Ahead of today’s news, I attended a Q&A with some members of ZeniMax Online Studios. In addition to a roadmap of more immediate improvements across 2026, executive producer Susan Kath confirmed that, at long last, cross-play is in the works for The Elder Scrolls Online, stating that there is a dedicated team working on the feature.

While players have been asking for cross-play for a long time, it’s still going to be a while before it’s ready, and there is no current release date or even a vague window for when to expect the functionality to arrive.

The Elder Scrolls Online first kicked off all the way back in 2014 on PC, with console versions arriving later in 2015. As a result, it was never designed around cross-play, and Kath freely admits that figuring it all out is a “difficult” process. In addition to just figuring out the technical side of the feature, there’s also the community aspect to handle.

With players limited by platform, The Elder Scrolls Online has various communities and Guilds split across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC/Mac.

A challenge worth tackling

I don’t envy the developers at ZeniMax Online Studios as they try to figure out how cross-play will work, but ultimately, it’s a huge feature that the game will be better off having.

Cross-play and cross-progression are fundamental features in multiplayer titles now, with players (myself included) chafing at restrictions or being unable to take characters and progress wherever they go.

There are a lot of changes coming to The Elder Scrolls Online, and I’m excited to see how the game grows and adapts over the next several months.

The Elder Scrolls Online is currently available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Mac. It’s also included in Xbox Game Pass.

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Notably, the presence of a countdown timer on an interactive website for the show that lines up with the release of Season 2's finale has many thinking series developer Bethesda will announce a Fallout 3 remaster or remake at that time, or perhaps even shadow drop one.

As Windows Central Executive Editor Jez Corden exclusively reported earlier in a larger preview of what to expect from Xbox in 2026 and beyond, though, this will not be the case. Our sources revealed that much, though it's still unclear what the countdown timer will reveal.

Significantly, though, our sources did tell Windows Central that a remaster or remake for Fallout 3 will eventually come, and that one for Fallout: New Vegas will be developed, too. They will be similar to The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, which shadow dropped last year and reportedly far exceeded Microsoft and Xbox's expectations.

"Some have been wondering if a mysterious countdown on the Fallout TV show's Amazon Prime website is hinting at a shadow drop for a new Fallout game or remaster. I'm told this is not the case," wrote Corden. "However, we are eventually getting a Fallout 3 remake in the vein of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, as well as Fallout New Vegas on top."

Nothing else is known about these Fallout remasters beyond the fact that they exist and are planned, though the news that they'll be similar to Oblivion Remastered suggests they may be designed in the same way. This would mean the use of Unreal Engine 5 for an extensive graphical overhaul, with Bethesda's Creation Engine predecessor Gamebryo still serving as the core of the gameplay systems.

Indeed, though, it's ultimately unclear who will create these remasters and what engine they'll use. The fact both games were built on the Gamebryo Engine does make me wonder if they'll be included together as a package deal — the popular Tale of Two Wastelands mod achieves this, notably — but that's just speculation.

Our sources noted that Obsidian Entertainment — the developer of Avowed, Grounded 2, The Outer Worlds 2, and Fallout: New Vegas back in 2010 — have four new projects in the works, "some big some small." Given that Fallout co-creator Tim Cain joined the studio recently, one has to wonder if Obsidian is contributing on these remasters.

Ultimately, we won't know more until the remasters are announced officially, unless inside sources provide further information. Still, it's very exciting news that Fallout 3 and New Vegas are getting modern overhauls, as many fans of both games have been asking for them for years.

Notably, their value won't just lie in pretty graphics and quality-of-life gameplay tweaks. Fallout 3 and New Vegas are both rather notoriously tough to install and run well on modern PCs (Viva New Vegas does a lot to fix New Vegas), so it's great that we're getting a new version of both that's built for the systems of today.

By the way, all the Fallout games are available across Xbox and PC through Xbox Game Pass. Even the old-school CRPG titles are on the service, albeit only on PC.

Are you excited to play a remastered version of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas? Do you want it to be mostly graphics only like Oblivion Remastered, or would you like more extensive gameplay changes too? Let me know in the comments.

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That includes the latest rendition of the iconic Lenovo ThinkPad X1 family of business laptops, including the best-selling ThinkPad X1 Carbon and its ultra-versatile sibling, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1. At CES 2026, though, Lenovo revealed it took a different approach to updating these laptops this year.

Instead of trying to make the ThinkPad X1 Carbon lighter (something my Editor-in-Chief was told by Lenovo's engineers wouldn't be feasible without compromise), the company instead set out to make it one of the most durable and easily repairable business laptops on the market — all while making it more powerful and efficient.

Introducing: Space Frame, for ThinkPad X1

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 14) Aura Edition and ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 11) Aura Edition — too ridiculously long names for what very well may be the best business-grade laptops of the year.

Both are powered by the latest silicon from Intel, rocking up to Intel Core Ultra X7 Series 3 chips paired with best-in-class memory and PCIe Gen5 storage. It's a big jump up in overall performance for both devices, especially with Intel's new 12-core Arc GPU.

Pair that with a wide assortment of ports (including three Thunderbolt 4 ports), a new 10MP wide-angle front-facing camera, optional NFC and 5G cellular, and a bevy of AI features between their Copilot+ PC status and Lenovo's Aura Edition features, and both of these devices are well equipped.

The X1 Carbon also gets a new, larger haptic touchpad, while the X1 2-in-1 benefits from a redesigned active pen that magnetically docks and charges. Ultimately, though, it's all about Space Frame.

When I reviewed the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13), I expressed my disbelief that Lenovo somehow made its flagship enterprise laptop even thinner and lighter. It wasn't realistic to push that boundary even further this time, but the X1 Carbon doesn't really need it.

Instead, Lenovo re-engineered the internals with a new "Space Frame" design, which makes use of both sides of the motherboard. The improvements are two-fold: improved cooling and heat dissipation lead to significantly greater sustained performance, and repairs are now faster and easier thanks to simpler access to replaceable USB ports, battery, keyboard, speakers, fans, and more.

The latter improvement resulted in both ThinkPad X1 devices earning a 9/10 repairability score from iFixit; for comparison, the latest Apple MacBook Pro 14 only earned a 4/10.

Lenovo ThinkPads are already well-known for their reliability and durability, but the highest-end X1 family wasn't as competitive in terms of repairability. This new design handily resolves that problem, and it could make these laptops unbeatable for professionals in 2026.

What do you think of the new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 series? Could one of these be your next laptop? Let us know in the comments below!

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In 2024, Microsoft insiders lamented about the company's obsession and fixation on AI, with a high-ranking executive referring to most Copilot AI tools as gimmicky.

According to a Microsoft insider:

"There is a delusion on our marketing side where literally everything has been renamed to have Copilot it in. Everything is Copilot. Nothing else matters. They want a Copilot tie-in for everything."

Earlier this week, multiple reports emerged online indicating that Microsoft had rebranded Office to Microsoft 365 Copilot. The reports have stirred up some confusion among users. But this isn't the case...

The confusion appears to stem from Microsoft’s Office.com domain. For context, the Office website was renamed to Microsoft 365 in 2022. In January 2025, the company rebranded the hub again to Microsoft 365 Copilot, allowing users to still leverage the platform to access core Office productivity suite apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, alongside Copilot.

As our news writer, Sean Endicott, puts it:

"The Microsoft 365 Copilot app (formerly Office) lets you create, share, and collaborate all in one place with your favorite apps, now including Copilot," says the welcome message when visiting office.com.

While speaking to The Verge's Tom Warren, Microsoft 365's senior director of marketing indicated:

"We've not made any recent naming changes to our Office apps. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint — the office apps within the Microsoft 365 suite productivity suite — remain unchanged. In November 2022, we renamed only the Office 'hub' app for web and mobile to the Microsoft 365 app. In January 2025, we updated it to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app to reflect its role in bringing Copilot and Microsoft 365 productivity experiences in one place."

That said, Microsoft hasn’t rebranded Office as Microsoft 365 Copilot. The suite of apps remains available through the Microsoft 365 subscription, which has remained unchanged since its 2022 rebrand.

What are your thoughts on Microsoft's Copilot branding strategy? Let me know in the comments and vote in the poll!

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The news that the Canadian wing of the French firm — known for the mobile games Assassin's Creed Rebellion and Rainbow Six Mobile — is being axed came on Wednesday morning when VGC obtained an email sent to staff. In said notice, it was explained that Ubisoft made the choice to close Ubisoft Halifax as a part of changes intended to restructure the company and cut costs.

“Over the past 24 months, Ubisoft has undertaken company-wide actions to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs,” a Ubisoft representative told VGC. “As part of this, Ubisoft has made the difficult decision to close its Halifax studio."

"71 positions will be affected. We are committed to supporting all impacted team members during this transition with resources, including comprehensive severance packages and additional career assistance," added the spokesperson.

Several developers from the studio took to LinkedIn to confirm the news themselves shortly afterwards. "Here we are. It's been 8 years for me at Ubisoft Halifax as of tomorrow. It's been quite the journey," wrote one. "Shocked to learn about the closure and the huge impact this will have on us all at Ubisoft Halifax," said another.

Notably, Ubisoft Halifax's shuttering comes just a few weeks after the developer formed a union after revealing its intent to in June, with 61 of its employees joining the Game & Media Workers Guild of Canada, Local 30111, in December. When certification for the union came on December 18, it became Ubisoft's first North American union.

"Even though it’s taken this long to certify, we’re still dedicated to doing this with Ubisoft,” lead programmer Jon Huffman told CTV News. “We love where we work, we love who we work with. We’re in this for the long haul.”

This makes the closure of Ubisoft Halifax all the more tragic, and also has many believing that the shutdown was related — at least partially — to the union's creation. Ubisoft, however, says that the decision to cut the studio was made "well before" its unionization and asserts it "fully respects” the right of its workers to organize a union.

Beyond working on Assassin's Creed Rebellion and Rainbow Six Mobile, Ubisoft Halifax was reportedly working on "some exciting unannounced projects of our own" according to its website. It's unclear if those projects have been canceled, or if they're being worked on by other Ubisoft teams.

Ubisoft as a whole has struggled in recent years, with several of the publisher's games like Star Wars Outlaws proving to be less successful than what was originally hoped for. Those struggles are thought to be what led to Ubisoft striking a deal with Tencent last year, in which the multinational Chinese firm invested €1.16b (roughly $1.2b) in Ubisoft in exchange for 25% stake in the company, and licensing for Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.

Do you think we'll begin to see Ubisoft recover in the coming months and years, or do you believe further hard times are on the way for the publisher? Let me know down below.

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At CES 2026, Intricuit unveiled an attachable display that adds touch support to MacBooks. Dubbed the "Intricuit Magic Screen," the accessory snaps onto a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro and connects through USB-C. Once connected, it allows you to interact with the device through touch. You can even use a stylus with the accessory.

The Intricuit Magic Screen works with almost all M-series MacBooks (the M1 MacBook Air has been left out). Both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are supported in multiple sizes, meaning you could pay extra for the privilege of adding touch to a $2,500 device.

Attaching a digitizer to a laptop is far from an elegant solution and could potentially result in damage if someone tries to shut their computer with the Intricuit Magic Screen still attached. There's a small stopper at the bottom to prevent just that.

The Intricuit Magic Screen costs $139, or at least it will once its Kickstarter launches. You can sign up through the Intricuit website to be notified about availability.

While I joke about Apple trailing Microsoft when it comes to touchscreen computing, I do not mock Intricuit for attempting to fill a gap. Third-party devices like the Magic Screen can appeal to niche users while also pushing the market.

People have asked for touchscreen support on macOS for years, but those pleas have gone unanswered. Some argue that touch should be reserved for devices like the iPad. Others highlight the monumental task of optimizing an entire operating system for touch.

While there are some merits to those arguments, I think touch has been a popular method of interacting with devices long enough to warrant the effort. People shouldn't have to resort to snap-on digitizers to zoom in on a webpage the same way they can interact with a tablet or phone.

Rumors of a touchscreen MacBook have swirled for years, including a recent report last October.

Apple has a tendency to do things "right" rather than doing things first. But Microsoft added touch support to Windows PCs over 12 years ago. Apple has had long enough to reshape the concept and "invent" touchscreen computing.

In the meantime, Intricuit is here to give MacBook users an input method that's been around since Windows 8.

Do you think Apple should add touch support to Macs? Let me know in the comments.

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This showcase was created on December 29, 2025, by a group of content creators who vow to put "Genuine Excitement and Conversation" back into video game reveals without making them pay for their placements.

The event's debut show on January 8, 2026, will showcase 45 upcoming titles (both AAA and indie) with gameplay footage and exclusive interviews with their developers. Some of these games being showcased will be ones already revealed in 2025, while others be brand new ones revealed for the first time with debut trailers.

Here's everything you need to know about how, when, and where you can watch the New Game Plus Showcase and some of the games you can expect to see there.

The New Game Plus Showcase is set to go live on January 8, 2026, at 1:00pm PT | 4:00pm ET | 10:00 pm CET | 9:00pm GMT, and will be broadcast on their official YouTube, Twitch, X, TikTok, and Instagram channels.

Some of the biggest highlights among the 45 upcoming Xbox and PC games being shown off at the event include:

• Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy — a turn-based CRPG set in the grim dark universe of Warhammer 40,000, where you investigate dark conspiracies and hunt down heretics as an acolyte of the Inquisition.
• Crimson Desert — a single-player open-world action-RPG where you travel the land of Pywel to restore your fallen clan, uncover ancient secrets, and battle hordes of monsters with deadly swordplay and brutal wrestling techniques.
• The Blood of Dawnwalker — a dark open-world action-RPG where you play as a Dawnwalker Vampire and must decide between giving in to your vampiric urges or hanging onto your humanity to save your family.
• The Expanse: Osiris Reborn — a sci-fi RPG adaptation of the TV show of the same name. You play as a security mercenary who's quickly caught up in a grand conspiracy that could threaten the solar system, and you must gather a loyal crew and a powerful ship to survive.
• Shadow of the Road — a turn-based CRPG set in an alternative 1800s Japan, where you play as a roaming band of warriors fighting to survive during a war where magic and steampunk technology collide to form unspeakable monstrosities.
• Atomic Heart 2 — a sequel to the cult hit first-person shooter Atomic Heart, that aims to improve the foundation of its predecessor with more complex RPG systems, a refined combat system, a story with higher stakes, and more bizarre and terrifying robotic machines to fight.
• The Cube — an MMO spin-off of Atomic Heart, where players will battle horrifying creatures and reality-warping phenomena to uncover the mysteries behind a giant levitating floating cube and see what treasures lie inside.
• Dinoblade — a soulslike action-RPG where you play as a Spinosaurus travelling the world to prevent the extinction of its kind while battling rival dinosaurs using a colossal Great Sword.
• Towerborne — an early-access hack and slash where players can form up to 4-player co-op parties and travel the land fighting towering monsters to save Belfry, the last bastion of mankind.
• Grounded 2 — the hit sequel to the critically-acclaimed survival-adventure game, Grounded. In this game, you are shrunk to the size of a bug, and you must learn how to forage the land for food, craft weapons, build bases, and tame the local wildlife to find a way to return to normal before being eaten by spiders and wasps.

For more information regarding the New Game Plus Showcase, check out their YouTube, Twitch, X, TikTok, and Instagram channels.

Will you be watching the New Game Plus Showcase? If so, what games are you most excited to see there? If you have any thoughts, let us know in the comments below.

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Okey dokey! We already knew that Season 01 Reloaded in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone was bringing a Fallout crossover, and now, we know exactly what it looks like.

On the eve of the big update, Activision has released the teaser trailer you see above, and naturally, it's not just some operator skins. Of course, there are skins, and typically, they're not all going to be free.

The crossover is coming in the form of a full on event, with its own event pass, as well as special limited time modes across both Black Ops 7 and Warzone to enjoy.

So, what are we getting. Obviously, Lucy, The Ghoul, and Maximus operator skins, and a Fallout Tracer Pack which means customized weapons, too.

From the trailer, we get our first look at the themed Nuketown map with a healthy splash of Vault-Tec. Was there ever a more perfect combination?

Limited time modes (LTM) will be coming to Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone, as well. In the latter, it looks like we're going to have some Brotherhood of Steel Power Armor to play with on Verdansk.

In Zombies, the LTM is going to feature a Deathclaw fight it seems, so that'll be fun. Or not fun at all, depending on your outlook. Multiplayer's LTM looks like a Ghoul-themed take on the Infected mode we've seen before.

Better still, it's dated for January 8, aka, tomorrow, the launch of Season 01 Reloaded. So right out of the gate, we're hitting the ground hard with new content to play. More so, content that looks like it'll be fun to play.

Last year's Black Ops 6 crossover events and event passes were average at best, but at least the first for Black Ops 7 looks to have some meat on its bones. We're coming straight out of the holiday events and into something else new, which will certainly help pass the time until Season 02 drops in February.

I know this, though. The Ghoul is probably my operator skin for the rest of the year.

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"... what we've learned over the course of this year, especially from a consumer perspective, is they're not buying based on AI," Dell's head of product, Kevin Terwilliger said. "In fact I think AI probably confuses them more than it helps them understand a specific outcome."

Dell's latest wave of hardware was notable because it almost purposefully omitted mentions of AI PCs. That doesn't mean its new hardware isn't AI capable, however.

"One thing you'll notice is the message we delivered around our products was not AI-first" says Terwilliger. "We're very focused on delivering upon the AI capabilities of a device—in fact everything that we're announcing has an NPU in it."

Dell is the first Windows OEM to openly admit that the AI PC push has failed. Customers seem uninterested in buying a laptop because of its AI capabilities, likely prioritizing other aspects such as battery life, performance, and display above AI.

This news is unlikely to please Microsoft, which has been trying to encourage an upgrade cycle with Copilot+ PCs for the last couple of years. It placed big bets on next-gen AI experiences as being a primary reason for people to want to upgrade their PC, but if Dell is correct, that effort has seemingly failed.

In fact, Dell's COO Jeff Clarke says that "this un-met promise of AI, and the expectation of AI driving end user demand" along with ongoing memory shortage issues has likely impacted the current state and growth of the PC industry.

Microsoft has slowly pushed AI into every aspect of its portfolio, and Windows 11 has been at the forefront of this unfortunate effort. Windows OEMs have been dragged along for the ride, but now it seems AI on its own isn't enough to encourage users to buy new computers, at least with Windows' current AI capabilities.

Features like Windows Recall and Click To Do, which are exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, haven't resonated with the market. Recall was met with serious backlash, and the other Copilot+ PC features aren't big or useful enough to convince users an AI PC is worth buying.

What are your thoughts on the PC industry's recent AI PC push, and are you expecting these companies to lay off the AI marketing bandwagon in the near future?

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See, as part of the fan experience, Amazon has an interactive website that lets folks explore locations from the Fallout universe. Only one of the items on the map isn't a location. At least, not yet.

It's a countdown timer, which seems to link up with the final episode of the second season. A countdown timer... Must be something good?! Fallout 3 remaster shadow drop?! Alas, according to our own Jez Corden, that's not the case. At least not right now.

The quote is from a larger piece where Corden previews what we can expect from Xbox in 2026. You should definitely check it out if you're remotely curious what's in the pipeline for the next 12 months.

Note that he doesn't say it's not happening. Just that it's not happening right now. We're still to expect it at some point, but current information points to it not being related to Amazon in any way.

So, what could it all be about, then? Given it's Amazon, my first thought is that the countdown will reveal the location for Season 3 of the show. It's fun to hope it's related to a new game, but realistically, it's more likely to be about the show.

Fallout fever is in full effect again, though. The release of the second season has, as with the first, seen increased player counts in the existing games, notably Fallout 4 and Fallout: New Vegas.

Fallout will also be appearing in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 soon, as it collaborates with one of Microsoft's other huge franchises.

As for the actual reason for the countdown, we'll have to wait another almost four weeks to find out.

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This isn't about price rises or controversy, though, it's an early look at what Xbox and PlayStation owners were actually playing the most last year.

The numbers, per Mat Piscatella of Circana, have no real surprises. In fact, the top five games on each platform are exactly the same as 2024, albeit, in a different ranking.

2025's top 5 most played games on US Xbox ranked by % of active panel that played:1 - Fortnite2 - Call of Duty3 - GTAV4 - Minecraft5 - RobloxSame list for 2024:1 - Call of Duty2 - Fortnite3 - Minecraft4 - GTAV5 - RobloxSource: Circana Player Engagement Tracker

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-01-07T16:38:38.894Z

Specifically to Xbox, Fortnite rose, as did GTA V, while Minecraft and Call of Duty dropped. PlayStation was even more predictable, with the same exact games occupying the same spots.

On PlayStation, Fortnite retained its top rank, followed by Call of Duty, GTA V, Roblox, and Minecraft.

In any case, two of Microsoft's biggest hitters remain among PlayStation's most played games. That's on top of the success seen by previously first-party exclusives such as Forza Horizon 5 making the jump to Sony's console.

Caveats, of course, to add a little perspective. Fortnite includes every single mode under the banner, not just the battle royale most of us think of. And they're all free-to-play.

Likewise, Call of Duty encompasses everything accessed through the game's launcher. That means Black Ops 6, Black Ops 7, Warzone, and up until the middle of the year, Modern Warfare 3.

These numbers also serve as a timely reminder that, while useful (and sometimes fun), tracking Steam player numbers doesn't always tell the wider story.

Three of the games mentioned in the lists above aren't available on Steam, for example. Steam might be the biggest player in PC gaming as a whole, and its data is definitely useful, but it's also not the absolute metric that can paint a complete picture.

Call of Duty, for example, isn't doing that great on Steam. Plenty of internet people have taken great delight in this (though the same people are quiet about Battlefield 6's significantly declined player count.)

But Call of Duty is also available on the Xbox app and Battle.net, and objectively, Steam is the worst of the three to play the game on. Many have reported it just doesn't perform as well as on Battle.net, and the Tuesday Steam maintenance kicking players from live matches has turned players away.

In any case, the wider landscape seems to be more business as usual. I think the only game that might kick any of those out in 2026 will be GTA 6, assuming it actually releases this year. Even in the limited time it'll have, the number of people that will be playing should surely propel it into the top five.

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The information comes courtesy of HR Digest. That report notes that "While there are no ongoing rumors of layoffs, the likelihood that it may announce cuts soon remains high."

The outlet also shared that threads on Blind, an anonymous network for professionals, suggest that potential layoffs will likely target "non-core or overlapping roles rather" as opposed to frontline AI developers. Middle managers are the most likely to be affected, according to comments and Microsoft's recent history.

At the time of publication, much of the information regarding potential layoffs is unconfirmed or based on anonymous forum posts. While there is a good chance layoffs are on the way, it's important to take this information with a grain of salt.

As noted by HR Digest, Microsoft often makes personnel changes in January, so it would make sense to see cuts this month.

One rumor states that between 5 to 10% of Microsoft's workforce could be affected by cuts. That would represent 11,000 to 22,000 jobs. A different post on Blind suggests a 3-4% wave of cuts, which would be around 6,000-9,000 people. That would make the cuts similar in scope to what we saw in July and May of 2025.

If the rumors prove to be accurate, the job cuts will start on January 18.

Another year of layoffs at Microsoft?

Microsoft cut over 15,000 jobs in 2025. The push for cuts appears to be two-fold. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wants to improve operational efficiency at the company. Simultaneously, Microsoft is investing heavily in AI.

When Microsoft cut 9,000 employees in July of last year, it was reported that the move was made so the tech giant could invest more into AI infrastructure.

"Microsoft’s push into AI doesn’t mean the company is replacing workers with the technology. Rather, the significant cost of building out the infrastructure over multiple years has Microsoft looking to trim costs where it can," said The Seattle Times back in July.

Microsoft announced its intentions to spend $80 billion on infrastructure. That marked a massive jump compared to the $25 billion spent in the previous fiscal year.

Many, including several members of our team, have accused Microsoft of being obsessed with AI. That obsession, which continues despite "Microslop" trending on social media, appears to be the cause of many changes at the company, including thousands of job cuts.

In December, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the company's size "has become a massive disadvantage."

The tech giant has also set an "accountability margin" of 30% for Xbox, which is generally considered unreasonable.

Due to the sheer size of Microsoft, several factors are in play when it comes to staffing decisions and cuts. Seemingly, investment in AI infrastructure and strict profit demands are two major factors.

Do you think Microsoft should shift its AI strategy? Let me know in the comments and vote in the poll!

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The Legion Go 2 launched in October 2025 as a Windows 11 PC gaming handheld. A few months later, at CES 2026, Lenovo revealed it was launching an official SteamOS version of the Legion Go 2, like the Steam Deck, only with more premium features and internals.

RELATED: Legion Go 2 (Windows) review | Steam Deck review

For those of you unsure of which of the operating systems to choose from when buying Legion Go 2, I've spent some time comparing these two devices and explaining their differences. Let's dive in and discuss how they compare.

TL:DR: Look for the TL;DR sections to get the highlights for each category.

Legion Go 2: SteamOS vs Windows — Specs

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Legion Go 2: SteamOS vs Windows — Pricing

As of right now, we know that the Windows version of the Legion Go 2 has a lower $1,049.99 starting price compared to the SteamOS version's $1,199.99 starting MSRP.

Outside of their operating systems, these handhelds are largely the same, with the same layouts, buttons, processor options, displays, and ports.

It's honestly a bit surprising that the SteamOS version costs more, given that the Windows version of the Legion Go S has a higher price than the SteamOS version.

TL;DR: PRICE WINNER: Surprisingly, the Windows version of the Legion Go 2 has a lower starting price than the SteamOS version.

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Legion Go 2: SteamOS vs Windows — Performance

NOTE: I will conduct performance benchmark testing on the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) when I get my hands on it and will update this section as soon as possible. For now, this section utilizes official spec information for educated analysis.

Despite the Windows and SteamOS versions of the Legion Go 2 having the same Ryzen Z2 Series handheld processors and capacity options when it comes to memory and storage, it's likely that the SteamOS versions will run more efficiently.

RELATED: All AMD handheld chips and how they compare

This is due to the fact that SteamOS is far more optimized for handhelds than Microsoft's operating system. Where Windows 11 is bogged down by bloat and extra background processes, SteamOS is more focused, allowing it to take up less power.

As an example, previous benchmarks showed that the rival Xbox Ally X offered better performance running SteamOS than it did running the Windows 11 it ships with. As such, it stands to reason the Legion Go 2 will also perform better with SteamOS.

TL;DR: PERFORMANCE WINNER: I'll have to run tests to know for sure, but it's very likely that the SteamOS version of the Legion Go 2 will offer better performance.

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Legion Go 2: SteamOS vs Windows — Display

Both the SteamOS and Windows versions of the Legion Go 2 feature an 8.8-inch OLED touchscreen that tops at a crisp 1920x1200 resolution, a high 144Hz refresh rate, and offers VRR (variable refresh rate) support.

Altogether, they offer a fantastic color range and contrast with detailed visuals and smooth motion clarity.

As I noted in my Legion Go 2 (Windows) review, this is the best handheld display to date.

TL;DR: DISPLAY WINNER: It's a tie. Both the Windows and SteamOS versions have the same OLED display.

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Legion Go 2: SteamOS vs Windows — Controls and ports

There is no difference in the general layout between the SteamOS and Windows versions of the Legion Go 2. However, the SteamOS version does show the same game icons for the buttons that the Steam Deck uses.

Both handhelds have offset Hall Effect joysticks that won't develop stick drift, detachable controllers, and a touchpad under the right joystick. They both also have a right controller that has an FPS Mode, allowing the controller to act somewhat like a mouse when dragged around a surface.

I've personally used the FPS Mode for better control in certain games as well as to navigate my cursor around Windows 11 menus, programs, and Google Chrome. I'm guessing FPS Mode will work well in certain games on the SteamOS handheld and in the Desktop Mode. However, I'm not sure how well it will work in SteamOS's handheld mode. I'll be sure to check that out when I review the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS).

On top of the Legion Go 2 is an RGB circle, in the shape of the Legion logo, and at its center is a fingerprint reader that works very well on the Windows handheld. The thing is, this fingerprint reader is also located on the SteamOS version, but it cannot be used since SteamOS doesn't natively support this biometric login technology.

What about ports?

Port-wise, both Legion Go 2 versions offer an audio jack, a microSD card reader that supports up to 2TB, and two USB4 Type-C ports.

Thanks to DisplayPort support, both handhelds can be connected to a docking station and displayed on a TV or monitor. You'll just need to make sure you get a 65W docking station or higher in order for it to be compatible.

TL;DR: CONTROLS & PORTS WINNER: While the buttons, joysticks, and ports are the same between these devices, it's possible that FPS mode is limited on SteamOS and that the fingerprint reader is only supported on the Windows version, which makes Windows the winner here.

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Legion Go 2: SteamOS vs Windows — Software and games

As the names imply, the biggest difference between the Legion Go 2 versions is that one runs the Linux-based SteamOS while the other runs Windows 11.

Out of the box, SteamOS's handheld mode is intended to only access your Steam library of games, but as I explained in my Decky Loader guide, this plug-in makes it easier to access other game services like Battle.net, Epic Games, and more.

Meanwhile, the Windows version is far less optimized for handhelds; it literally operates like a Windows laptop or desktop, which has two main problems: First, many people find the Windows interface to be too convoluted for handhelds compared to the SteamOS interface's console-like simplicity. Second, Windows has far more bloat, with unnecessary programs (for handhelds) and extra processes running in the background. This bloat can slow the handheld down and make it work less efficiently, so it's good to uninstall unneeded programs.

These are some of the reasons why Windows handheld owners have opted to switch to SteamOS or the console-like experience of Bazzite.

Of course, the Xbox Ally X's Xbox Full Screen Experience (Xbox FSE) recently rolled out onto Legion Go 2 (Windows). This mode transforms Windows into more of a console-like interface using the Xbox App; it's an experience that's more akin to the feel of SteamOS, and it also reduces background programs to help Windows handhelds run more smoothly. Xbox FSE isn't quite where I want it to be yet, but Microsoft does have plans to improve it in 2026, so Xbox FSE could get even better this year.

It's also easier to update the SteamOS version and its software by going between your game library and the SteamOS system settings. Meanwhile, you'll need to move between Windows settings, your game services, specific games, AMD Software, and Lenovo Space to keep your Windows handheld and its games up to date.

However, there is a lot of good that comes with Windows as well. You can easily access a web browser, other gaming services, and download programs right out of the box if you know how to use Windows.

Then there's the game compatibility issue.

It's worth noting that the vast majority of PC games are specifically designed for Windows. SteamOS gets around this by using Proton, a compatibility layer, to make Windows games run on Linux. While Proton continues to get better every year, some games still aren't compatible with Proton and thus don't run well or don't run at all on SteamOS handhelds unless you do a lot of tweaking. Even then, there isn't always a guarantee that games will work on SteamOS.

As an example, many competitive multiplayer games require the use of an anti-cheat system to play, but most anti-cheat kernel-level drivers, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's RICOCHET, aren't supported on SteamOS. People have found workarounds, but it's possible a game's anti-cheat could incorrectly flag these fixes and ban your account. This being the case, it's typically safer to play anti-cheat games on Windows devices.

In case you didn't know, you can connect a mouse and keyboard to both the SteamOS and Windows versions and then use them like a typical Linux or Windows computer. I've specifically used my Legion Go 2 to access various non-gaming programs, type up articles for work, and browse the internet using my Artciety Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard with a built-in touchpad ($34.99 at Amazon).

You'll really need to consider what games you intend to play on the Legion Go 2 and then determine whether SteamOS or Windows will do a better job of allowing you to play those titles.

TL;DR: SOFTWARE & GAMES WINNER: We've got a few tradeoffs here. SteamOS is better optimized for handhelds than Windows, and it offers a better console-like interface. However, certain games and most anti-cheat systems do not run well on SteamOS; more games are compatible with Windows.

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Legion Go 2: SteamOS vs Windows — Battery life

Both the Windows and SteamOS versions of the Legion Go 2 offer a 74Wh battery. That said, the SteamOS version likely lasts longer on one charge since its operating system is more efficient, is better optimized for handhelds, and has less bloat (like we previously discussed).

I won't know what Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) battery life is like until I do my own battery testing. That said, my previous Legion Go 2 (Windows) battery tests showed that it tends to run for 1.5 to slightly more than five hours, depending on settings.

Now, the SteamOS version has those same power-hungry Z2 processors, so it likely only runs a bit longer than the Windows version.

I'll update this section as soon as I can run a Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) through battery testing.

TL;DR: BATTERY LIFE WINNER: I won't know for sure until I can do testing, but it's likely that the SteamOS version lasts longer.

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Legion Go 2: SteamOS vs Windows — Grip ergonomics and comfort

The same ergonomic design and shape are at play with both the SteamOS and Windows Legion Go 2.

They are 11.64 inches long, 5.38 inches tall, and 1.66 inches thick, making them some of the largest handhelds on the market. Unsurprisingly, they're also some of the heaviest, ranging between 2.03 and 2.2 pounds depending on configurations.

But your hands and wrists shouldn't cry out just yet. Remember, the detachable controllers are only 0.46 pounds, so you can put the controller in tabletop mode if you tend to experience wrist fatigue.

TL;DR: COMFORT WINNER: We have a tie. Both versions are the same when it comes to ergonomics, dimensions, and weight.

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Legion Go 2: SteamOS vs Windows — Comparison chart

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Legion Go 2: SteamOS vs Windows — Which should I buy?

In all honesty, both the Windows and the SteamOS versions of the Legion Go 2 could make for the perfect handheld, depending on what you want from your portable gaming device.

Generally, more people will likely prefer the SteamOS version due to its console-like interface and efficiency, but Windows can be a better fit for certain use cases.

In the end, choose the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) if you want a handheld that feels more like a dedicated gaming system than a full-blown PC. SteamOS is also a preferred option thanks to how efficiently it runs without unnecessary bloat.

Meanwhile, choose the Legion Go 2 (Windows) if you tend to play games with anti-cheat systems or other titles that don't run well on SteamOS. Alternatively, you might want to go with the Windows version if you want to use your handheld like a Windows gaming laptop or desktop, for school, work, or personal tasks.

NOTE: If you need a handheld right now, you're kind of out of luck, unless you're willing to give in to scalpers. The Windows Legion Go 2 has been out of stock at most retailers for a couple of months, and the SteamOS version doesn't launch until June 2026.

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It helps you monitor activity, prevent accidental spending, and stay informed about what your child or family member is doing.

This guide walks you through everything you need to get started.

Windows 11 Parental Controls

For those unaware, the Xbox Ally, Xbox Ally X, and other Windows handhelds run Windows 11.

This includes devices like the ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, MSI Claw, Lenovo Legion Go, Lenovo Legion Go S (Windows edition), and Lenovo Legion Go 2.

It does not include the Steam Deck or any other SteamOS-powered handheld.

Parental controls on these devices are handled through Microsoft Family Safety and Xbox Family Settings, which let you manage what a child can see and do.

To begin, you’ll need a Microsoft account for each user, and you’ll need to create a family group.

How to set up a Family Group

The easiest way to set up Parental Controls would be to download the Microsoft Family Safety App on your device of choice, either via Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store.

However, you can do this on your PC or your web browser of choice. Setting up a Family Group is very straightforward if you follow these steps below:

• Create or make sure your Child or Family member has their own Microsoft account, here https://signup.live.com/
• Make sure your child or family member is logged into the device you wish to manage. Instructions on how to do this are below.
• Once this is done, sign in to your own Microsoft account at: https://account.microsoft.com/family/
• Select Add a family member.
• Choose the Member option and select Next.
• Enter your Child's or Family Members Microsoft account email or share the link via WhatsApp.

Adding your family member to a device

Adding your child or family member to your device is very easy and straightforward, follow these steps below:

• First, log in to the device with your Microsoft Account.
• Then navigate to Windows Settings. This can be done in several ways.
• If you're in the Xbox FullScreen Experience, swipe up from the bottom and select Windows Desktop
• Then open the Start Menu and search for Settings, and open it.
• If you're not in Xbox FullScreen Experience, just go to the Start Menu, search for Settings, and open it.
• Once in Settings, go to Accounts.
• Select Family.
• Your Child's or Family members' account will appear here.
• Select it and choose the option Allow sign-in.
• Once this is done, go back to the sign-in screen of your device and select your family member's profile, then go through the login process.
• I did have to restart my device before it would appear under my family member's profile.

Enable Activity sharing

Before you can view screen time or online activity, you may need to check that activity reporting is turned on.

To do this, follow these steps:

• Sign in to the Microsoft Family Safety website using your child's or family member's account.
• Open their profile and make sure the activity sharing toggle is set to Yes (it will turn green if enabled).

Once enabled, you’ll need to do one more step.

• Go back to your Account on the Microsoft Family Safety webpage.
• Select your child's or Family Member's profile.
• Enable the option "Activity reporting."

You will now be able to view your child or family members activity on their devices.

Configuring your Parental Controls (Via your web browser)

Once a family member is added to your account, you'll see the user profile.

To change their settings, you can do the following:

• Select their user profile.
• Make any changes you desire as per your requirements.

To manage your child’s account through the Microsoft Family Safety website, go to the Family group page and select their name. From here, you will see several management options, including screentime, apps and games, web and search, and spending.

Screen time allows you to set limits specifically for Windows devices, which covers the Xbox Ally and other Windows handhelds. Simply choose Windows within the screen time section and apply daily schedules or usage limits that suit your routine.

Make sure your child has already signed in on their device at least once. If not, the device will not appear for configuration.

Ensure you have followed these steps above to add your child or family member to the device.

Using the mobile app

If you decided to download the mobile app from either Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store, you can follow these steps below in the app to set up your Family Group:

• Once the app has downloaded, open up the Microsoft Family Safety App.
• Log in with your Microsoft Account.
• Within the Your family page, select Add a family member.
• If you haven’t already, ensure your family member has their own Microsoft account, you can choose the “CREATE A CHILD ACCOUNT” within this page.
• Enter your Family’s email address or phone number here to add them to your Family group.

Ensure you have followed these steps above to add your child or family member to the device.

Configuring your Parental Controls (Via Microsoft Family Safety)

The Microsoft Family Safety app makes everything very straightforward.

Once a family member is added to your group, you can do the following:

• Select their user profile.
• From here, you can manage their devices. Windows Handhelds like the Xbox Ally will appear under Windows devices.
• Select Windows devices, and you can then change screentime, Apps and Games, Web and Search, spending, and more.

For example, under Screentime, we can select Windows or Xbox, for devices like the Xbox Ally and other Windows handhelds, select Windows, and you can configure Time limits.

It is worth noting that your family member user does need to have a device set up with their account, so ensure you have signed them into their Xbox Ally or other Windows-based handheld.

Xbox Parental Controls

It’s important to follow the previous steps as well as this one for full Parental Controls over your Family members' accounts.

Even though the Xbox Ally and other Windows handhelds are tied to Windows, we still will want to set up Xbox Family Safety too, and to do this, do the following:

• On the handheld, sign in with your child’s Microsoft Account (the same as earlier from your Family group).
• Now download the Xbox Family Settings app from either Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store.
• Log in with your Microsoft Account.
• It will recognize your added Family Member(s) from earlier.
• It will run you through a setup of your Family Member(s), choosing their age, communication preferences, and more. This is at your own discretion.
• You now select your Family Member(s) profiles and fine-tune their settings as per your requirements.

Ensure you have followed these steps above to add your child or family member to the device.

Understanding Windows controls vs Xbox controls

Windows parental controls handle the device itself. This includes screen time, app limits, website filtering, downloads, activity history, and general access permissions.
Xbox controls focus on online behaviour, multiplayer, communication, content age ratings, friend requests, and spending approvals for in-game purchases.

If your child uses an Xbox Ally, Ally X, or any Windows handheld, you will want both systems working together. Windows manages time and apps, while Xbox Family Settings controls online safety, messaging, and purchases inside the Xbox ecosystem.

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Xbox had a fantastic 2025 on paper. Xbox first party shipped more games than ever. Xbox Game Pass arguably had its best sprint of high-quality games ever too, with Expedition 33, Hollow Knight Silksong, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Oblivion Remake, and many more hitting the service. We also saw a huge Xbox partnership with ASUS for the Xbox Ally gaming handheld, which puts Xbox Play Anywhere at the forefront. Microsoft also announced a big partnership with AMD for next-gen consoles ... alas.

That's not what Xbox's 2025 will be remembered for, sadly. Microsoft has been working overtime to sink its image, injecting AI slop into every product it has, laying off thousands while bragging about how much of its code is written by AI, and hiking prices of products to uncomfortable levels. Xbox Game Pass picked up a 50% price hike on the highest tier, and Xbox Series X|S hardware has become prohibitively expensive, leading to free-fall sales declines.

The drama led to a barrage of headlines questioning whether or not Xbox would even still exist to see its big 25th anniversary, slated for November 15, 2026.

I suspect Xbox will want to put the negativity of the past year firmly behind itself, but it finds itself in a confluence of challenges both internal and external. The storm will pass for the vast majority of Xbox gamers unnoticed most likely, but for the wider audience, Xbox remains firmly under a microscope.

The four horsemen return, anniversaries abound

One thing we know for certain is what to expect from Microsoft's first party in 2026. At least generally speaking. Microsoft has a lot in the chamber it can fire off potentially in the coming months, but the headliners are set: Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, Halo Campaign Evolved, and Forza Horizon 6. Microsoft often jokingly refers to the line-up as the "four horsemen" internally, representing what are arguably the four most iconic Xbox franchises.

Microsoft will show off at least some of these at the January Xbox Developer_Direct show, which has become an annualized tone-setting event for Xbox's yearly line-up. While I'm not sure exactly what will be shown there this year (yet), it seems the four pillar franchises seem highly likely — although I have heard one of Microsoft's more intrepid teams may be ready to show off what it has been baking.

Some have been wondering if a mysterious countdown on the Fallout TV show's Amazon Prime website is hinting at a shadow drop for a new Fallout game or remaster. I'm told this is not the case. However, we are eventually getting a Fallout 3 remake in the vein of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, as well as Fallout New Vegas on top. I'm told Obsidian of Grounded, The Outer Worlds, and Fallout New Vegas fame has four new projects, some big some small — Fallout co-creator Tim Cain also joined the studio a short while ago. I'm not sure if any of these projects are Fallout-related, but either way, it shows Xbox isn't taking its foot off the pedal when it comes to content.

On the topic of Fallout, we are of course also eventually getting Fallout 5, which I understand to be greenlit. Bethesda's Todd Howard noted in a previous interview that Fallout is receiving a ton of investment right now. It could be a while before we see the fruits of that labor — but perhaps we could see them teased at an upcoming show.

After all, 2026 marks several major "anniversaries" for Xbox and some of its subsidiaries. Xbox is having its 25th anniversary, Blizzard is having its 35th, and Bethesda is having its 40th. Microsoft and its teams are planning a variety of events and announcements to celebrate these milestones.

At Blizzcon 2026, I thoroughly expect to see new expansions revealed for Diablo IV, alongside World of Warcraft's "The Last Titan." We should also get major updates for Overwatch and Hearthstone, and potentially other new mobile game reveals. There has been long-held rumors of an Overwatch mobile game on the horizon, for example, and I've heard another Warcraft mobile game project is in gestation. The headline for Blizzcon 2026 is most likely going to be StarCraft. It was previously reported that StarCraft is getting the third-person shooter treatment, and I confirmed these rumors true via my own sources a while back.

For Bethesda's 40th, could we catch a glimpse at id Software's next title? It has been rumored for an incredibly long time that id could return to Quake or Hexen, now that all the rights fully exist within the Microsoft umbrella. Machine Games' is also thought to be working on a Rainbow Six Siege-like multiplayer title, although I've heard that Wolfenstein III is also on the cards to coincide with the upcoming Wolfenstein Amazon TV show.

Perhaps some of these games will break cover at Bethesda's Quakecon event, but big reveals are often reserved for the Xbox Showcase. As usual, Xbox will hold an event in June to coincide with Summer Game Fest and the post-E3 summer marketing blitz. It's here where we should see glimpses at 2027 titles, which could include games like inXile's Clockwork Revolution, Undead Labs' State of Decay 3, Arkane's Blade, and perhaps other hitherto unknown titles.

I've heard Ninja Theory's next game will be more combat-involved and interactive than Hellblade 1 and 2, while retaining the cinematic excellence the studio has come to be known for. We'll also catch a glimpse of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 undoubtedly here, with Activision eager to reconnect with fans after Black Ops 7's controversial delivery. Call of Duty will also drop onto Nintendo Switch 2 this year as well, fulfilling Microsoft's promises to regulators. There are strong rumors that Age of Empires will return with a new title in the future too, powered by Unreal Engine. And we could see more of Hideo Kojima's mysterious "OD" horror project this year.

There's also plenty of unknowns. Xbox Publishing still has plenty of secret projects. Xbox's large stable of service games will doubtless get major updates this year, including Minecraft, Grounded 2, Fallout 76, Elder Scrolls Online, and the King mobile franchises. Could we see Toys for Bob's long-rumored Spyro this year? What is the mysterious and oft-overlooked Elsewhere Entertainment Xbox team working on? Perhaps we'll find out in 2026.

A plethora of PC platform updates

I already wrote an article detailing what the Xbox Ally update roadmap looks like in 2026, but we should see some of those new features sooner, rather than later. Even if you're not an Xbox Ally owner, you should probably keep an eye on how development there is going — the Xbox Ally experience is essentially the next-gen Xbox experience too.

I reported last year that the next Xbox will run full bore Windows, and that is still the plan. In partnership with AMD, the next Xbox will utilize the Windows 11 "Full Screen Experience" with the Xbox PC app to deliver its console interface. Microsoft is working on major updates to the Xbox PC app to accommodate this, bringing it more closely in line with what Xbox console players will expect when engaging with a device on their TV, rather than at their desk.

Where it diverges with a traditional PC is in its ability to actually run games compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Microsoft announced that it's partnering with AMD to enable Xbox games on this PC-like device. Existing Xbox console users' libraries will come forward with them to the new Xbox, as Microsoft continues to commit to backward compatibility in a big way.

I suspect we'll hear more at GDC 2026 about how Xbox plans to modernize its publishing practices to accommodate this new more "open" strategy. Developers shipping on Xbox PC already enjoy a more generous cut of the revenue than they do on console, but Microsoft still has a huge issue getting developers to organically support Xbox PC. Moving the platform to console will help here, but there will at least be a few years where Xbox Series X|S remains the primary development platform for most, I suspect.

Microsoft has already signalled that it plans to make Xbox publishing more open and Steam-like, lifting the NDA on some of its publishing rules last year. Microsoft still has a long way to go to improve discoverability for quality Xbox games on its PC store, though. The more "open" nature of the Microsoft Store results in mountains of shovelware hitting the platform, and discovering quality titles remains oddly difficult. Improved community tools such as reviews, comments, curation, and interactivity would help improve discoverability algorithms, so hopefully we see some of those kinds of features materialize this year.

I'm told we should also see some new Xbox hardware this year. I suspect we'll finally see the Xbox Elite Controller Series 3 break cover in 2026, and perhaps even other controller revisions. I'm told Microsoft's next-generation Xbox controllers all support direct-to-WiFi connectivity, eliminating Bluetooth latency from cloud gaming scenarios.

There's always the chance we'll see more "Xbox" branded OEM hardware, taking advantage of the Xbox Full Screen Experience on Windows, similar to the Xbox Ally. I've been working through some credible rumors that we could see an OEM "Xbox" PC in 2026, but time will tell whether or not that one pans out.

A ton to look forward to, with caution

On paper, everything is looking up for Xbox as an entity, but challenges remain. Xbox Series X|S hardware sales are in free-fall decline, although existing users are sticky and remain heavily engaged. Despite PlayStation's vastly bigger install base, some games such as Helldivers 2 and Arc Raiders over-index on Xbox systems, delivering disproportionate engagement for publishers. There's still a ton of money to be made on the Xbox ecosystem, which is why we haven't seen publishers pull out of the platform despite the decreased amount of new users coming in.

Where Xbox is seeing success is on Xbox PC. I'm told Microsoft may begin reporting its Xbox PC stats as part of Microsoft's quarterlies, reflecting its growth. The addition of benefits in games like Fortnite, League of Legends, and Valorant has helped Xbox PC win itself an alternative audience to that of Steam, although organic support still seems to be a challenge for titles shipping outside of Xbox Game Pass.

People will continue to view Microsoft under a microscope, and for good reason. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has not been shy about the company's awkward obsession with AI technology, regardless of how well it actually performs for the end-user. "Microslop" has been trending as a result.

There have already been rumors of mass Microsoft layoffs in January 2026, although I'm told these are false (at least with regards to Xbox). The DRAM price glut is something Microsoft and other companies will not be able to escape, though.

Practically anything powered by a computer is likely to see price increases this year, as OpenAI and other companies buy up all the components chasing increasingly-insane compute demands. Will that further impact prices for console, PC, and even game prices? Xbox won't be the only one impacted by this macroeconomic instability, but Xbox's reputation has already been on shaky ground.

There has been a ton of negativity and angst about Microsoft's direction and corporate-level commitment to gaming, and for good reason. But, I am hopeful that Xbox can fully turn a corner this year and begin to show that it, and its ecosystem, are truly here to stay.

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The Steam Deck was the only official SteamOS PC gaming handheld for several years, until the Lenovo Legion Go S — Powered by SteamOS entered the ring. Now, Lenovo has announced that its flagship handheld is also getting a new version, the Legion Go 2 — Powered by SteamOS.

Once this device launches, buyers will have the choice of going with either a Windows 11 Legion Go 2 or a SteamOS one.

RELATED: Legion Go 2 (Windows) review | Steam Deck review

But how does the new Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) actually stack up against the Steam Deck? I've compared these two devices in a number of different categories, based on available specs, to find out.

TL:DR: Look for the TL;DR sections to get the highlights for each section.

Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) vs Steam Deck: Specs

TL;DR SPECS WINNER: There's no doubt about it. The Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) offers far more impressive specs. However, its starting price isn't at all budget-friendly, unlike the Steam Deck OLED.

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Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) vs Steam Deck: Price & value

Recently, the Steam Deck LCD 256GB (2022) was discontinued (like the Steam Deck LCD 64GB before it) — its $399.00 starting price had made it Valve's most affordable handheld for a while. But even with Valve removing this entry-level option, the Steam Deck OLED is still more affordable than the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS).

You can get the Steam Deck OLED with either 512GB of storage for $549.00 at Steam or 1TB of storage for $649.00 at Steam. Meanwhile, the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) has a starting price of $1,199.00 — that's more than double the starting price of the Steam Deck OLED.

Additionally, the Steam Deck OLEDs are currently available for purchase, while the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) isn't expected to ship until June 2026. As such, you'll have to wait a while before you can get your hands on this new official SteamOS handheld.

TL;DR: PRICE WINNER: In terms of affordability, the Steam Deck OLED is by far the better budget buy. Its starting price is less than double the starting price of the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS). The Legion Go 2 is more costly, but it does give you more features.

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Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) vs Steam Deck: Performance

NOTE: I will conduct performance benchmark testing on the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) when I get my hands on it and will update this section as soon as possible. For now, this section utilizes official spec information for educated analysis.

Now, some of you are far more interested in the performance of a handheld than its price, so let's dive into how the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) performs versus the Steam Deck OLED.

Performance is a tricky thing, especially when it comes to handhelds. It's determined, not only by how powerful the internals are, but by how well the system of hardware works with the software it's running.

On paper, the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) offers a much, much more powerful APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) — an AMD SoC (system on chip) that combines a CPU (central processing unit) and GPU (graphics processing unit) for better efficiency to fit a smaller form factor.

The Legion Go 2 (SteamOS)'s Ryzen Z2 Extreme's CPU utilizes eight cores and 16 threads using the latest Zen 5 architecture, while the GPU has 16 cores and utilizes RDNA3.5, which is the latest architecture for integrated GPUs.

In comparison, the Steam Deck OLED only has half of the CPU threads and cores (4C, 8T) and half the GPU cores (8C), while using older architecture for both. Having more cores and threads allows a processor to work more efficiently and take on more work at once, which is important for gaming performance.

RELATED: All AMD handheld chips and how they compare

Then there's also the fact that the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) with 32GB RAM and 2TB SSD can have up to double the memory and storage space of the Steam Deck OLED with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD. This not only gives the Legion Go 2 room for more games but also allows the system to access data quickly, theoretically resulting in faster loading and saving times.

One last thing to note is that the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) supports VRR (variable refresh rate) while the Steam Deck does not. This is an important distinction since VRR reduces screen tearing and helps games play more smoothly. So even motion clarity is likely better on the Lenovo's handheld.

What this all means is that the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) can take on more graphically intensive tasks than the Steam Deck can handle. As an example, some AAA games might not run well on Steam Deck or might not boot at all, but it's possible that those same games could run well on Legion Go 2 (SteamOS), depending on system requirements.

That all said, we'll have to see how well the Legion Go 2 specifically plays with SteamOS. My guess is that it will be a major performance improvement over the Legion Go 2 (Windows), given that SteamOS has a lot less bloatware and extra processes going on in the background.

What's more, previous benchmarks showed that the rival Xbox Ally X offered better performance with SteamOS than it did with its shipped Windows 11, so it stands to reason the Legion Go 2 will perform better with SteamOS as well.

As far as upgradability goes, I'm willing to bet that the Steam Deck is easier to upgrade than the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS). When I reviewed the Windows version of the Legion Go 2, I took a look inside of it and noted that it hadn't really been designed with easy upgradability in mind, so I'm guessing the same is true of the SteamOS option.

TL;DR: PERFORMANCE WINNER: The Legion Go 2's AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip is far more powerful than the Steam Deck's custom AMD chip. Lenovo's handheld also offers more memory and storage. All of this together means that the Legion Go 2 should be able to run games that the Steam Deck cannot.

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Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) vs Steam Deck: Display

This is another area where the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) absolutely dominates.

The Steam Deck OLED has a 7.4-inch OLED touchscreen, but it tops out at 1280x800 resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate, which is pretty limited by today's handheld standards.

Meanwhile, the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) has a notably larger OLED display that measures in at 8.8 inches. When side-by-side with a Steam Deck OLED, this screen size difference feels massive and allows you to make out more details in your games.

On top of that, the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) has a wider color gamut for richer hues and better contrast. It can also hit a higher resolution of up to 1920x1200, providing much crisper imagery for you to view, while a 144Hz refresh rate and the previously mentioned VRR support reduce motion blur and provide smoother visuals.

It's worth noting that the Legion Go 2's display isn't just better than the Steam Deck's display; it's also the best handheld display to date.

TL;DR: DISPLAY WINNER: There is no debate here. The Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) OLED display is better than the Steam Deck OLED in every way, including higher resolution, refresh rate, color range, size, and VRR support.

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Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) vs Steam Deck: Controls and ports

Controls and ports are where the Steam Deck and Legion Go 2 really show their physical differences.

They have the same general layout with joysticks on either side, ABXY buttons on the right, D-Pad on the left, bumpers, triggers, four back buttons, and a smattering of system and game buttons.

These controls mostly all function the same. In fact, the SteamOS version of the Legion Go 2 shows the same symbols on the buttons that the Steam Deck OLED does. So there shouldn't be any confusion on that score.

Now for the differences.

Perhaps the most important difference here is that the Legion Go 2 has offset Hall Effect joysticks and triggers, while the Steam Deck has inline analog joysticks. This means that the Legion Go 2 won't experience stick drift, but the Steam Deck might.

Another thing to note is that the Steam Deck OLED offers two touchpads, one under each joystick, while the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) only has one slightly smaller touchpad under the right joystick. To be fair, many people only end up using the right touchpad, but you might be an outlier with your preferences, so it's something to consider.

The biggest control difference between these handhelds is that the Legion Go 2 offers detachable controllers (Legion TrueStrike controllers), like the Nintendo Switch 2. You simply press a button on the back of the controllers and pull them down to remove them. Since the Legion Go 2 has a built-in kickstand, you can take the controllers in hand and play while the tablet part is propped up on its own on a table.

But wait, there's more; another feature the Steam Deck doesn't offer.

The Legion Go 2's right controller has an FPS (first-person shooter) switch on the bottom and comes with a magnetic stand. When this switch is toggled, and the controller is placed in that stand, the right gamepad can be moved around on a surface, a lot like a mouse, to navigate game menus or even be used for first-person shooters.

Both of the Legion Go 2's controllers also feature USB-C ports so they can be charged separately, if desired. But they also charge if they're connected to the Legion Go 2 while it's plugged in and charging.

Something to note is that the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS)'s power button also doubles as a fingerprint reader. However, SteamOS does not natively support this biometric login feature, so it's unusable on this handheld. Of course, this also explains why the Steam Deck doesn't have a fingerprint reader.

What about ports?

When it comes to ports, the Steam Deck OLED is modest, but it gives you all the basics you need. There's one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, one microSD card reader, and one audio jack.

In comparison, the Legion Go 2 also has an audio jack and a microSD card reader. It differs in that it has two USB4 Type-C ports, which are more than twice as fast and support higher resolutions. Additionally, having two ports is more convenient since you can charge your device with one connection while having an accessory plugged into the other port at the same time.

Since both the Steam Deck and Legion Go 2's USB-Cs support DisplayPort, both handhelds can be connected to a docking station and displayed on a TV or monitor. However, the Steam Deck only needs a 45W docking station while the Legion Go 2 needs 65W or higher for it to work.

TL;DR: CONTROLS WINNER: There are a lot of differences here, but the Legion Go 2's Hall Effect joysticks, detachable controllers, FPS mode, and dual USB4 ports make it the more convenient handheld in terms of controls and ports.

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Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) vs Steam Deck: Software and games

There isn't too much to get into in this section, given that both the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) and the Steam Deck run the Linux-based SteamOS as their operating system. This means the menus and user interface are the same.

Out of the box, both devices are intended to only access your Steam library of games. But you can access other gaming services like Epic Games, Battle.net, and more using certain plug-ins and programs.

If you're interested in something like that, check out my guide on how to install Decky Loader on SteamOS handhelds.

As I mentioned previously, the Legion Go 2 configuration with a Z2 Extreme chip will be able to run more AAA games than the Steam Deck OLED since it has stronger internal hardware.

TL;DR: SOFTWARE & GAMES WINNER: Both handhelds might offer the same SteamOS operating system and interface; however, the Legion Go 2 is the winner here since it is powerful enough to run more AAA games than the Steam Deck OLED can handle.

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Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) vs Steam Deck: Battery life

Simply by looking at the specs, it might appear as though the Steam Deck OLED's 50Whr battery has a shorter battery life than the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS)'s 74Wh battery, but that's probably not the case.

A battery drains faster if it has to support more power-hungry processors and displays, like those in the Legion Go 2. This being the case, it's very possible that the Steam Deck OLED has a longer battery life.

Typically, the Steam Deck OLED can last between three and 12 hours, depending on the settings it's running at. I won't know for sure how long the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) lasts until I run my own battery life tests on it.

However, I know from previous testing that the Legion Go 2 (Windows) tends to only last between 1.5 and slightly more than five hours. Considering that SteamOS lets handhelds run more efficiently than Windows 11, I expect the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) to have a longer battery life than the Windows version, but probably not by a ton.

TL;DR: BATTERY LIFE WINNER: Due to its more power-efficient system, the Steam Deck tends to last longer than the Legion Go 2.

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Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) vs Steam Deck: Grip ergonomics and comfort

There's a lot of debate over whether or not the Steam Deck OLED is comfortable to hold. While certainly a beloved handheld, the Steam Deck isn't nearly as ergonomically shaped as the Legion Go 2, but it isn't as heavy either.

Valve's Steam Deck OLED weighs in at 1.41 pounds while being 11.7 inches long, 4.6 inches tall, and 1.9 inches thick. Meanwhile, the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) is much heavier at 2.2 pounds while being 11.64 inches long, 5.38 inches tall, and 1.66 inches thick.

Of course, one huge difference here is that you don't have to hold the entire Legion Go 2 in your hands if you don't want to. Those detachable controllers only weigh 0.46 pounds and won't strain your hands nearly as much as a whole Steam Deck OLED.

TL;DR: COMFORT WINNER: The Steam Deck might weigh less than the Legion Go 2, but Lenovo's handheld is more ergonomically shaped and has detachable controllers that won't strain your wrists as much.

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Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) vs Steam Deck: Comparison chart

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Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) vs Steam Deck: Which should I buy?

I've compared just about every aspect of these handhelds, and it's time to declare one the winner. The thing is, they are both good options. What this final decision really comes down to is your preferred playing experience.

If you're specifically wanting a handheld so you can play the latest and greatest AAA games, then the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) is the device you want. Just remember, not all games are compatible with handhelds, so you'll need to check system requirements on a case-by-case basis.

I also recommend the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) if you want a larger display that will be easier to see details on. Or if you deal with hand fatigue and want a handheld that will reduce discomfort.

But while the Legion Go 2 is undeniably the more impressive handheld here, you might not need the very best handheld to meet your gaming needs.

At the end of it all, the Steam Deck OLED remains the best budget-friendly handheld, even if it is older and not nearly as powerful. It can still be used to access a wide range of games, and it has a large community that is eager to share tips with newcomers.

Before you purchase either the Steam Deck OLED or the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS), think about what you want to do with your handheld, what types of games you want to play, how much money you're willing to spend, and any features you know you don't want to go without. Then choose the handheld based on that.

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This announcement serves as a massive inflection point, as not only is developer Creative Assembly collaborating with an extraordinarily popular property, but for the first time, the team is promising to bring a Total War game to consoles, as Total War: Warhammer 40K is also coming to Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

It's a huge opportunity, and it could see the popularity of Total War as a whole skyrocket, provided the team can nail several different major elements all at once.

So many huge possibilities

At a surface level, this game's potential speaks for itself. Warhammer 40,000 has arguably never been more popular as a brand, with numerous well-received video games over the past few years. That kind of popularity could incentivize newcomers to check the game out, in turn bringing in a larger audience more interested in Total War as a whole, not just this latest game.

That's only more true with a console release, something that's never happened before in the Total War franchise. Getting that wider audience interested and keeping them around will be challenging, especially since the dark and vast universe of Warhammer 40,000 is on a completely different scale compared to anything Total War that's come before.

Where some games focused on particular continents or landmasses, Total War: Warhammer 40K is instead taking place across the galaxy, with planetary travel and fleets confirmed from the earliest look as the developers envision a "galactic sandbox" for players to conquer and explore.

Even on the ground, early screenshots look very different from anything previously seen, with a radically different user interface, unit selection, and more. I don't envy the team at Creative Assembly in adapting to make Total War feel playable on a controller while still making sure that PC players don't lose any options or overall strategic depth.

There is plenty of more traditional Total War to look forward to

Of course, not everything rests solely on the reception to this one game, as Creative Assembly also recently announced Total War: Medieval 3. It won't be arriving any time soon — it's explicitly described as having just entered pre-production — but still, it's a game that longtime fans have begged for over the years.

Even before that game arrives, the studio isn't done updating some of its existing library, with Total War: Warhammer 3 getting a new expansion later in 2026. Dubbed Lords of the End Times, it takes after the infamous tabletop event, bringing in Nagash and other new Legendary Lords alongside a host of in-game crises and other features.

There is a huge amount of variety on the way, with something to potentially appeal to everybody. It's an exciting time to be a Total War player, and if Creative Assembly can spin all these plates appropriately, the franchise's best and brightest days may still be ahead.

The execution will be key, and it certainly won't be easy, but it's thrilling all the same. I'm looking forward to seeing what the future brings.

Are you a Total War fan, or a Warhammer enthusiast? Maybe both? Are you excited for this upcoming title, or is there something missing? Let me know!

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I theorised this would be the case when Microsoft first announced version 26H1, and now it's confirmed. ASUS tells me its upcoming ZenBook A14 and A16 powered by Snapdragon X2 will ship with version 26H1 pre-installed, whereas their new ZenBook S14 and S16 with Intel and AMD chips will ship around the same time with version 25H2 instead.

Version 26H1 is more than just a version number bump, too. Unlike version 25H2, which was based on the same platform release as version 24H2 before it, version 26H1 is built on a new version of the Windows platform, codenamed Bromine. This should bring with it under the hood performance and stability improvements that version 25H2 doesn't have.

Luckily, at least for now, both version 25H2 and version 26H1 should remain at feature parity for the foreseeable future. Microsoft says that feature development will continue to take place on version 25H2, so that's where Insiders can test new features first, but everything will be brought forward and shipped on version 26H1 too.

I understand that the reason version 26H1 will remain exclusive to PCs powered by new Arm chips is because of underlying platform changes and scheduling. Simply put, Qualcomm's release schedule is misaligned with the Windows release schedule, meaning Microsoft needed to deliver a platform release outside of its usual H2 cycle that included necessary platform changes that enable the X2 platform to function.

Because version 25H2 just launched a handful of months back, it's too soon to begin pushing out another major version of Windows 11 to the general population. Microsoft's release cycle for version updates is annually in the second half of the year, and it doesn't want to deviate from that. Version 26H1 is an outlier just so that new Arm-based PCs can begin shipping as soon as possible.

Microsoft did a similar thing with version 24H2 in 2024. That version released first exclusively on Snapdragon X PCs, which began shipping in June, much earlier than the usual release cycle for new versions of Windows 11. Version 24H2 would launch later in the year for everyone else, but for a number of months it was exclusive to Snapdragon PCs.

With that said, I think it's unlikely we're going to see version 26H1 ship to everyone later this year. I believe version 26H1 will remain exclusive to new PCs that ship with Qualcomm's (or NVIDIA's) upcoming Arm-based chips, with a version 26H2 shipping in the fall as usual for everyone else instead.

While version 26H1 will only officially launch on Snapdragon X2 devices, that doesn't mean you can't run 26H1 on your own PC if you want to. It's already available to test in the Windows Insider Program, and you can install it on any Intel, AMD, or Snapdragon PC running Windows 11 today if you want to try it, though you won't find much to be different as all the changes are underlying.

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Despite the name sounding a little like a 2000s electro-house band, I'm actually intrigued by this magnetic-switch keyboard.

Everything you need to know about the CHERRY XTRFY MX 8.2 Pro TMR Wireless

Magnetic switches are having a bit of a moment right now, many brands have gone the Hall Effect route, which, thanks to magnets, offers adjustable actuation and rapid triggers without the wear down of touching parts, (the SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 is one such example.)

CHERRY is taking that one step further with its new keyboard, using the latest magnetic tech, with TMR offering lower power consumption than Hall Effect for wireless devices and even higher precision.

The CHERRY XTRFY MX 8.2 Pro TMR Wireless, launches to consumers on January 29. It’s a compact tenkeyless (TKL) board aimed squarely at competitive players, featuring an aluminum top frame, PBT keycaps, and CHERRY’s new MK Crystal Magnetic switches powered by TMR sensors.

CHERRY claims an eye-watering 0.01 mm precision, which is far beyond what I think any player would actually notice or need, but it does show how sensitive this tech can get.

One of the more interesting technical claims is the keyboard’s 8000 Hz wireless polling rate. Thanks to TMR’s efficiency, the MX 8.2 Pro reports inputs up to 8 times per millisecond while staying wireless — something that’s traditionally been difficult to achieve without compromising battery life or stability.

If they can pull that off without the battery dying in 20 minutes I will be impressed.

Customization is handled through CHERRY’s MagCrate software, where users can tweak actuation points, set multiple actions on a single key depending on press depth or hold duration, and generally fine-tune things to an obsessive degree.

There’s also dual hot-swap support, allowing users to mix and match magnetic and mechanical switches across most of the board. It's a surprisingly flexible option for anyone who doesn’t want to commit to one switch type fully.

I must be honest, though, the more I read about switch swapping and that whole rabbit hole, the happier I am that I'm a simple controller gal!

CHERRY also had another small (literally) announcement. Later this spring, it plans to release the K5 Pro TMR, a 65% compact keyboard that will also include the same TMR-powered magnetic switches into a teeny tiny form factor. It will bump the polling rate from 1000 Hz to 8000 Hz, making it a swift upgrade over previous K5 models.

Pricing puts this firmly in 'a bit spendy' territory. The MX 8.2 Pro TMR Wireless will launch with an MSRP of $249.99, while pricing for the K5 Pro TMR will be revealed closer to its spring release.

Whether TMR in keyboards is a genuine leap forward or just ultra-advanced tech solving a problem the Hall Effect stuff already handled pretty well, I'm not sure.

But one thing’s certain, I didn’t have “TMR keyboard” on my 2026 bingo card, and now I’m very curious to see if it's the next big thing. You can check out the range direct over at CHERRY's website when the product goes live for sale.

What are your first impressions? Are you ready to drop $250 on 0.01 mm precision, or are you holding out for the reviews? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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In 2025, I spent dozens of hours running benchmarks to eventually write up my ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X review and Legion Go 2 (Windows) review. I even wrote up a comparison piece pitting the Xbox Ally X vs Legion Go 2 (Windows).

But now, thanks to Lenovo's announcement at CES 2026, we know that a new SteamOS variant of the Lenovo Legion Go 2 is coming to market.

I took some time comparing the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS)'s specs against the Xbox Ally X to explain how one of these devices is more impressive than the other. I've also discussed which one is a better buy for most people. Let's dive in.

Xbox Ally X vs Legion Go 2 (SteamOS): Specs

Before we go any further, take a look at the individual specs for the Xbox Ally X and Legion Go 2 (SteamOS).

Note: I am not comparing the starting Xbox Ally (white) handheld against the Legion Go 2 since it is more of a competitor against the Legion Go S rather than the Legion Go 2.

Where the Xbox Ally X is the successor to the ROG Ally and ROG Ally X made via a partnership between ASUS and Microsoft, the Legion Go 2 is the next-gen Legion Go flagship handheld from Lenovo.

Let's discuss how these spec differences change the playing experience.

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Xbox Ally X vs Legion Go 2 (SteamOS): Price

I won't be surprised if your eyes bulged while looking at the prices for the Xbox Ally X and the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS); these are premium handheld gaming PCs with high prices to fit their features.

The Xbox Ally X has been available at stores since October 2025, but the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) doesn't launch until June 2026. Additionally, Legion Go 2 (Windows) models have been sold out at most retailers for a while now, as of the time of writing.

The Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) has a higher starting price of $1,199.99 compared to the Xbox Ally X, which is $999.99 at Best Buy; the reason being that Lenovo's handheld has several features that ASUS ROG's does not (we'll go into that more later).

For some reason, the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) is also more expensive than the starting price of the Legion Go 2 (Windows), which has a starting price of $1,099.99 at Best Buy.

Now, it's worth noting that both ASUS ROG and Lenovo offer less expensive handheld gaming PCs (Xbox Ally and Legion Go S), but the Xbox Ally X and Legion Go 2 are their flagship devices, so that's why they are so costly.

PRICE WINNER: There's no denying that the Xbox Ally X has a lower price point. Still, the Legion Go 2 offers many features that the Xbox Ally X doesn't have, so you should consider which one fits your needs best.

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Xbox Ally X vs Legion Go 2 (SteamOS): Performance and configurations

NOTE: I will run benchmark tests on the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) as soon as I can get my hands on it. For now, this performance section is based on device specs and educated conjecture. I will update this section once my testing has been done.

Both the Xbox Ally X and Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) utilize the latest AMD Ryzen Z2 series chip — both APUs (accelerated processing units) feature 8 cores and 16 threads with Zen 5 architecture, as well as 16 GPU cores with RDNA3.5 architecture. However, the key difference is that the Xbox Ally X APU has an AI-CPU while the Legion Go 2 does not.

What this means is that, when solely comparing the chips, the Xbox Ally X's APU is likely better suited to handling certain tasks than the Legion Go 2's APU, since the AI processor's NPU (neural processing unit) can take some of the load off of the CPU and GPU to help the system run more efficiently. Still, the processor isn't the only thing that determines a handheld's overall performance.

Since this Legion Go 2 model's non-AI processor is still a very powerful handheld chip and the device runs SteamOS, it's likely that the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) is still a more efficient device than the Windows Xbox Ally X.

The reason being, SteamOS is better optimized for handhelds. For instance, swapping Windows with SteamOS on the Xbox Ally X saw the handheld increase FPS (frames per second) by as much as 32% while also improving FPS stability and resume times (thanks, Tom's Hardware). As such, I expect the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) will offer better performance than the Xbox Ally X.

We don't fully know what memory and storage configurations will be available for the Legion Go 2, but we do know there will be up to a whopping 32GB LPDDR5X-8000 MHz RAM and up to a huge 2TB M.2 2242 SSD compared to the Xbox Ally X's 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 MHz RAM and 1TB M.2 2280 SSD.

To be clear, the Xbox Ally X's memory and storage are more than enough for handheld gaming, but more memory and more storage are especially helpful for people who play a lot of AAA games.

Additionally, unless there's been some big shakeup, I'm going to assume that the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) will offer faster SSD read and write speeds than Xbox Ally X's SSD, given that in my own SSD testing, all of Lenovo's handhelds have been faster than the SSDs in their direct ASUS ROG competitors —including Legion Go S vs ROG Ally and Legion Go (Windows) vs Xbox Ally X.

Just keep in mind that the best gaming handhelds are in no way as powerful as the best gaming laptops or best gaming desktops since handhelds trade off portability for power.

⚠️ Warning for DIYers and customization enthusiasts: I'm not expecting the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) to have the best upgradeability, considering that when I opened my Windows model, I found that the Legion Go 2 (Windows) wasn't designed with upgradability in mind. It would take more work than many other handhelds just to swap out the SSD. But I'm sure that won't stop many of you from doing it anyway.

This is one of the areas where the Xbox Ally X is better. It's much easier to access the SSD and swap it out. What's more, WD_BLACK has designed SSDs exclusively for Xbox Ally X, so it was specifically designed for upgrading.

Of course, if you don't like opening your devices, both of these handhelds can have their storage expanded using the best microSD cards.

PERFORMANCE & STORAGE WINNER: These are both powerful handhelds, but the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) is likely the better performer given that SteamOS is more efficient and Lenovo's handheld SSDs have typically been faster than ASUS ROG's.

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Xbox Ally X vs Legion Go 2 (SteamOS): Display

There's no beating around the bush here. The Legion Go 2's 8.8-inch OLED touchscreen is basically better than the Xbox Ally X's 7-inch IPS touchscreen in every way. In fact, the Legion Go 2 has the best display of any handheld to date.

In addition to being larger, Lenovo's screen has a wider color gamut, deeper contrast, crisper resolution, and a higher refresh rate than its competitor. What this means is that game scenes look richer, with more details and better motion clarity on Legion Go 2.

RELATED: IPS LCD vs OLED vs tandem OLED vs QD-OLED vs QLED vs AMOLED vs Mini LED: Which is the best display?

It's also worth noting that the Xbox Ally X's panel has a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is typically preferred for most gaming needs. Meanwhile, the Legion Go 2's screen has a 16:10 aspect ratio, like the Steam Deck. This makes Lenovo's display larger vertically, making it more ideal for certain strategy games and general PC usage.

Neither aspect ratio is bad per se, but some people have strong preferences, so it's something to keep in mind.

DISPLAY WINNER: The Legion Go 2 OLED screen is much better than the Xbox Ally X's IPS display. It's larger, has a higher refresh rate, higher top resolution, better color gamut, and deeper contrast.

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Xbox Ally X vs Legion Go 2 (SteamOS): Buttons, joysticks, and grip

In general, the overall layout and control options on these devices are very similar, but there are a few key differences when it comes to features and technologies.

As you can see from the pictures, both handhelds have triggers, bumpers, ABXY buttons, various menu buttons, and a D-Pad, but only the Legion Go 2 has anti-drift Hall Effect joysticks, whereas the Xbox Ally X has standard analog sticks. Additionally, the Legion Go 2 has a touchpad on its right side, while the Xbox Ally X doesn't have any at all. Some people prefer the fine control that touchpads offer for game menus and certain games on handhelds.

One of the biggest complaints many people have with all handhelds is hand cramping and wrist fatigue. Handhelds might be relatively small devices, but gripping a top-heavy device and forcing it to tilt up slightly at your face can cause discomfort. My pinky fingers often go numb playing certain handhelds. The 1.57-pound Xbox Ally X and the larger 2.03-pound Legion Go 2 both found ways to assuage this pain, but using very different methods.

Xbox Ally X's most physical defining characteristic is its long, thick grips, which were designed after the Xbox controller. In my opinion, this design definitely makes it the most comfortable handheld to actually hold in handheld mode. Of course, Xbox Ally X only has handheld mode, while Legion Go 2 also offers a far less hand-straining tabletop mode.

The original Legion Go was a rather uncomfortable handheld for me to hold, but this newer Legion Go 2 has a far more rounded design with TrueStrike Controllers that feel nicer in your hands thanks to their improved ergonomics.

By detaching the Legion Go 2's TrueStrike Controllers, popping out the tablet's kickstand, and playing in the aforementioned tabletop mode, your hands will only deal with a combined 0.46 pounds of weight from the controllers. What's more, if you connect the Legion Go 2 to your living room TV via a docking station (like my favorite JSAUX 6-in-1 Docking Station $39.99 at Amazon), you already have controllers ready to go instead of needing to find an external one.

Finally, there is one last major design difference between the two devices. It might seem like a simple thing, but having a kickstand turns a handheld into more of an entertainment device. So out of the box, I don't have to prop the Legion Go 2 up against anything when I want to stream Netflix or skim YouTube, but I do have to do this with Xbox Ally X.

For this reason, I recommend grabbing an accessory like the dBrand ROG Xbox Ally X Killswitch at Best Buy to give your Xbox Ally X a kickstand.

By the way, there is a power button that doubles as a fingerprint reader on top of the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS), but SteamOS doesn't support native biometric login, so fingerprint login is unsupported. The Xbox Ally X's power button is also a fingerprint reader, but it isn't very reliable. It's failed to accurately scan my finger several times, leading me to log in via pin much of the time.

CONTROLS & GRIPS WINNER: Once again, the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) is the winner. It might weigh more, but you can put it in tabletop mode to put less strain on your hands and wrists. It also offers two features the Xbox Ally X doesn't have: Hall Effect joysticks that won't drift and a touchpad.

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Xbox Ally X vs Legion Go 2 (SteamOS): Compatible games & Operating system

The Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) and Xbox Ally X offer a night and day user experience since the former runs Valve's Linux-based operating system, while the latter runs Microsoft's program.

Many people prefer SteamOS to Windows since, as I said previously, it is far more efficient for gaming and offers a simplified, console-like interface that feels far more conducive to a handheld experience. Still, Windows offers some features and ease of mind that you might prefer.

Microsoft launched a new Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE) with the Xbox Ally X that was designed to reduce Windows bloat and allow the handheld to run better, but the Xbox App interface really isn't great, and it's not as efficient as SteamOS. Now, Microsoft will be releasing more FSE updates that could improve this experience, but there's still a lot of work to do.

Then there's the whole matter of game services and game compatibility.

Out of the box, Xbox Ally X owners can easily exit Xbox FSE to access a web browser and navigate to dozens of gaming services (Epic Games, Battle.net, Steam, and more). Meanwhile, out of the box,

SteamOS does have a desktop mode, but it might be daunting for people who aren't familiar with Linux (but there are plenty of helpful guides online to help with that).

Meanwhile, SteamOS's default handheld mode is only intended to access your Steam library out of the box. Of course, you can make it so your Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) can access other game services if you follow my guide on how to install Decky Loader on SteamOS handhelds; it just takes a bit more work.

One thing I love about the Xbox Ally X is how much setting customization it provides. It's Armoury Crate utility software offers far more options than Legion Go 2's Legion Space program, so I can get my system running the way I want. For instance, I can manually change Xbox Ally X VRAM very easily, but the more complicated process for updating the previous Windows Legion Go 2 VRAM involves going into the BIOS. It's possible the SteamOS variant will use a different method.

Another thing to note is that fully updating the Xbox Ally X can be a nightmare compared to Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) since you have to install updates in Windows Settings, Armoury Crate, and AMD Software. Meanwhile, SteamOS updates are done within SteamOS's system settings menu.

As for game compatibility, the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) can play a wide range of titles from small indies to the latest AAA games that meet its system requirements.

However, the truth is that most games are specifically designed for Windows and not Linux. SteamOS utilizes Proton, a compatibility layer to make Windows games work on its operating system. While Proton keeps getting better every year, some programs and games still don't work well on SteamOS handhelds.

For example, most anti-cheat software isn't compatible with SteamOS. So, games that require anti-cheat kernels like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Battlefield 6, Valorant, and more cannot be played on Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) unless you find a workaround. Even then, I don't recommend using these fixes since it's very easy for an anti-cheat to mistake your workaround for a cheat and permanently ban your account.

In the end, you'll want to consider what type of games you intend to play on your handheld and what kind of experience you want. Then, make a purchase based on which handheld suits your needs best.

SOFTWARE WINNER: This is the trickiest category to declare a winner, since it's largely a matter of preference. The Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) generally offers a better interface and gaming experience, especially if you're willing to learn how to use Linux. However, more games are compatible with Windows, and it's easier to access a web browser and any gaming service on the Xbox Ally X right out of the box.

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Xbox Ally X vs Legion Go 2 (SteamOS): Battery life

Since I haven't been able to run the 74Whr Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) battery through battery life testing yet, I cannot say for sure how it matched up to the 80Whr Xbox Ally X battery's life. I'll conduct testing and update this section as soon as I can.

That said, I'm confident the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) will last longer than ASUS ROG's handheld based on the battery life testing I did on the Legion Go 2 (Windows). As seen in the chart below, the Windows variant lasted longer than Xbox Ally X when playing games at max and lowest TDP, but didn't last as long when being used like a computer.

Thing is, SteamOS is far more efficient than Windows, allowing a handheld's battery to stretch further on one charge. So, if the Windows Legion Go 2's battery life was already better than the Xbox Ally X in many ways, the SteamOS variant must be even better.

Once again, I'll run the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) through battery life testing and update this section with the results as soon as I get my hands on it.

BATTERY LIFE WINNER: It's very likely that the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) offers better battery life than the Xbox Ally X since it has a less power-hungry operating system.

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Xbox Ally X vs Legion Go 2 (SteamOS): Which should I buy?

We've compared these handhelds from design ergonomics to features, and even operating systems to game compatibility. In general, the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) is certainly the more impressive device with Hall Effect joysticks, the beloved SteamOS operating system, a far better OLED display, detachable controllers, an FPS mode, and, likely, better battery life (benchmark testing coming soon). These are all things you should expect from a premium handheld created by the biggest PC manufacturer in the world.

If you're willing to wait until June and don't mind spending more money for a Legion Go 2 (SteamOS), then you're going to get a fantastic handheld gaming PC that's far more powerful than a Steam Deck and offers more versatility than any of its handheld gaming PC rivals.

But that doesn't make the Xbox Ally X a bad handheld; I still love it, even if the Legion Go 2 is more eye-catching. Truth is, they offer such different features that they suit very different use cases.

If you want to save some money and care more about those meaty grips and ensuring Windows game compatibility, then the Xbox Ally X is the handheld to get. Plus, it's actually available right now, so there's no wait.

Of course, if your biggest gripe about Xbox Ally X is Windows 11, you can always buy this handheld and then use my guide to install SteamOS on it. You'll get the best of both worlds.

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It’s a flashy return to hardline liquid cooling in prebuilts, something that’s usually reserved for the hardcore DIY crowd or those "sell-a-kidney" expensive boutique systems. (Or should I say, "sell-both kidneys," given the current state of PC part prices). But while the custom loop is the eye candy, the real story is the stuff that’s going to hit shelves later this year.

But hey, let’s look at the fancy-shiny thing first.

The Trace X Custom Loop Concept PC

The goal here is to make custom hardline loops less of a nightmare. Custom cooling is notoriously intimidating (one wrong bend and you've got a puddle), so iBUYPOWER redesigned the distroplate.

It integrates the pump, reservoir, and all the coolant routing into one transparent unit to save space and stop the alignment headache. They even added sliding terminals so you can actually line up your ports with the CPU and GPU blocks without losing your mind. Yes, "your" because I would never attempt putting together something like this in a million years. But it looks neat!

It’s basically an evolution of their Element CL systems. It looks more modern, and at least in theory, way easier to maintain. Just keep in mind it’s still a concept. No need to start saving your rent, it's just a cool "what is possible." They have stated they look forward to feedback on it for developing future products, however.

Which brings us neatly to the part of the announcement that actually matters for most people.

The Gen 10 lineup (stuff you can actually buy soon)

iBUYPOWER is rolling out its Gen 10 cases and cooling gear, and it’s surprisingly solid.

• The Trace X Case ($99.99): This is the standout for me. It’s got that panoramic fishbowl look with a single piece of curved glass wrapping around the front and side. It’s paired with a metallic grill and a flowing vent design on the top. My favorite part of this is that more options are being worked on for the trim, so coming soon, you'll be able to get pink and lavender for the white case and a faux wood for the black.

• Element Pulse X ($99.99): If you want your PC to be seen from the moon, this case has got integrated ARGB lighting running along the edges and that signature corner power button. You can swap between a mesh top for airflow or glass if you just want to admire the lights.
• New cooling gear: They’re refreshing their AIOs with the AW5 360mm ($99.99), which adds a segmented display to the pump block so you can see your CPU temps at a glance. They also showed off a more traditional AC5 RGB tower air cooler for those of you who aren't ready to trust liquid near your expensive parts.
• KM10 Keyboard and mouse ($34.99): Available soon as an add-on for certain systems or as a standalone bundle.

The Trace X Custom Loop is undeniably cool, and I love seeing a prebuilt company still experimenting with different features despite the current state of the consumer market.

Most importantly, though, the Gen 10 cases and coolers are reasonably priced, and they’ll actually be in builds you can buy this year. The official IBUYPOWER site indicates that all of these are releasing in Q1.

Do you think custom loops are the next big thing for PC prebuilds? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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Luckily, some CPUs are still getting discounts despite these price hikes, such as the Ryzen 9 9900X, which is being sold with a 22% discount for $389.99 at Amazon.

Why should you buy the 9900X?

Our Senior Editor and desktop CPU enthusiast, Ben Wilson, has it on good authority that AMD's Ryzen 9 9900X is one of the best CPUs around, at least second to the extremely powerful (and costly) AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, both of which he awarded a 4.5-star double-feature review to.

This is because the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is packing 12 Cores, 24 Threads, a Max clock of 5.6Ghz, an L3 of 64MB, and a base TDP of 120W.

Essentially, this processor will greatly enhance your computer's raw processing capabilities so that it can run creative apps like Blender and graphically intense video games while streaming them at the same time with no issue.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X scored so high that it even inched past the performance of an Intel Core i7-14700K CPU, while having a cheaper MSRP of $500, as opposed to the 14700K's MSRP of $546.

A price that has gone down even further, thanks to Amazon, as it is now selling it for a much cheaper cost of $389.99.

With the RAM crisis jacking up the prices of every electronic device you can think of, this is a rare opportunity to upgrade your PC's processing power while saving some money that could be used towards other essential PC parts, like buying the best motherboards compatible with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X.

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But as it now seems, the corporation's house of cards might already be crumbling down. During a recent interview with the Financial Times, Meta's chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, revealed details leading up to his abrupt exit from the company in November with plans to form his own startup.

The executive, who had worked at the company for over a decade prior to his resignation, revealed that a strained relationship with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, manipulated benchmarks, and more.

Before OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November 2022, LeCun described Meta as a “tabula rasa with a carte blanche,” affording him the freedom to conduct research without necessarily having to worry about developing a profitable product. “Money was clearly not going to be a problem,” the AI scientist added.

Following the hype around ChatGPT's launch, Zuckerberg asked LeCun to develop Meta's own LLM. While the AI scientist agreed to the request, it was on the condition that the chatbot would be open source and free.

When Zuckerberg ordered LeCun develop Meta’s own LLM, he agreed under the condition that Llama would be open source and free. The executive indicated that Llama models revolutionized the industry and are a favourite among AI researchers, primarily due to their power.

However, the hype was short-lived, especially following Meta's lacklustre Llama 4 model launch in April 2025. The scientist attributed the flop to Zuckerberg mounting pressure on his division to ramp up AI development at an overly ambitious rate.

Consequently, Zuckerberg became frustrated with Llama's disappointing progress. Perhaps more concerningly, LeCun revealed that the AI team manipulated some of the benchmark results of Llama 4:

"Mark was really upset and basically lost confidence in everyone who was involved in this. And so basically sidelined the entire GenAI organisation."

While Zuckerberg seemingly showed a lot of interest in Lecun's "world models" idea, he decided to invest the company's resources in a new AI research lab, Meta Superintelligence Labs.

Following Meta's multibillion-dollar investment in Scale AI and hiring its CEO Alexandr Wang to lead operations in the company's new AI lab, the hierarchy in leadership shifted, forcing Lecun to start reporting to Wang, whom he referred to as "young" and "inexperienced."

LeCun didn't hold back any punches and outrightly expressed his feelings on Wang's hiring:

To that end, LeCun has since launched Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs, which focuses on advancing his research and development on world models. The startup is targeting a $3 billion valuation.

Do you think Meta will be able to keep up with the AI hype? Let me know in the comments and vote in the poll!

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While the website did sign off with a message saying that it would be back soon, there was no update from the website in five months since it was closed, indicating it was gone for good, or so we thought.

On January 7, 2026, the Xbox Gear Shop website finally updated its front page after nearly half a year of silence with a new message saying that "Pardon our dust while we finish updating our shop. We'll be back soon with old favorites and new gear!"

Xbox Gear Shop finally shows an update from r/xbox

In the meantime, people can sign up for email updates on the shop's restoration progress and get access to exclusive content and discount offerings on Xbox products.

For those unfamiliar, the Xbox Gear Shop is Microsoft's official online store that sells official Xbox-branded merchandise. These products included clothing, collectibles, and fun novelty items like the hilarious yet functional Xbox Series X Mini Fridge.

With 2026 being the year of the original Xbox's 25th anniversary, could the Xbox Gear Shop be planning to reopen this year to help celebrate this occasion by selling all kinds of new nostalgia-themed Xbox merchandise?

Stay tuned to find out as we keep an eye out for any further developments from the Xbox Gear Shop.

Are you excited to see the Xbox Gear Shop coming back? What new Xbox-themed products do you think they'll sell for the Xbox's 25th anniversary? If you have any thoughts, let us know in the comments below.

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Amazon Fire TV Stick owners will also gain a native app for NVIDIA GeForce NOW. The game streaming service already has native apps for Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS, Android, and select virtual reality devices and smart TVs.

NVIDIA announced the new apps at CES 2026. The company also shared that its GeForce RTX 5080-powered servers are now live globally for Ultimate members. Those servers allow up to 5K streaming at 120 FPS or 1080p streaming at 360 FPS.

NVIDIA GeForce NOW Ultimate members using RTX 5080-class servers will also gain DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation and Cinematic-Quality Streaming mode.

To get the best experience with all the bells and whistles, you'll need to play supported titles.

NVIDIA GeForce NOW was already available on many devices through native apps, including the Linux-based Steam Deck. But soon, more Linux users will be able to enjoy the benefits of a native app.

The native GeForce NOW app is supported with Ubuntu 24.04 and later. The app is in beta now and is expected to ship later this year.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick app for NVIDIA GeForce NOW is expected to come out "early this year," according to NVIDIA. The app will first become available for the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus (2nd Gen) and Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen).

The year of Linux (for real maybe?)

People have joked about each year being the year of Linux for so long that the jokes have become stale. But 2026 may actually be a big year for the platform.

Nearly 90% of Windows games now run on Linux in some way. Add cloud streaming through services like NVIDIA GeForce NOW, and the gap is even smaller. Streamed games aren't the same as natively run games, of course, but that difference gets smaller each year as technology advances.

Bazzite, a Linux distro built for gaming, has seen a surge in users since Windows 10 reached its end of support.

Linux still lacks native support for several popular titles, including Call of Duty, Apex Legends, Battlefield 6, Rainbow Six Siege, and Valorant. Kernel-level anti-cheat systems will likely prevent those titles from running on Linux any time soon.

But if someone plays some of the nearly 90% of Windows games that are now playable on Linux, the latter becomes an attractive option.

Game streaming could well grow this year across several platforms. With AI causing the price of RAM to increase, buying new devices or upgrading existing hardware becomes a potentially untenable option.

Cloud gaming, be it through NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Xbox Cloud Gaming, or another service, lets people play their favorite games without requiring expensive hardware. It also has the major benefit of working just about anywhere with a stable internet connection.

Our Managing Editor, Richard Devine, explained how the takeover of cloud gaming is inevitable.

Using the cloud to stream games can breathe life into outdated hardware, add new capabilities to your system, and let you play games on the go. Soon, NVIDIA GeForce NOW will have a first-class experience on Linux and Fire TV Sticks, too.

Does native cloud support via GeForce NOW make Linux a viable Windows replacement for you, or do you still feel that games need to run locally on your own hardware to count? Let us know in the comments!

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Lenovo is kicking off CES 2026 with a new Yoga Mini i PC that weighs just 600 grams (1.32 pounds) with a 0.65-liter chassis. That's even more impressive considering the chassis is made from aluminum, matching the aesthetic of Lenovo's premium Yoga laptops.

It's absurdly small, with its round design measuring just 5.12 x 5.12 x 1.91 inches (130mm x 130mm x 48.6mm). Forget a backpack or messenger — you could slip this into your back pocket when you leave the office.

And despite having such a tiny frame, Lenovo has packed in some impressive performance hardware and additional features to improve the user experience. The mini PC runs on Intel's latest Core Ultra X7 Series 3 chips, up to an X7 358H with integrated graphics. These chips have more than enough power to run Windows 11's Copilot+ AI tools.

You can configure the Yoga Mini i with up to 32GB of LPDDR5x-8533MT/s RAM and up to 2TB of M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD storage. There's no word if the SSD is user-upgradeable, but I do know that the LPDDR5x RAM is soldered to the board. It all runs on a 100W USB-C power adapter.

Here's where things get interesting. The Yoga Mini i comes with Wi-Fi sensing abilities, which can automatically wake the PC when it notices changes in Wi-Fi signals (caused by, say, you walking through your office). That's a bit too much sensing for my liking, but I'm sure some will appreciate the feature.

A built-in ambient light will pulse when it senses your presence, and the same light will show up for certain notifications and reminders. The small power button on the side of the device includes a fingerprint reader for additional security through Windows Hello, something that's not often seen on even the best mini PCs currently available.

I don't blame you for thinking that a mini PC this small might lack the port selection for a full workload. However, that's not quite the case. Lenovo managed to fit in dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2) with 100W charging capabilities, another USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2), 2.5Gb Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio combo, and one USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2).

That covers video, data, internet, and power, and Lenovo says the Yoga Mini i can support "up to four high-resolution displays" with its native port selection. A built-in speaker and microphone make it easy to conference without any additional hardware.

Lenovo expects to launch its new Yoga Mini i in June 2026 with a starting price of $699.99.

Mini PCs are becoming more popular all the time, and companies like Lenovo are pushing the limits in terms of size, power, and features. Will your next PC be a mini PC?

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Lenovo's next big rollable concept piece, introduced at CES 2026, brings the technology to the Legion Pro lineup of gaming laptops. But rather than expanding vertically like the ThinkBook Plus, the Legion Pro Rollable's 16-inch screen expands horizontally to create either a 21.5-inch or 24-inch ultrawide picture.

The secret to the laptop's versatility lies in a "dual-motor, tension-based design" that keeps vibration and noise to a minimum. More importantly, Lenovo says it keeps the PureSight OLED panel taut to prevent creasing, glare, and other distractions.

Considering one of my main gripes with the ThinkBook Rollable was the visible crease marks on the lower rolled portion of the screen, I'm hoping that what Lenovo claims is true. The same creased effect on a gaming monitor would have far worse repercussions.

Indeed, Lenovo is marketing its new Legion Pro Rollable concept as ideal for esports pros who often travel and want to practice everywhere they go. Lenovo views the standard 16-inch display setup as a "Focus Mode" that helps refine reflexes. Tactical Mode sits at 21.5 inches, and Lenovo thinks it can aid in "peripheral awareness, rotation drills, and team coordination."

Expanded to its full 24 inches, or "Arena Mode" as Lenovo calls it, it's perfect for training competitively without requiring a separate, full-size monitor.

Because the Legion Pro Rollable is based on the mighty flagship Legion Pro 7i we favorably reviewed and which currently sits at the top of our favorite gaming laptops, you can expect the same ridiculous level of performance and refinement.

Lenovo is offering the latest and most powerful Intel Core Ultra chips paired with up to an NVIDIA RTX 5090 Laptop GPU. Of course, I still stick by my advice to not buy an RTX 5090 mobile GPU when it's so much more expensive than the RTX 5080 while only offering mild performance improvements.

The ThinkBook Plus Rollable remains a niche device for professionals who need extra screen space without any additional bulk. I have a feeling that Lenovo's next Rollable concept will garner a lot more attention, even for those outside of professional esports.

One of my main complaints with gaming laptops — and one of the main reasons why I always end up returning to my desktop PC with an ultrawide monitor — is, well, screen space. I foresee this PC as being popular for anyone who often works away from home or who doesn't necessarily have the space on their desk for a full-time 24-inch display.

Of course, this being a concept product, there's no definitive release date or set price. It could see a full launch one day, just like its ThinkBook Rollable sibling, but we can only wait to see what Lenovo has in store.

Lenovo's rollable display tech keeps getting better, and it seems perfectly suited for use in a gaming laptop. Would you use something similar? Let us know in the comments below!

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Last year at CES, the ASUS Zenbook A14 with Snapdragon CPUs stole the show with its 2.18-pound (0.98kg) design and $899 price tag. Lenovo is now gunning for its appeal with a new Yoga Slim 7i Ultra Aura Edition laptop announced at CES 2026.

The PC weighs in at just 2.15 pounds (975g) and measures only 0.55 inches (13.9mm) thin. That makes it slightly lighter and thinner than the Zenbook A14 from 2024. Lenovo achieved this design by using a magnesium-alloy chassis, as well as opting for a Force Pad haptic touchpad that takes up much less space than traditional mechanical pads.

Inside, you'll find up to an Intel Core Ultra X9 (Series 3) processor with integrated Intel Xe graphics, up to 32GB of LPDDR5x-9600MT/s RAM, and a 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. It is, of course, a Copilot+ PC with access to all of the latest AI tools in Windows 11.

It will be interesting to see how good the runtimes are based on the 75Wh battery. Intel has made a lot of improvements to efficiency with its latest chips, and Lenovo says it has "optimized thermals" to keep everything running cool in such a small package.

The Yoga aesthetic is undeniable, with soft, rounded corners, a raised comms bar above the screen with a 5MP webcam and an IR sensor for Windows Hello, deep 1.5mm key travel, and a stellar display.

The OLED touchscreen measures 14 inches with a 2880x1800 resolution, 120Hz variable refresh rate, Dolby Vision support, and perfect color reproduction across sRGB, DCI-P3, and AdobeRGB color gamuts. Perhaps the best part, at least for those working on the go, is the screen's ability to reach up to 1,100 nits peak brightness. That's bright enough to effectively combat glare when working outdoors.

Port selection is limited to three Thunderbolt 4 connections, which means that you'll likely have to add a quality Thunderbolt docking station to accommodate all of your accessories.

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that Lenovo's Slim 7i Ultra Aura Edition will be able to match the Zenbook A14's attractive price. It's expected to launch in Q2 2026, starting at $1,499.99. You'll be able to find it in Seashell, Cosmic Blue, and Mystic Violet colors.

Laptops keep getting thinner and lighter, but at what point do you draw the line for the sake of functionality? Let us know in the comments section below!

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I'm talking about a glowing panel below the 32-inch display that effectively hides the Yoga AIO i Aura Edition's built-in A-frame stand. It extends from the bottom of the actual display, and its built-in adaptive lighting can be set to sync with on-screen video content for a more immersive PC experience.

Beyond syncing with video, it can also be configured to light up when you receive certain messages or notifications. It's all completely customizable, and if that lighting turns out to be a bother, it can be disabled.

Further adding to immersion are dual 3W tweeters and dual 5W woofers with Dolby Atmos certification. The speakers are completely hidden in the sleek chassis.

Lenovo is marketing its new Yoga AIO i Aura Edition PC to creators, and its OLED display can certainly keep up with the related demands. It measures 31.5 inches with a 3840x2160 (UHD) resolution, it hits a 165Hz refresh rate, and it manages 100% sRGB and 99% DCI-P3 color reproduction.

Beyond those base specs, it features TÜV Low Blue Light certification, Eyesafe certification, and TÜV Flicker-free certification, something that's especially important for those who are prone to discomfort when viewing OLED displays.

Also key for creators is the performance hardware based on Intel's latest Core Ultra Series 3 processors. Lenovo is offering up to a Core Ultra X7 358H CPU with 32GB of LPDDR5x-9600MT/s RAM and a 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. It includes Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0, the two most recent standards for wireless connectivity.

And for those who are worried about needing a docking station to connect all their accessories, I can say that Lenovo has done a great job of offering a wide range of native connectivity. Thunderbolt 4 is the main attraction here, but it also includes dual USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2), dual USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2), HDMI 2.1, hidden USB-A 2.0, and a 3.5mm audio combo jack.

Topping things off, literally, is a 16MP camera located above the screen. It has an IR sensor for Windows Hello, allowing you to log in quickly with facial biometrics.

Lenovo is planning to bring the new Yoga AIO i Aura Edition to market in Q2 2026. It's expected to start at $2,399.99.

Lenovo's new Yoga AIO i Aura Edition pushes the all-in-one PC to a new level of immersion and style. Is it something you can see yourself using? Let us know in the comments below!

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As part of those announcements, Lenovo has revealed that its flagship handheld gaming PC is getting a new variant. Say hello to the Legion Go 2 — Powered by SteamOS, which is launching just a few months after the original Legion Go 2 (Windows)'s October 2025 launch period.

The addition of this operating system fixes the one gripe that many gamers have with the versatile handheld — Windows 11.

Now, this isn't to say the original model is bad; I gave the handheld a score of 4.5 Stars out of 5 Stars in my Legion Go 2 (Windows) review. However, there's no denying that SteamOS is better optimized for handhelds and provides a more console-like experience that many handheld owners prefer to Microsoft's operating system. That's still true even now that the Xbox Ally X's Xbox Full Screen Experience has rolled out to Legion Go 2 (Windows).

The downside is that moving away from Windows does remove support for one of the Legion Go 2's (also called LeGo 2 by enthusiasts) most convenient and reliable features. You see, SteamOS doesn't natively support biometric login, which means the SteamOS variant cannot use the fingerprint reader.

The most premium SteamOS handheld yet, with an equally premium price

For those of you who have an unshakable feeling that this announcement is old news, that's because the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) actually leaked last month, ahead of its intended CES 2026 reveal period.

So, really, this announcement just confirms that this premium SteamOS handheld is real while also finally giving us a release date and starting price. Prepare your wallets, this device is going to be expensive, but that's because it has some of the best features of any handheld.

This handheld has an eye-watering $1,199 MSRP starting price, and there will presumably be a more expensive version as well. It's currently unclear how many configurations of the Legion Go 2 (SteamOS) are coming to market, but it seems like there will at least be two launching as soon as June 2026.

Now, spending over $1,000 on any handheld is a hard decision for many people to make, but as our own Editor-in-Chief, Daniel Rubino, explained, the Legion Go 2 also offers more features and better specs than competitors.

Let's take a look at those specs and features.

The SteamOS variant will obviously run SteamOS instead of Windows, but it's also coming with up to an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, which notably offers far better CPU and GPU performance than the Steam Deck's custom AMD chip.

RELATED: All AMD handheld chips and how they compare

In other words, the Legion Go 2 will be capable of running games far more smoothly than the Steam Deck, and it will even run some games that the less powerful Steam Deck cannot.

Meanwhile, it also has features that its biggest Windows competitor, the ROG Xbox Ally X, does not. Namely, Hall Effect joysticks, a built-in kickstand, detachable controllers, an FPS mode to use the right controller like a mouse, a touchpad, and a larger 8.8-inch OLED display.

So why does SteamOS improve the Legion Go 2 for so many users? Well, first of all, many people love that SteamOS feels more like a simple console interface rather than a full-blown PC, which makes the handheld feel like a truly dedicated gaming system. Secondly, Valve's Linux-based operating system is far better optimized for handhelds, allowing devices to run more efficiently, prolonging battery life and performance.

As an example, the ROG Xbox Ally X, ships with Windows. However, when the operating system is swapped out with SteamOS, the handheld offers more stable frame rates, quicker resumes, and up to 32% higher FPS (frames per second), which is a huge difference (thanks, Tom's Hardware). So, it's likely this is the same case with the Legion Go 2.

That all said, there is one notable downside that I previously mentioned — SteamOS does not support the fingerprint functionality that's tied to the power button.

I've used a number of handhelds, and I love it when I can log in simply by holding my finger to a button for a second rather than entering a pin. It's convenient and lets me dive into gaming faster. Unfortunately, some handheld fingerprint readers really don't work well — I'm looking at you, ASUS ROG.

I don't know how many times I've had to retry the Xbox Ally X's fingerprint reader in a row before having to give up and type in my pin. Meanwhile, my Legion Go 2 (Windows) has never given me an issue with biometric login, so it's sad to see this feature is there but isn't supported on the SteamOS variant.

Of course, I won't be surprised if a SteamOS modder gets inspired to make a homebrew fingerprint reader solution, if someone hasn't put one on the internet already. It's a somewhat niche feature, but that just makes it a challenge for Linux enthusiasts looking for an excuse to play with the operating system.

In the end, when it comes to handheld gaming PCs produced by the most prestigious OEMs, the Legion Go 2 truly offers the most versatile and premium playing experience. Now, it's gotten even more appealing for some thanks to the addition of SteamOS.

What do you think about the new SteamOS version of the Legion Go 2? Has this made the handheld gaming PC more interesting for you? Tell us about it in the comments.

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In the words of Laptop Mag's Madeline Ricchiuto, "Dell may not call it an XPS, but those who know, know." And if you're in the know, you can get a premium laptop at a major discount right now.

Why buy a Dell 14 Premium or Dell 16 Premium laptop?

Dell moved away from its XPS branding last year. The company has since backtracked by unveiling the absolutely stunning all-new XPS 14 and XPS 16. The company even teased an XPS 13 that we should see later this year (our Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino has actually seen the new XPS 13 🤫).

While we won't see the all-new XPS devices just yet, Dell has already discounted the Dell 14 Premium and Dell 16 Premium laptops. Dell usually slashes the price of its year-old PCs once new models are unveiled.

Since the Dell 14 Premium and Dell 16 Premium were basically XPS laptops in everything but name, the discounts are here. If you think I'm exaggerating the status of the Dell 14 Premium and Dell 16 Premium, Dell literally lists both devices in the "XPS Laptop Computers" section of its website.

Both the Dell 14 Premium and Dell 16 Premium are excellent laptops. They carried the legacy of the XPS lineup for a year and have familiar designs to those who love modern XPS laptops.

The laptops are sleek, professional-looking, and well-built. They do have the controversial row of haptic function keys, but some people actually prefer those.

"While the name may have changed, the XPS spirit continues, with all of the top tier design, construction, and performance we've come to associate with its flagship family," said our Managing Editor Richard Devine right after the new Dell Premium laptops launched.

Depending on the specs you'd like, you can save up to $520 on a Dell Premium laptop.

Alternative discounted options

If you really want a laptop that says XPS on it rather than just emulating the design of the lineup, Dell has some XPS laptops on sale as well.

Depending on the exact spec you want, you may also find a better deal by getting an older XPS laptop.

Also, if Amazon's stock of the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (PC version) runs out or its discount expires, here is an alternative backup discount option:

• Dell XPS 13 with Snapdragon X Elite, OLED: $1,099.99 (was $1,499.99).

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This might sound upsetting at first, particularly to people who prefer to use these devices, but this is actually good news.

The reason there aren't any HP OMEN devices at CES 2026 is that HP has moved all of its gaming hardware under the HyperX subbrand name. So, if you love HP OMEN gaming monitors and laptops, you'll now find them named similarly, but under HyperX OMEN.

Here's the official announcement from HP itself:

“Gamers deserve a seamless experience that matches their passion, from the systems that power their worlds to the gear that connects them,” said Josephine Tan, Senior Vice President and Division President of Personal Systems Gaming Solutions at HP Inc. “As we bring OMEN and HyperX together, we’re continuing to push the boundaries of gaming innovation, delivering performance, personalization and experiences that help every player reach their full potential.”

As Tan said, putting all of HP's gaming devices under the same HyperX name makes it easier to find all of the gaming hardware offered by the company. It feels better organized this way.

To kick off this change, HP announced several new OMEN devices under the HyperX name, with a particular emphasis on the HyperX OMEN MAX 16, which HP says is "the world's most powerful gaming laptop with fully internal cooling."

This gaming laptop utilizes Intel Core Ultra 200H processors and AMD Ryzen AI processors, along with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 L GPU. It also offers a gorgeous 16-inch OLED display that's capable of hitting up to a 240Hz refresh rate. It's an impressive gaming laptop, indeed.

Other new HyperX OMEN devices worth noting are the stunning HyperX OMEN QD-OLED 360Hz 34 curved gaming monitor and HyperX Clutch Tachi (Xbox-license arcade controller).

A rebrand that completely makes sense

In case you didn't already know, HP acquired HyperX in June 2021, and up until now, the HyperX line has traditionally been more like a supplemental gaming subbrand that mainly covers gaming accessories like headsets, keyboards, gaming mice, and such.

Now, with HyperX taking more control of the gaming side of things, the main HP brand can focus more on its consumer and business laptops while HyperX dives deeper into the gaming side of things.

It's a shift that not only makes perfect sense, but gives more credence to the HyperX name as a true gaming hardware brand, not just a peripheral support company.

How do you feel about HP OMEN rebranding to HyperX? Does it feel like a good change? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

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The free-to-play successor to the 2019 Halo-meets-Portal shooter first released on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation in June, but was met with intense backlash against its expensive microtransactions, character skills and abilities that many felt bloated the experience, and the inclusion of a battle royale mode that was seen as trend-chasing by some.

It was then pulled back into beta one month later in July, where it remained until developer 1047 Games relaunched the FPS as Splitgate: Arena Reloaded on December 17 with new maps, weapons, and progression, along with the removal of character abilities.

Despite the overhaul, though, the game has seemingly failed to recapture the interest of players, with a peak of only 2,275 people having played it on Steam on launch day, and player counts fluctuating between 300-900 players since then according to SteamDB data.

Naturally, this has led to lots of discussion about Splitgate: Arena Reloaded's performance on the Steam charts, as well as how well the shooter is doing overall. Notably, though, 1047 Games has now released a statement responding to Steam player count concerns, largely dismissing them and asserting that "they don't show the full picture."

"Steam charts don't measure fun," the studio began. "They show one number, on one platform, at one given moment. They don't show the full picture or what it feels like to actually play, and they definitely don't capture the community that's actively helping shape what Arena Reloaded is becoming (including upcoming content like Arena Royale)."

"Over the past six months, we rebuilt Splitgate from the ground up because we believe in the game, our team, and our community," the dev continued. "The 1047 team remains committed to delivering the best version of Splitgate possible."

The studio then went on to thank its community of players for their passion and feedback, before closing with an encouragement for naysayers to "jump in and form your own opinion."

"And to everyone who hasn't played yet: Arena Reloaded is free, the gameplay's the best it's ever been, and we'd love for you to jump in and form your own opinion. A lot of passionate people worked very hard on it."

While I do think many focus too much on player counts and Steam charts specifically, it seems like Arena Reloaded has failed to make waves on any platform since its arrival, and one can't help but wonder if Splitgate will ever find its footing again.

Immediately "unlaunching" a month after release and going dark for half a year was a hugely risky move, and thus far, it hasn't paid off. Some also argue that 1047 Games should have continued adding more to the more successful original game instead of making a sequel, which I agree with.

Ultimately, Splitgate: Arena Reloaded is the future of Splitgate for better or worse, and it will be interesting to see if the series can recover some of its lost popularity in the coming months. As the devs point out, it is free-to-play, so there's no reason not to try it out yourself if you're curious.

Do you think Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will eventually recover and garner a healthy community of players? Let me know in the comments.

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But when you look at the sea of handheld gaming PCs on offer, you're mostly met with a sea of black or white devices, like the Steam Deck, Legion Go 2, Xbox Ally X, Legion Go S, and even the original MSI Claw.

Thankfully, we've gotten more color added to the mix during CES 2026. This week, MSI revealed a new Glacier Blue Edition of the Claw 8 AI+.

In case you aren't already aware, MSI's Claw devices stand out from rivals since the company offers some of the only handhelds from a major OEM (like Lenovo, ASUS, etc.) that utilize Intel processors rather than the more typically used AMD Z2 Series chips.

The MSI Claw 8 AI+, specifically, features an 8-inch IPS display, Intel Core Ultra 7 258V with integrated Intel Arc 140V graphics, 32GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. It's unclear if the Glacier Blue Edition's specs are any different. We'll likely learn more from MSI in the coming months.

Now, I previously reviewed the original device (see my MSI Claw 8 AI+ review), and I was blown away by its fantastic performance. MSI creates some truly impressive Intel handhelds, but only if you can actually manage to get one.

Love the color, but it will be hard to get

Yes, it might be hard to get your hands on this beautiful new handheld — the reason being, MSI handhelds have historically been hard to find in stock in the US and UK, due to stock shortages.

I spent several months last year waiting for the MSI Claw 8 AI+ to become available after writing up my review. Long story short, it took several months after the device launched for it to regularly stay in stock at any local retailers in the US, and this wasn't a demand issue; there just wasn't enough supply sent to stores.

Case in point, the MSI Claw A8 AI+ (note the A in this handheld's name) was supposed to have launched in August 2025, but I've never seen it in stock. As such, I'm not expecting to see the new Glacier Blue Edition at US retailers any time soon.

On top of that, 2026 just isn't going to be a good year for gaming hardware in general, if things don't change soon. Between ongoing US-China tariffs (where most hardware is made), RAM price increases, and the GPU shortage problem, it's going to be hard to find devices at reasonable prices. Hell, it might be hard to find a lot of hardware in stock at all.

What do you think about the new Glacier Blue Edition Claw 8 AI+ handheld? Are you interested in seeing more handhelds with vibrant coloring? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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One title that's particularly relevant to the events of the show in Season 2 is Fallout: New Vegas. Like most of the second season, New Vegas is set in and around the post-apocalyptic remains of Las Vegas and the Mojave Desert. And while it takes place a full 15 years before the show does, several of its characters and factions feature prominently in the TV series.

Thus, playing (or replaying) New Vegas is a good idea if you're watching the show, as it will give you significant context for Season 2's setting and conflicts. Notably, it's also widely regarded as the best Fallout game by many (including yours truly), with fans lauding its complete player freedom and crunchy, deep RPG systems that stand tall as some of the best in gaming, even 15 years post-release.

But while Obsidian Entertainment's 2010 entry in the franchise is an incredible game, it's not a perfect one — especially on the technical side of things. In fact, the PC version of New Vegas is notorious for its glitches and bugs, and issues like crashing and stuttering can be annoyingly common. You can't even Alt+Tab out of fullscreen without the client seizing up.

Players have valiantly worked to address these problems with mods over the years, but many are now outdated and can actually make your experience worse. Because of that, it's hard to know which you should actually use — or at least, it was, before the Viva New Vegas modding guide came along.

Put simply, if you're playing Fallout: New Vegas on PC in 2026, you're shooting yourself in the foot if you're not using Viva New Vegas. This community-written guide goes over the step-by-step process of setting up modding tools like Mod Organizer 2 for New Vegas, then shows which mods you should install to stabilize the RPG and how to do so.

Everything is explained in clear, concise detail, with plenty of icons and images interspersed throughout the text to show you things to look for when they're relevant to the process. You can also jump to any section of the guide you need easily by selecting its title on the left side of the webpage.

While guides like these don't always give the best advice, pretty much the entire New Vegas community agrees that Viva New Vegas is the quintessential guide for patching the game's various performance issues with mods. And whether you want to extensively mod the RPG further or just enjoy it vanilla without technical problems, Viva New Vegas is the foundation you should begin with.

It's worth noting that there's also a VNV Extended section of the guide that recommends mods to use that offer more of a "Vanilla+" experience. With these, you can keep New Vegas feeling relatively vanilla but enhance it with modern gameplay amenities like sprinting, higher-quality visuals, and more.

Note that if you'd prefer not to manually install mods yourself, there's also a section of the guide that explains how to use the Wabbajack modding tool to install the VNV Extended modlist automatically. This is a quicker way to get everything up and running, though following the guide manually to learn how to use Mod Organizer 2 is a good idea if you plan to do some additional modding.

Ultimately, following the Viva New Vegas instructions is the easiest, problem-free way to get New Vegas running well on a modern PC, and I'll never play the RPG without this modlist ever again. Notably, the $19.99 Ultimate Edition of the game itself is actually just $7.09 at Loaded right now, and if you're on Xbox, you can play through Xbox Game Pass.

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Activision has confirmed the release date of Season 01 Reloaded for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, delivering a teaser for the maps to be added to the Multiplayer mode.

Also being delivered, at least on Battle.net, it seems, is a preload for the big update. Notice how the word big there is in bold?

That's because, like the writer of this post that has spent the Christmas period eating far too much, said preload is very hefty. Popular Call of Duty content creator, MrDalekJD, gave us a look at his own preload.

The caveat, of course, is that yours may not be so chonky. If you don't have every game mode installed, for example, then you probably won't be seeing the same gargantuan download trying to come down your internet pipe.

But that preload is essentially redownloading the entire game again. On my PC (via the Xbox app), with everything installed, plus Warzone, the installation size is just shy of 170GB.

Anywho, aside from the fact it looks like we're downloading the whole game again this week, what can we expect? Well there's the three Multiplayer maps shown off above. Yakei is new, Meltdown is an old favorite being remastered, and Fringe is coming back from Black Ops 7.

We also know that there's a crossover event coming focused on the Fallout TV show, bringing two giant Microsoft-owned properties together. Perhaps worse, because it's the Fallout TV show, which I adore, it'll make me break my rule for this year on buying operator skins.

We're also expecting a couple of additional weapons being added to the pool, as well as the arrival of Directed Mode for the second Zombies map, Astra Malorum.

A full blog post and patch notes are promised for January 7, so we'll soon have the full picture.

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Sometimes, however, there's enough strong demand for physical copies of a game that its developers end up making some available post-launch, or work with a third party to do so. And as it turns out, that's precisely what's happening with a fan-favorite 2023 action title.

The game in question is Hi-Fi Rush, a high-octane action-adventure from Tango Gameworks in which you bash and smash your way through legions of megacorp-controlled robots by timing your actions with the rhythm of the game's soundtrack. Though it didn't launch with a physical release, it's now getting one thanks to a collaboration between publisher Krafton and the physical game manufacturer Limited Run Games.

Limited Run Games revealed its upcoming physical editions of Hi-Fi Rush on Sunday morning, announcing that there are both Xbox Series X|S and PS5 versions and that they'll become available to preorder on January 16, with preorders closing on March 1. According to the publisher's website, they're then expected to ship between the start of July and the end of September.

There will be three physical editions of Hi-Fi Rush available. The first is the $39.99 Rhythm Edition, which includes the base game, the extra cosmetics from the Deluxe Edition, and three additional DLC costume packs.

Then there's the $69.99 Smidge Edition, which features everything from the Rhythm Edition along with a three-disc soundtrack and a box that looks just like Smidge, the fridge robot from the game.

Last but certainly not least is the $174.99 Project Armstrong Edition, which comes with everything from the other editions plus a special Collector's Edition-style box, a hardcover artbook, an 8-inch 808 plush, a 6-inch replica of protagonist Chai's guitar, Chai's Project Armstrong pass, a glow in the dark MP3 player pin, and an individually numbered certificate of authenticity that represents your purchase of this special edition.

A big Hi-Fi Rush encore it absolutely deserves

Hi-Fi Rush was one of the boldest and brightest game releases in recent memory, with developer Tango Gameworks branching out from horror titles like The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo to make something completely different and unique, even compared to other rhythm games.

Thus, it's very exciting to see it finally getting its physical release (we knew Limited Run was working on it a long time ago, but heard little about it until now). It's also nice to see some positive news for the game and Tango Gameworks in general; in 2024, Microsoft infamously closed three Xbox developers, including Tango. PUBG publisher Krafton acquired it a few months later, saving it from closure.

It's unclear what's next for Hi-Fi Rush and Tango Gameworks — it's been said that there are plans to "explore future projects" with the property — but I'm happy that this colorful action game is getting a fresh wave of celebration with these physical editions, and I hope Limited Run is able to make enough of them for everyone who wants one. Its games typically don't come back in stock once they sell out, though, so make sure to preorder as soon as you can if that's you.

Presently, Hi-Fi Rush is available digitally for $29.99 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Ally, Windows PC (Steam, Epic Games, Xbox on PC), and PS5. You can also play it across all Xbox platforms with Xbox Game Pass.

Are you planning on getting a physical copy of Hi-Fi Rush once they're available to preorder? If so, which edition are you picking up? Let me know in the comments.

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As part of our monthly feature, we have rounded up 5 of the best recent ID@Xbox titles you may have missed, if you don't fancy dropping $70 on a AAA or spending the big bucks on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. These titles are far more affordable, time-friendly, and, in my cases, downright wackier than the mega publishers have to offer.

A Game About Digging A Hole™

The last couple of years have been a boon for meme games — unique but addictive, and relatively inexpensive titles that are worth way more time than their price tag would insinuate. Games like Peak, Vampire Survivors, and Clover Pit come to mind. During the spring and summer months of 2025, A Game About Digging A Hole™ joined the ranks of viral meme games.

The premise is simple. You’ve bought a house, and you’re digging a hole in the backyard. From there, things become increasingly chaotic. The soil is rich with resources, which you can then sell to pay for upgraded equipment, which will eventually lead to you uncovering a mysterious secret.

Developed by a lone developer in their spare time, A Game About Digging A Hole™ debuted on consoles on December 9. Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass subscribers can start digging as part of the subscription service, but if you are paying out of pocket A Game About Digging A Hole™ will cost you just $5 — that makes it the perfect gift to give out to your besties on your Xbox friends list or as a gift to yourself to use up the last bit of change on that gift card from grandma.

A Game About Digging a Hole™ supports the Xbox Play Anywhere program, meaning you only have to buy this $5 gem once to enjoy it on your Series X|S, Xbox PC, the cloud, and compatible handhelds.

Fort Solis

The holidays certainly didn't have to be limited to the holly and jolly. Creepmas can be a lot of fun, too, and nothing is creepier than a solid horrific walking simulator. Developed by Fallen Leaf and published by Feardemic, Fort Solis is a former PlayStation title that has finally made its way to the Xbox storefront.

Fort Solis is a sci-fi horror adventure where players become Jack Leary, a senior engineer in the distant future who finds himself responding to an unusual emergency call coming from a remote mining base. A dangerous storm is fast approaching, and Jack must race against the forces of nature to uncover the mystery of Fort Solis’ missing crew — that is, if he can survive the night.

This one’s packed with an all-star voice cast, including Roger Clark (Red Dead Redemption 2, Smite) and Troy Baker (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Marvel Rivals) paired with some intense visuals and immersive storytelling. Fort Solis is available now on Xbox Series X|S.

Thank Goodness You’re Here!

Developers Coal Supper and publisher Panic dubs Thank Goodness You’re Here a comedy slapformer, and that’s a pretty fitting title for a game that just wants to embrace everything bizarre. Players can explore the quaint and quirky Northern English town of Barnsworth as a traveling salesman. The locals in Barnsworth are — well, they’re something alright — and they’re more than ready to give you a series of increasingly odd jobs that you simply must finish before your very important big meeting.

Thank Goodness You’re Here! is a delightful journey full of humor and absurdities set in a vibrant and lively world where everything is carefully crafted via hand-drawn animation. Fully voiced dialogue adds to the humor and brings the inhabitants of Barnsworth to life. The game’s cartoonish art style might seem inviting and nostalgic, but the double entendres are definitely intended for a more mature crowd.

If you’re looking to inject some humor into your end-of-the-year festivities, Thank Goodness You’re Here! is available now on Xbox and supports Xbox Play Anywhere entitlements so you can get your giggles in on your Series X|S, Xbox PC, or compatible handheld.

Routine

We’re doubling up on the sci-fi horror this month, but if you check out Routine, developed by Lunar Software and published by Raw Fury, you’ll understand why. This first-person sci-fi horror title takes us into an 80s era imagining of the future to an abandoned lunar base. What kicks off as casual exploration devolves into a chaotic attempt to survive in a world where you are seen as the primary threat.

While Fort Solis offers a casual “walking simulator” take on sci-fi horror, Routine veers into the hardcore survival side of horror gameplay. There are no way points to help you find your way around the base, and the ability to explore effectively is just as much a part of your survival as breathing.

There’s no rushing through here — Routine requires you to explore your surroundings with care if you plan to survive and escape. The game’s minimal UI is paired with diegetic audio and full body awareness to crank up the atmospheric horror of it all as you attempt to survive by hiding or defending yourself.

Routine is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, the cloud, and compatible handhelds with support for Xbox Play Anywhere. It's also available to Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass members as part of the subscription service.

Wylde Flowers

On the opposite end of the genre spectrum, Studio Drydock’s Wylde Flowers offers us a cozier way to get through the cold of winter. And admittedly, we’ll never miss an opportunity to share a witchy life sim. Like any good game in the witch life/farming genre, Wylde Flowers puts players in the shoes of a young woman named Tara who has arrived on a cozy rural island with the goal of helping out her grandma on the family farm.

The island of Fairhaven has plenty of beautiful biomes for players to explore, including sparkling beaches and secretive, mystical forests. The village is bustling and alive with a creative cast of characters who are all fully voiced and offer friendship and even romantic storylines for Tara to explore. Since its original release to Apple Arcade in 2022, Wylde Flowers has grown exponentially with new features, including the ability for players to customize Tara’s looks, add sweet (and magical) baby animals to the farm, and experience exciting new festivals.

Wylde Flowers is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, and compatible handhelds with Xbox Play Anywhere support. A spin-off of Wylde Flowers, titled Wylde Society, is currently in development by Studio Drydock.

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I'm talking, of course, about ASUS' incredible Zenbook A14, which helped set the bar for thin-and-light Windows laptops powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon. I loved the ASUS Zenbook A14 (2025) in my 4.5/5-star review, and now the laptop is being refreshed with a whole lot more power at CES 2026.

The latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 silicon is great, but the laptop itself isn't changing much. What's even more exciting is the new 16-inch version of this sleek device, which is arriving as one of the first to use Qualcomm's most powerful laptop chipset ever. I'm excited for this one.

The OG but better, and a new big sibling

First, let's get the simple stuff out of the way: ASUS didn't shake up the Zenbook A14 for 2026, which isn't all that surprising. The only major change is inside, where you can now equip the Zenbook A14 with the latest Snapdragon X2 silicon, including up to an 18-core Snapdragon X2 Elite with an insane 80 TOPS NPU.

That means a massive increase in overall performance, especially for gaming and AI workloads. That's great, if not super exciting. I wish ASUS had also updated the 14-inch OLED display to be 120Hz instead of a measly 60Hz. That'll definitely hurt it in my final review.

The real star of the show is the new arrival to the family, though, and that's the ASUS Zenbook A16. It takes the same beautiful design, but scales it up to a 16-inch display with boosted firepower.

The new Zenbook A16 is among the very first laptops equipped with the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme SoC, an 18-core monster with a 5.0GHz boost, Qualcomm's most powerful GPU yet, and massively increased memory bandwidth compared to other Snapdragon X2 chips.

The Zenbook A16 also gets up to 48GB of super-fast LPDDR5X memory, an SD card slot, and a gorgeous 2.8K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,100 nits of brightness with HDR content. All of that, and it's still among the lightest 16-inch laptops, weighing less than 3lbs (or around 1.2kg).

I definitely tend to prefer more compact, 14-inch laptops, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more interested in the 16-inch half of this Zenbook duo. This could end up being one of the best Windows laptops of the year, if the new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme lives up to the hype.

What do you think about the new ASUS Zenbook A16? Could it be your next laptop? Let us know in the comments below!

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Both S14 and S16 models are Copilot+ capable, with NPUs outputting 50+ TOPS of power. The S14 is 1.1cm thick and 2.65lbs light, making it one of the thinnest and lightest 14-inch notebooks on the market.

Of course, the new Intel Core Ultra 3 series chips found in the ASUS ZenBook S14 are a huge upgrade over the Intel Lunar Lake processors found in the last generation models. These new chips offer X more performance and better efficiency, which, when paired with the S14's 77Whr battery, equals a laptop that will easily last you the day.

The S14's display is also still excellent, featuring a 2880x1800 resolution in a 16:10 aspect ratio. It's one of the sharpest displays on a 14-inch laptop, meaning text and images look crisp and clear. It also has a high-refresh-rate 120Hz panel, which makes scrolling apps and moving windows smooth as butter.

It's the same story for the S16, which features a larger 16-inch display at the same 3K resolution, same 16:10 aspect ratio, and same 120Hz refresh rate. Both models are touchscreen too, and are capable of 1100 nits of peak brightness for HDR content.

The S16 features a larger 83Whr battery and AMD's new Ryzen AI 400 series chips instead of Intel, offering similar performance gains over the last-gen S16 with the AMD Ryzen AI 370 HX. Both the S14 and S16 can be configured with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage.

New for this generation is a redesigned lid, which has been simplified with the ASUS ZenBook branding. It places it more in line with the ZenBook A14 and A16, which were also just announced. Overall, this is a great refresh to two already amazing products, bringing them up to date with the very latest mobile processors on offer from Intel and AMD.

Perhaps worryingly, ASUS has not mentioned pricing for these new laptops. The company recently announced that it expects prices for its products to go up across the board this year in the wake of the RAM shortage crisis, which means the new S14 and S16 might be more expensive than their older generation counterparts.

What are your thoughts on the new ASUS ZenBook S14 and ZenBook S16? Let us know in the comments!

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This refresh was expected; however, ASUS also made a somewhat surprising announcement: the Duo is getting a new version under the gaming ROG subbrand — the ROG Zephyrus Duo, which is designed for gamers and creators.

As someone who regularly creates digital art and spends my free time playing video games, I'm also very interested in getting my hands on the new ROG Zephyrus Duo.

Just take a look at our own Ben Wilson's ASUS Zenbook Duo (2025) review, and you'll see that we at Windows Central were impressed with the previous iteration's ability to change between landscape and portrait orientations thanks to the sturdy and adjustable stand. Another cool aspect is that the separate keyboard magnetically connects to the bottom display if you just need one screen. The Zephyrus Duo shares many of these same characteristics.

The Zenbook Duo and Zephyrus Duo are versatile multitasking laptops designed for business, and now creative work and gaming. The new 2026 models build upon the foundation of what was already there with more powerful Intel AI processors, larger battery capacities, and more.

ASUS Zenbook Duo vs ROG Zephyrus Duo

Of course, I was immediately curious about how the Zenbook Duo (2026) and new Zephrus Duo compared, so I created the following chart using all of the revealed specs we know so far.

At the time of writing, ASUS has revealed more spec information for the Zenbook Duo, including its two separate configurations. I've gathered all of that information into the chart below, along with all of the spec information I could find so far for the new ROG Zephyrus Duo.

As you can see from the specs above, the Zephyrus Duo offers larger 16-inch OLED touchscreens compared to the 14-inch OLEDs on the Zenbook Duo. This larger design better accommodates creative workflows and gaming.

It's not too surprising that the 6.28-pound Zephyrus Duo also weighs notably more than the 3.64-pound Zenbook Duo, considering this newer device has larger displays, higher RAM and storage capacity, and a far more robust NVIDIA RTX GPU compared to the Zenbook Duo's modest Intel Arc Graphics.

So, while the Zenbook Duo (2026) is a fantastic multitasking option for your typical office or school workflows, the far more powerful Zephyrus Duo is designed as the better multitasking choice for those who play AAA games or use more demanding creative software like 3D rendering programs.

You can get the Zenbook Duo with either an Intel Core Ultra 7 355 processor, sometime soon, since its anticipated launch date is January 2026. However, if you'd like a more powerful iteration, you can get the Intel Core Ultar 9 386H option when it launches sometime in February 2026.

Zenbook Duo (2026) prices have yet to be revealed, but these devices should be available at Best Buy and the ASUS website. Given that the previous 2025 model has a starting price of $1,699.99 at ASUS, it's very likely that the refresh will cost more than that — and that's before considering the ongoing US-China tariff situation, rising DRAM prices, and GPU shortages.

Meanwhile, it's currently uncertain when the Zephyrus Duo will launch, and pricing hasn't been revealed for it either. Considering its beastly specs, it will likely have a significantly higher starting price than the Zenbook Duo (2026), but we'll have to wait to know for sure.

What do you think about the Zenbook Duo (2026) and the brand-new Zephyrus Duo? Are you interested in getting either one of these devices? Tell us which one and why in the comments.

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While casting my eyes over the various gaming monitors, laptops, and other hardware offerings, I noticed that one device category isn't making an appearance at all.

You guessed it, there was absolutely no mention of those Nitro Blaze handheld gaming PCs that Acer previously announced.

For those who don't know, Acer first revealed it was getting into the handheld gaming PC market by showing off the Nitro Blaze 7 prototype at IFA 2024. A few months later, at CES 2025, the company revealed two new handhelds along with their specs: the Nitro Blaze 8 and massive Nitro Blaze 11.

I even went hands-on with the Nitro Blaze 11, and was so taken aback by its enormous dimensions that I created a Nitro Blaze 11 size comparison chart showing how it towered above the Steam Deck and other popular handhelds.

As such, when I saw that these handhelds weren't mentioned anywhere at CES 2026, I started wondering if the Nitro Blaze 7, 8, and 11 had turned into vaporware that would never see store shelves.

To get answers, I reached out to Acer, and a PR representative told me what's going on.

Are the Acer Nitro Blaze gaming handhelds still coming out?

When I asked an Acer PR representative to comment on why the Nitro Blaze handhelds weren't making an appearance at CES 2026, I was told:

"This is an emerging product category that remains on Acer’s U.S. roadmap, but our local launch plans are TBD. As we continue to navigate the tariff situation, we’re currently focused on our core products. When products become available in the U.S, we will let you know."

There you have it, the Acer Nitro Blaze handheld gaming PCs have not been canceled... at least not yet. It seems Acer currently still intends to release them down the road; we just don't know when. Of course, that doesn't rule out the possibility that Acer could change its mind.

As for the reason why these handhelds aren't at CES 2026, it's really no surprise to hear that tariffs have been cited. After all, companies have been using the T-word regularly over the past several months to explain delays, cancelled products, and price increases.

Looking back, volatile is certainly the word I'd use to describe the 2025 US tariff situation. For a while there, it seemed like the Trump administration was issuing changes every few weeks and then delaying those changes from going into effect.

For consumers, it was hard to tell how much anything was going to cost, since this situation led to so many notable price increases, including a notable rise in Christmas gift prices (thanks, NBC).

From a company's angle, it's hard to know what the ROI (return on investment) is going to be when manufacturing and import costs keep fluctuating. As Acer alluded, it's worth the gamble of continuing to produce evergreen products that are always in demand, but handheld gaming PCs are definitely more niche.

But that's not the only reason Acer probably shouldn't release its handhelds right now.

Tariffs aren't going to be the only hurdle Nitro Blaze handhelds face in 2026

The handheld gaming PC market is already ruled by Steam Deck, the king of portable gaming devices. Meanwhile, Xbox Ally X and Legion Go 2 are other formidable rivals dominating the field.

If Acer wants its handhelds to succeed, it really needs to offer something that the competition doesn't. That's potentially why the company decided to go all in on that massive 11-inch handheld.

Outside of general competition, there's also the increasingly worrisome RAM price increases and GPU shortage, which make handheld production a risky business for many companies in 2026. Considering Acer hasn't truly entered the market yet, it's an especially difficult time to try and win new customers when other options have already proven successful.

I'm not holding my breath for Acer Nitro Blaze handhelds

I won't relish in it, but I really won't be surprised if we find out that Acer's three Nitro Blaze handheld gaming PCs all get cancelled and never make it to store shelves.

It's a rough time for computer manufacturing, in general, and then there's the fact that handhelds are such niche products with powerful competitors already in play. It just doesn't seem like a good idea for Acer to pursue this tech category unless they can offer something that really gets people's attention.

And, no, I honestly don't think the comically large Nitro Blaze 11 is going to cut it; for one thing, it will probably be very expensive and won't be as easy to transport and travel with as other handhelds.

As any handheld enthusiast can tell you, we already have several high-end handheld gaming PCs selling at exorbitant prices. So, the premium side of things is covered. Believe me, we're good.

It makes sense that so many companies are chasing top-tier handheld manufacturing, since it's a way to grab attention and bring more money back to OEM coffers when a purchase is made. I can see the ROI hunger reflecting in CEO eyes as I type this.

But what we need more of are affordable entry-level handhelds, especially now that Valve has stopped Steam Deck LCD production, taking away its budget offering.

Tariffs have made tech more expensive, as have RAM and GPU scarcity. What will really help a handheld stand-out at this point is not flashy specs or a large screen, but reliable performance at a lower price than competitors.

For now, Acer still has handhelds on its roadmap. We'll just have to see how this year plays out and how that affects gaming hardware, and more specifically, handheld gaming PCs.

What do you think about the Acer Nitro Blaze handheld gaming PCs? Are any of them of interest to you? Are you sad they aren't at CES 2026, or do you think there are already too many handhelds on the market? Tell us about it in the comments.

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In case you missed it, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate grabbed a hefty 50% price hike a few months ago, leading to widespread condemnation. In compensation, Microsoft included Fortnite Crew and 1440p, boosted bit-rate Xbox Cloud Gaming to the highest tier, but people weren't pleased, as you can imagine.

2026 will be the first full year that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate sports the boosted price rate. It'll be interesting to watch how the price hike shakes out. Will it lead to boosted revenue, or just a gradual wave of expiring subscriptions? Will the boosted revenue be used to add more high-quality games, or simply go to pad Xbox's reportedly ambitious profit margins? Time will tell. At least for now, we have some juicy new games to look forward to in January.

Today on Xbox Wire, Microsoft revealed the latest round of Xbox Game Pass titles for January, and they include some solid titles. The headline act is arguably Resident Evil Village, which was quite easily among the best games of its launch year. Wrapping up Ethan Winters' story, Resident Evil Village plays almost like a homage to the variety of gameplay styles Resident Evil has espoused over the years, with deep survival horror segments, more action-oriented areas, complete with an iconic cast of mad mutants that stalk your every turn. Here's the run down on the games heading to the program, and when.

Resident Evil Village is hitting Xbox PC, Game Pass Premium, and Ultimate, which begs the question — will it gain Xbox Play Anywhere status? One weird thing about the Resident Evil franchise as of writing is the inconsistency by which Capcom has supported Xbox Play Anywhere. Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil 2 both support Xbox Play anywhere, making them decent games to play on your Xbox Ally. However, Resident Evil Village currently does not support Play Anywhere. There's no word on whether or not the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem will support it either.

It's fun to see other Xbox Play Anywhere additions here, including Atomfall and Little Nightmares. Both titles run incredibly well on the Xbox Ally, as well as the Xbox Series S. Atomfall is a STALKER-like set in an alternative British history examining the real-world, little-known UK nuclear Windscale disaster. Little Nightmares is a horror-twinged puzzle-platformer, similar in vein to games like Limbo or Inside. I can't recommend that one enough.

In any case, let us know what upcoming Xbox Game Pass additions you find compelling. You can grab Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from Amazon for the old price of $20 still to this day, I suppose while stocks of the cards last.

Microsoft has a big Xbox Developer Direct show coming in January, which is widely expected to offer glimpses at upcoming games like Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, Forza Horizon 6, and possibly Halo Campaign Evolved. Microsoft has dozens of games in development, including State of Decay 3, Blade, Clockwork Revolution, and many more. Microsoft has also cancelled many games, including Perfect Dark, Everwild, and Contraband.

Microsoft's Xbox brand has been fraught with doubt over the past year, but hopefully 2026 will be a tad more positive.

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Square Enix has decided to whet fans' appetite for this title by announcing a free playable demo for Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined, which will be available to download on the aforementioned systems on January 7, 2026.

Players can experience the opening act of Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined within this demo and get a sneak peek at how this remake improves upon the original 2001 PlayStation 1 version of Dragon Quest VII with its next-gen graphics, refined combat, and new voiceover work.

After completing the demo, you will be able to carry over your progress to the full game and unlock a bonus "Day Off" cosmetic outfit for the party member Maribel in the full version.

I personally never played the original PS1 version, but I do have fond memories of playing the Nintendo 3DS version of Dragon Quest VII for its lighthearted story, massive world abundant with secrets, zany yet tough enemies, and complex character class system.

So I'm looking forward to seeing how this new version differentiates itself from the 3DS remake while standing on its own two feet and paying homage to its legacy when Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined releases on February 5, 2026.

Are you excited to play the upcoming remake of Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined or are there other upcoming JRPGs you're more interested in playing on Xbox, like Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, or the long-awaited Xbox port of Final Fantasy VII: Remake? Let us know what Xbox JRPGs you're looking forward to in 2026 in the comments below.

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It might look like a random collection of colorful buttons at first glance, but the "leverless" part of its name explains why — there's no stick. It's extremely similar to the popular "Hit Box" options for eSports-grade fighting gamers, which divide movement controls into individual buttons.

This essentially means you have separate buttons for moving backward and forward, as well as for jumping and ducking. Why would you want that, though? Well, some games (mostly the ones I'm bad at) require rapid movement inputs that are tricky to pull off with an analog stick on a controller or a traditional lever on an arcade machine.

Still, there's more to the HyperX Clutch Tachi than a trending button layout with per-button RGB for a splash of color.

Just like the HyperX Pulsefire gaming mice promoted 3D-printed custom shells at CES 2025, the Clutch Tachi comes with a detachable plate that can be easily replaced with blueprints from Printables.com.

Want to represent the colors of your favorite fighter's outfit? Print it. How about a gigantic kanji across the entire board, reminiscent of a particularly demonic character from Street Fighter? Print that, too.

Of course, there are specifics of its design that promote ergonomics, like adjustable legs with rubber feet to prevent slippage and a built-in wrist rest, but those are pretty much expected.

That, and HyperX hasn't confirmed a price for the Clutch Tachi, so it's impossible to comment on its value just yet. Still, we do know that it supports Xbox, PC, and even Linux (Tekken on the Steam Deck?) at launch, though it is strictly a wired affair, with a detachable USB-C to USB-A cable.

I'm into it, so I'm hoping for an affordable price tag. I've always been a strictly casual fighting game fan, but that hasn't stopped my intrigue for arcade controllers like this. Hours of trying to pull off Zangief's moves in Street Fighter, or King's in Tekken, usually came with mis-timed inputs from the stick, so this could be the solution.

Could the HyperX Clutch Tachi tempt you? Have you ever seen an arcade controller like this in your life? Let me know in the comments if this is too alien for your tastes, or if this colorful option has piqued your interest.

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It's the latest entry in 8BitDo's Ultimate product line of Xbox controllers, and it's packed with advanced features, including swappable modules, TMR joysticks, 1000Hz polling on PC, and much more.

Essentially, it's a new premium-grade controller compatible with Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows 10/11 PCs, and Apple/Android devices.

Here's everything you need to know about the 8BitDo Ultimate 3E Controller for Xbox.

Its parts can be swapped out to suit the player's preferred playstyle or the game they're currently playing. These swappable parts include silicone or micro-switch ABXY button modules, Standard or Circular D-Pads, and two Tall joysticks, one Thick-neck joystick, and one Dome joystick.

Other major highlights include wider and tougher silicone grips for improved ergonomics, an integrated wireless charging dock, remappable extra shoulder buttons (marked R4 and L4), and improved controls thanks to its TMR Joysticks with 12-bit ADC sampling chips, Hall Effect Impulse Triggers with Two Trigger Stops.

On top of that, the 8BitDo Ultimate 3E Controller also has 2.4G Wireless connectivity compatibility on Xbox and Windows PC with low latency, customizable 6-Axis Motion Controls, and a whopping polling rate of 1000Hz on PC regardless if you're using it in wired or wireless mode.

Here are the full tech specs of what you can expect from this Xbox controller, as stated on 8BitDo's official website:

Special Features

• 2.4G Wireless and Wired for Xbox and PC / Bluetooth for mobile.
• TMR joysticksEnhanced gripping with silicone texture.
• Hall-effect impulse triggers with two trigger stops.
• 2 pro-level back buttons.
• Extra fast bumpers (L4 and R4).
• Integrated wireless charging dock.
• Swappable magnetic faceplate and accessory pack.
• 6-axis motion control (PC only. Not supported on Xbox consoles).
• Up to 1000Hz polling rate (PC only. Not supported on Xbox consoles).
• Custom profile switch.
• Fire Ring - RGB lighting joysticks.
• 3.5mm audio jack and audio adjustment.
• Officially licensed by Xbox.

Compatibility

• Xbox Series X|S
• Xbox One
• Windows 10 (1903) and above
• Android 13 and above
• Apple

Connectivity

• Xbox Series / Xbox One: 2.4G or wired USB
• Windows 10 / 11 : 2.4G or wired USB
• Android and Apple devices: Bluetooth

Dimension / Weight

• 152.5×104.0×62.0mm
• 285.0g

Battery Type / Battery Life

• 1400mAh Li-ion battery, rechargeable
• 18 play hours with 4-5 hours charging time

Included items

• 8BitDo Ultimate 3E Controller for Xbox
• Charging Dock2.4G Adapter
• USB Cable
• Instruction Manual
• Additional accessory pack:
        Standard D-pad x 1
        Micro-switch ABXY Module x 1
        Tall Joystick x 1
        Dome Joystick x 1
        Thick-neck Joystick x 1

When can we expect to try the 8BitDo Ultimate 3E Controller for Xbox?

If you're attending CES 2026 in person this week at the LVCC Central Hall in Las Vegas, you will be able to get a hands-on preview of this controller by attending Booth #15641.

For those of us who can't attend the event, we will have to wait until it's released during Q2 of 2026. We'll be sure to keep an eye out when this new controller gets released and what it'll be priced at.

What are your first impressions of the 8BitDo Ultimate 3E Controller for Xbox? Will you be picking it up when it gets released or will you wait for more information regarding its price and hands-on reviews before making a decision? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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The specs alone read like a dare. A sprawling 52‑inch canvas at 6K resolution (129 PPI) is something no other company even sells, and just when I thought Dell was done flexing, I saw the 120Hz refresh rate. That’s the moment my jaw hit the desk. A monitor this big, this sharp, and this fast shouldn’t exist—and yet here we are. Yes, you can technically game on it. Or you can simply enjoy Windows 11 animations so smooth they feel illegal, but that's not the target audience here.

At $2,899.99 with the stand (or $2,799.99 without), this isn’t a monitor for casual shoppers. But honestly? I expected it to cost more. Dell charged $5,000 for a 30‑inch 4K 60Hz OLED back in 2016, and this thing makes that look quaint (and Dell still sells the awesome Ultrasharp 32 6K, which I reviewed, with a soundbar for $2,999).

So after a few weeks of living with this absurdly ambitious display, what’s the verdict—and who is this monster actually for? Let’s get into it.

Dell Ultrasharp 52 specs and features

I already spoiled the main specifications of the Ultrasharp 52, but let’s dive a bit deeper.

The panel is not OLED, but it is IPS Black Technology, which is LG’s fancy term for making IPS more OLED-like by knocking contrast up to 2,000:1 and making blacks less washed out. Bonus in not being OLED is that there is no risk for burn-in, which is still a thing when you leave static images on for long periods — and I’d argue the person who needs this monitor is that user.

Resolution is 6144 x 2560 with a 21:9 aspect ratio for the full 51.5-inch 4200R curved panel, with 8.0ms response or 5.0ms in Fast Mode. That 5.0ms is the minimum for a decent gaming sesh, so have at it.

Eye comfort is also a big deal here, so it’s flicker-free and earns 5 stars for the TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort Certification. Indeed, Dell points out that the Ultrasharp 52 is the “world’s first monitor to achieve TÜV category one hardware low blue light certification … [with] up to 60% less exposure than competitors.” And I was so happy to see it has an Anti-Glare Low Reflectance (AGLR) with hard-coating 3H, making this a glare-free monitor.

Bonus feature that I rarely see? The Ultrasharp 52 has an ambient light sensor on top to auto-adjust brightness and/or color temperature, which is entirely optional if you don’t like how it performs. That's good as it is aggressive in keeping the display dimmer than you expect, but I think it's actually better for reducing eye-strain once you adjust (and I did).

The color gamut is 99% DCI-P3, Display P3 99%, BT.709 100%, and 100% for sRGB, so there are no complaints there, and these checked out during my calibration.

There are plenty of ports, including 2 x HDMI (HDCP 2.2; up to 6144 x 2560, 120 Hz, VRR), 2 x DisplayPort 1.4 (HDCP 2.2), 4 x USB Type-A 10Gbps downstream, 3 x USB-C 10Gbps upstream, 1 x Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps upstream port, 1 x RJ45 Ethernet, 1 x USB Type-A 10Gbps downstream port/s with Battery Charging 1.2, and 2 x USB-C 10Gbps downstream port/s, Power Delivery up to 27 W.

To make things more accessible, you have two Type-C and one Type-A in a push/dropdown hub in the front, which is a unique feature that Dell likes to do. It’s great for thumb drives or charging your phone with easy access.

For real power users, the Ultrasharp 52 also includes a built in Thunderbolt 4 hub and KVM switch to connect multiple PCs up to it (like a laptop or two in addition to a desktop), Picture by Picture (PbP) supporting up to 4 input sources, Picture in Picture (PiP) supporting up to 2 screen partitions, and Auto USB KVM with Ethernet Switch Mode control supporting up to 4 input sources.

A concern I had was that it wouldn't offer audio, but luckily, Dell did include it as you get two 9-watt speakers, which are down-firing, running the bottom of the monitor.

Included in the box is the monitor, stand (which is height adjustable), power cable, DisplayPort 1.4 cable, HDMI 2.1 cable, USB-C to USB Type-A 10Gbps cable, Thunderbolt 4, and a 40 Gbps active cable.

The whole thing with the base stand weighs 18.23 kg (40.19 lbs.), and yes, it’s VESA compatible.

Dell Ultrasharp 52, what is it like to use?

No lie, putting this behemoth on my desk was comical. It’s soooo massive that when you first turn on your PC, your first thought is no way can I get used to it.

Then I used it for 24 hours, and I can’t see going back.

But let’s step back for a second. Setup was a breeze. In the box, which basically has a sled to carry the monitor to your office (I do advise having someone help you), you also get the stand and the cables. The stand has two parts and is toolless, simply clicking into the monitor’s back.

Being a 4200R curved monitor (which isn’t super dramatic), I really advise being careful, as I find these types really easy to damage, especially if you have the monitor display down.

Like all sane people, I also suggest using the DisplayPort cable over HDMI, but both worked with my NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU. Setting up the auxiliary wires to power the other ports is a bit tricky, but it all worked well enough.

To get the most out of the Ultrasharp 52, you need to install Dell Display and Peripheral Manager, which lets you change brightness, color profile, auto brightness, KVM controls, and even custom Windows snapping schema. It’s a good app, and I have no complaints about it.

Once it’s all set up, what can I say? You can see my screen from the street where you walk by my house!

But if you spend all day looking at data, charts, Slack, etc., there’s nothing like the Ultrasharp 52. At 129PPI, the text is sharp, but not too small as to be a problem (Dell claims that the ideal PPI range is between 110 and 140). That said, I did set Windows scaling to 175%, which is over the 125% recommended range, but I’m getting old, so that’s what happens.

Regular Windows snapping works just fine, but Dell’s custom snapping option, which has preset defaults and the ability to design your own, is pretty awesome.

For size reference, Dell says using the Ultrasharp 52 is equivalent to using one 43” 4K monitor with two vertical 27” QHD ones flanking it (which is already a serious battle station), OR using two 49” DQHD (32:9) monitors stacked on top of each other.

Yeah, it's a lot of screen.

Finally, for the speakers, I was worried I would have to bust out some external ones, but nope, those two 9W ones do the trick for me, being great for watching video just as much as doing video calls. They sound great to me, being relatively rich in sound and being very “center focused,” which is excellent for my frequent online meetings.

Who is the Dell Ultrasharp 52 for, and is it worth $2,899?

Make no mistake, this is a serious monitor for professionals.

Dell claims the Ultrasharp 52 is for “traders, financial analysts, engineers, designers, and executives who demand precision, clarity, and efficiency,” which makes sense. This monitor is no different than the stereotypical setups you see with financial analysts who have multi-monitor arrangements, usually running at various resolutions, and some of them running vertically.

In that sense, the $2,899 is a bargain for those people who, at minimum, are pulling in six figures, but likely much more. For them, this is a necessary work expense. Why? Well, as someone who runs multi-monitor setups and who stares at charts, data, Slack, etc., all day, I can say multi-monitor kind of sucks. You often get different resolutions, you can have cable and video card connectivity issues, not to mention varying color calibrations or refresh rates.

With one monitor, you get 100% awesome all the time.

Indeed, I didn’t have a single bug in my time with the Ultrasharp 52.

Of course, if you’re a regular consumer with some money to burn, I can say you won’t be disappointed if the idea of near-life-size faces during video calls is on your bucket list. I definitely wouldn’t buy it for gamers, but if you do game on it on occasion, it’s also totally fine.

But are there other options?

This isn’t the first 6K monitor from Dell I’ve reviewed; in fact, the one I swapped out for the Ultrasharp 52 is the Ultrasharp 32 6K, which has a built-in sound bar and an excellent web camera. It’s more office-oriented, but arguably one of my favorite monitors of all time (though the webcam has crashed on me numerous occasions).

But there is one other contender that is technically much cheaper and higher spec’d.

The Samsung 57-inch Odyssey Neo G9 sets the bar with its dramatically curved (1000R) dual 4K resolution (7,680 x 2,160), mini-LED, 2,500:1 contrast, and 240Hz refresh rate at 140 PPI. It’s on sale right now for just $1,499 (if you can find one), which is nearly half the price (hey, buy two! And stack ‘em!).

Of course, you lose out on some things, like Dell’s IPS Black is better for work, reading, and color accuracy, and 6K 21:9 is more natural for multitasking (plus, Mac support). Dell has a Thunderbolt 4 Hub and 140W charging, which is better for laptop‑first workflows (one cable to do it all), or those using PiP for a secondary device (or even up to four) via KVM. While Samsung does have a basic KVM, it doesn’t offer a Thunderbolt 4 hub. Finally, even though Samsung’s mini-LED is very bright and punchy, it’s not built for 10‑hour workdays and lacks that TÜV 5‑Star and hardware Low Blue Light certification.

Basically, Samsung is great for gamers and some office work. Dell is the better choice for those “traders, financial analysts, engineers, designers, and executives” who are staring at their monitors for 8 to 10 hours a day, with multi-device workflows.

It's eye comfort versus eye candy, if you get me.

Dell Ultrasharp 52: Final thoughts

✅You should buy this if ...

• You're looking to consolidate your multi-monitor setup
• You need the biggest display with no compromise
• You have a multi-PC workflow or shared workstations
• You're a trader, a financial analyst, an engineer, a designer, or an executive

❌You should not buy this if ...

• You're primarily a gamer
• You have a small desk

So yes — the Ultrasharp 52 is spectacular. It’s overkill in the best possible way, impeccably engineered, and genuinely delightful to use. But it’s also a tool with a very specific mission. If you’re a trader, analyst, engineer, designer, or executive who lives inside charts, timelines, dashboards, and multi‑device workflows, this thing is a productivity multiplier that pays for itself.

If you’re a regular consumer with deep pockets and a desire to experience video calls at near‑life‑size, you’ll love it too.

For everyone else? The price, the size, and the sheer ambition of this display will be more than you need. But for the right audience, the Dell Ultrasharp 52 is the new gold standard for single‑monitor workstations. It’s big, it’s bold, and it’s unlike anything else on the planet.

Needless to say, it's going on our list for the best computer monitors for 2026.

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If you were expecting Razer Blade updates or new competitive PC and console gaming accessories at CES 2026, you won't find them here. Razer's showings this year were a little different, and I never quite knew what I'd be checking out next.

Razer's gaming AI companion is entering the physical world, the company has decided that smart headphones make a lot more sense than smart glasses, your gaming chair could one day offer all-in-one immersion, and... what else? Oh, the Razer Wolverine V3 is getting a Bluetooth variant designed with your TV in mind. Here's what you need to know.

Razer is experimenting and expanding

It's no secret that Razer has been investing more and more into artificial intelligence, especially given that the company unveiled its own gaming-centric AI companion, Project Ava, last CES.

AI is only becoming more important for Razer (like with many tech companies), and CES 2026 saw Project Ava take on an all-new form supported by a year of growth and evolution. Soon, instead of an unseen presence on your screen, Project Ava will be able to live on your desk as an actual, holographic companion that can see and hear you in real time. I didn't see this one coming, I'll be honest.

This is a real product coming this year, and you can actually reserve your own in the USA. The latest version of Project Ava will be a 5.5-inch, animated avatar contained within a very Razer-esque cylinder, and will theoretically be able to help you in real-life and on-screen with gaming, productivity, and everyday life.

Razer's initial avatars look pulled straight from anime, and the list will apparently grow as Project Ava's capabilities and popularity does. I'm not sure how many people will actually buy into this product, but I have to give Razer props for trying something different and trying to make AI fun in its own way.

While we're on the subject of AI companions that stick close to you, Razer also showed off its spin on the expanding smart wearables market, which is currently dominated by products like AR glasses. Enter Project Motoko, a concept for a pair of smart headphones equipped with dual PoV cameras.

By "PoV," I mean these headphones are designed to actually see exactly what you see by matching your eyeline, while most smart glasses are slightly above. Razer also argues that people are generally more comfortable wearing headphones than glasses, people with glasses don't have to worry about prescriptions, headphones make conversing with your AI companion more private, and — at the end of the day — you can simply use these as a great pair of wireless, Bluetooth headphones.

The idea is to have an always-present AI companion that sees and hears what you do, and can answer questions, provide feedback or directions, suggest ideas, translate languages, recognize images and objects, and more. Project Ava isn't making another appearance here, though, as Razer is planning to leave Mokoto open to the user; you'll be able to choose the LLM or AI companion that best suits your needs, which will run natively on the headphones until it needs your device's internet connection.

As you may have guessed from that last section, Razer is also planning to release Project Mokoto as a real product, but it won't look quite like this. The initial concept is built on something like the Razer Barracuda X Chroma I reviewed, but the final product could look very different (and will be flagship-level). Razer gave me a very tentative "2026" window for a potential launch, but that's absolutely not confirmed right now.

Razer also showed off a concept chair; no, not the concept chair that Razer showed off last CES with the built-in cooling and heating. Project Madison is all about immersion, bringing comfort, audio, haptics, and RGB together in one cohesive product. If you're familiar with the Razer Freya we reviewed, imagine a gaming chair with that built in, and with THX stereo speakers flanking your head, and reactive Razer Chroma lighting baked into the headrest.

Will this ever be a real product? I don't know; unlike the two previous "projects," Madison is following precedent in that it may never be available to purchase — but the ideas and concepts can absolutely influence future Razer products. Something you can buy is the Razer Iskur V2 NewGen. As the name suggests, it's basically the Razer Iskur V2 we reviewed, but with Razer taking in feedback about comfort and ergonomics to make it a better chair.

Finally, there's the Razer Wolverine V3 Bluetooth, a more mobile-oriented version of the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro we reviewed and loved. This controller takes the familiar design and class-leading controls, but takes advantage of cutting-edge ultra-low latency Bluetooth for maximum performance. It was also designed in partnership with LG, with native integration with the LG Gaming Portal and built-in TV controls.

I always have fun hanging out with Razer, and I can usually count on the company to surprise me with something. At CES 2026, nothing here stood out to me as something I personally need, but I like that Razer is continuing to experiment and try new things, as well as expanding into new categories. Hopefully, Windows Central will get its hands on a lot of this as it releases in the coming months.

What do you think about Razer's hardware announcements at CES 2026? Was there anything you were hoping to see that wasn't here? Let us know in the comments below!

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It's the world's first 52-inch ultrawide curved 6K (6144x2560) monitor with a 120Hz refresh rate. Yes, 120Hz at 6K. It's not using an OLED panel, which I'm sure will disappoint some, but it does put up strong competition with IPS Black tech that deepens contrast to 2,000:1 without risk of burn-in.

An ambient light sensor can automatically adjust the brightness and color temperature to be easier on the eyes, and it hits the highest tier of TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification. That's no joke if you're someone who looks at a display all day.

Dell compares the one 52-inch 6K screen to a setup with two 27-inch QHD monitors and a 43-inch 4K monitor — the new UltraSharp offers a whopping 61,000 more pixels and 25% higher pixel density than that combination, and you're only dealing with one mounting arm or stand on your desk.

Further helping manage desk clutter is a built-in Thunderbolt 4 hub and KVM switch. The monitor can charge a connected laptop with up to 140W of power, and it can connect to four PCs simultaneously.

Dell has the new UltraSharp 52 (U5226KW) aimed directly at day traders, data scientists, engineers, developers, and practically any other professionals who never seem to have enough screen space. And a professional you'll need to be to afford it; it rings up at $2,899.99 with a stand or $100 less without. It's available now at Dell's website.

Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino got his hands on the monitor a few weeks early to try it out, and I think this sums it up:

"The Dell Ultrasharp 52 is a full‑blown command center disguised as a single display. It proved itself to be a productivity powerhouse: razor‑sharp 6K resolution, a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, IPS Black contrast that punches far above typical IPS, and a connectivity suite that feels like Dell stapled a docking station, a KVM, and an IT department directly onto the back."

You can read a whole lot more about this awesome display in our Dell UltraSharp 52 review.

The UltraSharp 52 isn't arriving alone at CES 2026. Dell also announced a new UltraSharp 32 4K QD-OLED monitor made for pros who need precise color reproduction.

It hits Delta E<1 with no extra tuning out of the box, 99% DCI-P3 and Display P3, 80% BT2020, 94% AdobeRGB, and 100% sRGB/BT709. It has the infinite contrast ratio that OLED is known for, plus it comes with DisplayHDR True Black 500 and Dolby Vision certification.

It, too, has a Thunderbolt 4 hub with up to 140W charging for a connected laptop to help declutter your desk. Dell plans to release the smaller 32-inch UltraSharp display on February 24, 2026. It's expected to cost $2,599.99.

Could your current workflow benefit from an ultimate 52-inch 6K monitor like the new UltraSharp 52? What type of work would you use it for? Let us know in the comments section below!

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First, a quick refresher. In January 2025, Microsoft made the decision to rename its Microsoft 365 app as "Microsoft 365 Copilot." That was the second major rebrand for the app. It was known as "Microsoft Office" for years before it shifted to the Microsoft 365 moniker.

The new name is awkward and doesn't reflect the main reason people use Microsoft. While a Microsoft 365 subscription now includes Copilot and a bunch of other services, many still associate the service primarily with the Office apps.

The change was made more awkward when it became clear the Microsoft 365 Copilot app icon was difficult to distinguish from other Microsoft apps.

Our Executive Editor Jez Corden commented on the change at the time and his comments hold true today:

"The rebrand of Microsoft Office was dumb to start with, trampling on a legacy spanning decades. The second rebrand attaching Copilot is even more dumb, and follows the Copilot+ PC thought process of firmly putting the cart several miles before the horse. Copilot hasn't earned the right to be showcased alongside a technological cultural milestones like Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word."

Corden's comments are warranted. Microsoft's obsession with AI is hurting the experience of general consumers. "Microslop" is trending on social media following a blog post from Satya Nadella that asked people to stop calling AI "slop."

Microsoft's leaders were snubbed by TIME, suggesting people do not view the tech giant as an innovator in AI. The company is also getting outpaced by Google and other competitors.

But there's one major difference between Corden's comments and the comments shared on social media over the last few days — Corden said what he said when the news was... new.

While I can't claim the following is the original source of the trending topic this week, it appears to be one of the first mentions of the Microsoft 365 Copilot rebrand this week to gain traction (pardon the language):

That information is true, but it lacks the context that the change happened a year ago and that the rebrand was of an app. Microsoft Office is still a term used by the tech giant. Once people caught onto that fact, a surge of corrections occurred, such as the Reddit post on the topic being removed.

I'm not defending Microsoft. I think the rebrand exemplifies the company's obsession with AI. I also agree with Steven Sinofsky — yes, that Steven Sinofsky — that Microsoft made the change to increase Copilot usage metrics.

I just think people should know the change is almost 12 months old at this point.

Should Microsoft promote Google products in ads? Do you think Chrome's inclusion was a mistake? Let us know in the comments.

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