on the bottom of the front bezel. These panels can be customized inside the Steelseries Engine to alert you timers and cooldowns, as well Discord notifications. If you like to game in full-screen, knowing when you’re received an incoming message requires an alt+tab means taking a break from the game, sometimes only to find that the message never came. This is a neat addition that we hope gets extended beyond just Discord.
Razer announces “Project Linda,” Hyperflux Technology, and the Nommo Speaker System
Razer made quite a splash, surprising everyone with Project Linda, a laptop powered by their recently released Razer Phone. Using a dock where the touch pad would usually appear, the phone provides the laptop’s processing power, allowing users to receive the benefits of a full laptop - including a full RGB keyboard, 720p webcam, and dual front-facing speakers - all while charging the phone itself. The phone can then be used as a touchpad or as a second screen for the game or app being used.
The second big announcement came in the form of HyperFlux. Razer’s HyperFlux Technology is Razer’s take one a wireless, self-charging mouse, powered by the mouse mat. Using a magnetic field, the mouse is able to be charged without needing to plug into a dock. The new Razer Firefly HyperFlux will offer the charging capability to the new Razer Mamba HyperFlux. The mouse, a refresh of the popular Mamba, also features Adaptive Frequency Technology for superior signal strength and responsiveness.
Finally, we have the new Razer Nommo 2.1 speaker system. The system is THX certified to offer superior cinematic sound and also includes Dolby Speaker Technology to offer virtual 5.1 surround sound. The system has a unique, almost frameless look to the satellite speakers and a distinctive rounded subwoofer. It can also be customized with different sound profiles and custom EQs in the Synapse 3 software.
All of these devices are, of course, Razer Chroma enabled.
That’s all we have for now, but stay tuned as we hear more from the show floor!
