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Thanks to recent pandemic flare-ups, CES 2022 turned into a hybrid affair as many key exhibitors turned to a virtual-only presence. Nonetheless, there was no shortage of exciting reveals for the custom PC enthusiasts. We wouldn’t be surprised to find any of the products announced at CES Media Day available at Newegg in the coming months.

Arcade1Up: A New Life for Retro Gaming

Arcade cabinets are to retro gamers as vinyl is to audiophiles. Arcade1Up used their platform at CES to celebrate over 3 Million arcade machines sold in less than three years and in recognition of that milestone, they announced the expansion of their bestselling “Legacy Edition” line of cabinets. The Arcade1Up Legacy Edition has always offered customers the most value in one machine and in 2022 they will now include fourteen games in one machine. They’ll also be Wi-Fi enabled allowing for online co-op and live leaderboards.

playing on company time

Centipede: the Converse Chuck Taylors of coin-op

They’ve also announced a new line of premium products they call Arcade1Up Pro Series. With 19” screens, upgraded Suzohapp buttons and joysticks, upgraded speakers and more, these high-end machines are made to provide a true-to-scale arcade experience. There will be several styles available, but they have wisely chosen to begin the Pro Series with an arcade classic for the gamer of discerning tastes, “Killer Instinct.”

Finally, they’ve announced the coming of two totally new products. The Arcade1Up Jr is a machine designed to engage aspiring little gamers. With adjustable game modes and custom-developed content, these playsets are great for honing motor skills and early problem-solving. The Infinity Game Table provides an around-the-table gaming experience in a Wi-Fi enabled touch screen device with haptic feedback and a library of over forty games.

For mobile gaming, AMD isn’t playing around

There were an astounding 30 new products from AMD in their CES announcement, and with those, a bevy of gaming-oriented hardware offerings. There was some buzz about whether Team Red would announce a new line of AMD desktop CPUs. Well, almost—AMD teased the Ryzen 7000-series which is anticipated to launch sometime later in 2022. We didn’t hear much other than they are built on a 5 nm process using Zen 4 architecture.


As we know from the AMD processor naming convention, even-numbered series are mobile processors. And we saw a lot of the latest Ryzen 6000-series processors that will be coming to gaming laptops in the coming months. The offering breaks into two categories. Content creators have the 8-core / 16-thread flagship Ryzen 9 6920HX with 5.0Ghz performance and a 45W+ draw. Light-and-thin users have Ryzen 3 5425U with a 15W draw. There are 13 chips in this generation so far, so users will have their pick of power to performance.

For desktop gaming, AMD announced the GPU RX 6500 XT designed for budget builds. It comes with 16GB GDDR6 and 16 computer units. This relegates the 6500 XT to budget builds for 1080p gaming. With the supply constraints as challenging at they are these days, having another option is never a bad thing.

Intel Alder Lake: Coming soon to a gaming laptop near you

Intel is carrying its Alder Lake momentum into the new year with its CES announcement. The x86 market leader says it has 350 new laptop designs using their latest mobile processors. Watch out, Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max—Alder Lake has a lot for mobile users to like.

Like their desktop counterparts, mobile Alder Lake processors have two types of cores: “p-cores” for compute performance, and “e-cores” which are designed with power efficiency in mind. There are two categories: Alder Lake H-series CPUs are geared toward mobile workstations preferred by content creators and games. The newest Evo line of laptops will have P-series CPUs that pack plenty of computing power into a thin build and adds Wi-Fi 6E support.

Intel is positioning their latest processors at mobile gamers, showing off performance gains in titles like Riftbreaker, Mountain Blade, Banner Lord, and Total War: Three Kingdoms.

On the graphics front, Intel announced that Intel Arc discreet graphics cards are now shipping to manufacturers. Not much else was disclosed regarding technical details and whether they will be available for custom PC builders to purchase.

GPU Gotta See What’s New at Nvidia

Nvidia is one of the most ubiquitous names in the PC world so as you might expect they had a lot to talk about. They’ve expanded the library of Nvidia Now, as well as the list of games with access to RTX, DLSS, and more.

But they didn’t wait long before getting to the good stuff. Two new laptop GPUs will be available on February 1. The RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU is 70% faster than RTX 2070 super laptops and will be capable of delivering 100fps at 1440p. While the RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU will feature 16GB GDDR6 and higher performance than the desktop Titan RTX.

 

new 3080ti laptops from Nvidia

Serious graphics power goes mobile

Laptops are the faster-growing segment of gaming PCs, but Nvidia didn’t forget desktops. The new RTX 3050 GPUs offer 8GB of G6 memory and will open RTX gaming to a huge number of gamers still playing with GTX equipment. And the new big bad GPU on campus, the RTX 3090 Ti. 40 Shader Teraflops, 78 RT Teraflops, 320 Tensor Teraflops, and 24GB of 21Gb/s G6X memory.

Sony Doubles Down with the Playstation VR2

CES PSVR2Sony is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Playstation 5 with the announcement of its next-gen virtual reality system, the Playstation VR2. Sony believes that VR is the future of gaming, online socialization, and more. The Playstation VR2 is proof of that commitment, providing a more engrossing, true-to-life, experience than ever before with enhanced control tracking and upgraded visual fidelity.

The headset boasts new eye-tracking technology for a more realistic player experience as well as more detailed social interactions. It also features responsive feedback, supplying the player with subtle vibrations to accent their actions and environment. It fits perfectly with the new PS VR2 Sense Controllers, which provide more visceral haptic feedback and more accurate interactions.

Of course, none of this matters if your eyes don’t believe what they’re being shown. PS VR2 will combine 4K HDR, foveated rendering, and a 110° field of view to provide a best-in-class visual experience. Those visuals will be highlighted as Sony brings the highly anticipated game, “Horizon: Call of the Mountain” to its new next-gen VR platform.

TCL wants you to live Xtra… LARGE!

This year if you don’t want to go home, you’ll have to go big, very BIG! At least that’s what TCL is doing at CES by expanding their biggest, to even bigger. Launched a year ago, TCL’s XL Collection has delivered high-quality performance with a lineup of 85”4k TV’s. But now, their collection is now growing as they are introducing the even larger 98” QLED TV. This all-new TV comes equipped with 4K UHD, Dolby Vision HDR, and is Google integrated so it’s Easy Voice Control is Alexa ready. Sporting Wide Color technology, the screen has Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Game Mode for seamless and responsive gameplay. If your gaming experience needs the 4K XL treatment this year, TCL’s XL Collection is ready for action. Check out other great deals on TCL TVs here.

Big Monitors And Beefy Laptops: ASUS ROG at CES 

ASUS kicked off their CES week with some high-end products across their entire line. From backpacks to the products that fill ‘em, there are plenty of new ROG products coming in 2022. While the peripherals were impressive (8000 Hz polling rate on their keyboard & mouse announcements), the biggest reveals were the monitor and laptop lineups. 

ROG announced 3 new additions to their laptop lineups, including the Flow, Zephyrus, and Strix. Each of the new models includes Mux Switch, Liquid Metal Cooling, DDR5 Memory, WiFi 6E, Type-C Charging, Gen 4 SSDD, Dolby Atmos & Vision, and AI Noise Cancellation. Laptop Gamers will want to pay extra attention to the Strix’s 360Hz refresh rate capabilities on the 17” screen. However, the Flow series sporting a hefty 3050 Ti laptop GPU, detachable keyboard, and touch screen makes it a versatile piece of machinery for anyone looking for a laptop, tablet, and gaming machine all in one. 

As for their monitors, the Swift PG42UQ and PG48UQ were quite literally the big reveals. They are 42” and 48” 4K OLED monitors with a 0.1ms response time. TV-level picture quality, gaming monitor level refresh rates. It’s nice living in the future. Also noteworthy, the PG27AQN, for a 27” QHD display with a 360 Hz refresh rate.  

MSI’s Hardware That Truly Goes Hard 

If you weren’t the first in line for MSI’s impressive Z690 Godlike unveiling a few short weeks ago, MSI finally kicked off CES with the B660 boards, the more hobbyist friendly answer to completing an Alder Lake 12th gen build. You won’t find the Godlike’s touch screen control dashboard for ARGB lighting, system tuning, and in general showing off, but B660 boards will have memory overclocking support, 2 USB 3.2 ports, and the options for PCIe 4.0 and 71 kg 5.0 connections. Check out the MAG B660M Mortar, and B660 Tomahawk pages for more specifications. 

MSI also took home some awards for several of its high-end products. The aforementioned Z690 Godlike board, as well as its Z690 Unify-X boards won Innovation Honoree Awards for computer hardware & components. Each feature DDR5, with six and five M.2 slots respectively. 

Speaking of trophies, MSI’s Stealth GS77 gaming laptop also took home a computer hardware & component award. It comes complete with an Intel Core i9-12900H processor, up to 64GB of DDR5-4800 memory, a customizable 17” display capable of running up to 360HZ at 1080p. And yes, it backs it up with a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU, with 16GB of GDDR6 memory.  

Multi-task like a pro with new monitors from LG

It’s time to get a monitor as big and beautiful as your creative work. LG’s DualUp and UltraFine monitors deliver a big punch in an even bigger package.

Image: LG

DualUp: Nothin’ but an LG thing

At first glance the LG DualUp Monitor looks a little bit peculiar, but the South Korean company promises that productivity will be improved thanks to this device’s unique design. The LG DualUp Monitor is ideal for professionals who divide their attention between multiple tasks at once. Whether you’re creating content, coding, or browsing the web, this 27.6-inch screen size gives users plenty of space to have multiple windows open. It basically operates like a dual-monitor setup. The 16:18 aspect ratio offers the same perspective as two monitors stacked on top of each other.The 5ms response time minimizes any lag time, so you can get through your projects without delay. The monitor also comes equipped with two HDMI, one DisplayPort, and three USB Ports.

The LG UltraFine Display was designed specifically for art directors, graphic designers, photo and video editors, and live streamers. The 32-inch 4K UHD resolution is focused on delivering what LG describes as “realistic and nuanced black tones”. This monitor is brighter than the DualUp, making it perfect for the creators who need to pay close attention to the fine details of their work.

Shop here to level up your workspace with a new LG monitor.

Samsung projects style anywhere you go

It’s time to make moves this year—and Samsung has certainly got the message as they are providing the gear to accompany you on the go. Bringing innovation to your comings and goings, Samsung has introduced The Freestyle, a new portable projector. “Perfect” is the word they used at its CES debut and we won’t argue.

Samsung’s Freestyle projector

The projector can display images up to 100 inches onto any surface in 1080p. The Freestyle requires no cables or Wi-Fi and easily connects directly to all smart devices with content mirroring functionality. The Freestyle comes to you with features including an ambient mode for mood-setting projections. This device also acts as a smart speaker with 360 degree sound bringing high quality audio to your party. One of the coolest accessories of the projector is a base that allows it to be screwed into an E26 lightbulb socket, because why not?

OKAI, Go! on some fresh e-bikes and scooters

With gas prices continuing to climb, e-bikes seem more appealing than ever. OKAI showcased the latest electronic scooters and bikes, as well as smart accessories at CES 2022. OKAI’s EB20 e-bike is the first carbon fiber frame electric cycle with a first four-link soft-tailed model. This is a super lightweight bike that’s powered by a 250W/750W motor and a 14.7ah Samsung cell battery. Monitor your ride stats with the 2.8-inch touch screen, and customize the UI interface so your journey can fit your vibe.  

OKAI EB20 can probably do some sweet jumps

If a scooter is more your speed, you’ll love the OKAI ES600, which is the world’s first aluminum stretch integrated process frame for an electric scooter. This scooter was designed for fast battery swap and hassle-free access to replace batteries, so you can spend more time on the road. 

They also showed off the OKAI ES800, which is the most powerful electric scooter featuring a dual-drive rated at 100W. Hit speeds of up to 37 mph, and handle rugged terrain with the 12-inch off-road tires.  

Beyond electric bikes and scooters, OKAI also showcased the world’s smartest backpack with an integrated fingerprint sensor and APP connectivity for super security. And to top it all off, their innovative Smart Helmet is built with anti-bacterial materials and is set up for Bluetooth and APP connectivity. The integrated speakers and front and rear LED displays make your ride safe and super fun. 

Reporting by Devyn Howard, Adam Lovinus, Jeremy Threat, Ben Tibbels, and Ethan Weiser. Coverage is ongoing: stay tuned for updates through the close of CES 2022 on Thursday, January 6.

Author Adam Lovinus

A tech writer and Raspberry Pi enthusiast from Orange County, California.

More posts by Adam Lovinus