Computex 2026 was possibly one of the most important shows in recent years. After all, it’s not every day Nvidia introduces its first-ever CPU while Intel throws down with its first gaming handheld processor. And while all this was happening Asus ROG celebrated its 20th anniversary and MSI celebrated its 40th anniversary. But, beyond the explosion of new gaming handhelds and super AI-powered laptops, there were plenty of gadgets and innovations that thousands gathered to see at the biggest semiconductor conference in Taipei, Taiwan – and the world at large.

Whether it was behind closed doors or available for all to see at the Nangang Exhibition Center, there was a litany of exciting products and innovations on display. It made choosing our Computex 2026 awards a tricky task, but we narrowed down our favorites to the 15 selections below.

Nvidia RTX Spark

Best in Show

Nvidia has truly rocked the computing and AI world by announcing its own RTX Spark ARM processors. The new chip features a 20-core CPU, promising 1 petaflop of AI performance, and 6,144 CUDA Cores for graphics performance equal to an Nvidia RTX 5070. On paper, Nvidia’s first CPU should be powerful enough to top the best laptop processors from Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and even Apple. Beyond sheer computing power, Nvidia is attempting to make on-device AI the norm for all of its laptop users. No more having to reach Claude or OpenAI through a website, AI models will run directly through Nvidia’s CPU.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra

Best Laptop

The MacBook Pro may have truly met its match and then some with the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra. Powered by Nvidia’s incredibly promising RTX Spark processor, we’ve already seen that this laptop is fully gaming capable for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Pragmata, and Fortnite. It’s ready to tackle creative workflows like Adobe Premiere and rendering a 3D explorable city in Unreal Engine 5. Microsoft’s hardware has never been more beautiful. The Surface Laptop Ultra features a fully CNC’ed aluminum chassis that looks like one perfectly milled block of metal. There’s also exciting new hardware onboard, including a 2,000-nit bright 15-inch mini LED panel and a haptic touchpad that doesn’t just simulate mouse clicks but will vibrate while hovering over elements in the Windows 11 UI.

Read our Surface Laptop Ultra hands-on review.

Intel Arc G3 Extreme

Best Component

Intel’s first-ever gaming handheld processor, the Arc G3 Extreme, has proven itself to be a powerhouse throughout the Computex show floor. It’s powering new device, including the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and Acer Predator Atlas 8, this chip has been able to play Forza Horizon 6, F1 2025, and Hogwarts Legacy all at full resolution and 60fps, even with high-quality settings enabled. That’s a huge flex over the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, which can barely hold 45fps with high-settings at full resolution in Forza Horizon 6.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

Best Gaming Handheld

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the world’s most powerful gaming handheld. Powered by Intel’s new Arc G3 Extreme, it delivers smooth 60fps performance at high settings in Forza Horizon 6 and Hogwarts Legacy. MSI has also given its latest handheld an ergonomic design, Hall-Effect thumbsticks, rounder buttons, a crisper D-Pad, and immersive HD haptics. This gaming handheld feels as good to play as it can run all the games.

Read our MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ hands-on review.

Dell XPS 13 laptop

Best Value

The new XPS 13 from Dell is a completely different take on the beloved laptop with a thin and light design, entry-level specs, and a price aimed squarely at the MacBook Neo. Starting at $699 (or $599 for students), the XPS 13 promises to deliver good performance for everyday tasks, with a design that looks three times the price. It’s one of the most compelling devices we saw at the show, and the hype around the brand’s return heightened things even further.

Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20

Best Gaming Mouse

ROG Harpe II Extreme Editon 20 - $259

The Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 is a stunner, featuring a unique mix of gold-plated and transparent shell. It offers competitive-grade precision with a 65K DPI sensor and an up to 8,000Hz polling rate. It’ll stand the test of time, too, with a durable set of 100m click-rated ROG optical microswitches and Gorilla Glass feet.

Read our full Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 review.

Asus ROG Azoth Extreme Edition 20

Best Gaming Keyboard

Asus ROG Azoth Extreme Edition 20 - $699

The Asus ROG Azoth Extreme Edition 20 is an exceptional 75% mechanical keyboard for enthusiasts. It features a heavy metal build mated with premium carbon fiber and gold accents. Its adjustable typing resistance party trick practically gives you two keyboards in one, for both relaxed, long-form typing and crisp, responsive PC gaming. Competitive gamers will also enjoy the keyboard’s fast 8,000Hz polling rate, incredible 1,600-hour battery life, and convenient web-based tuning software.

Read our full Asus ROG Azoth Extreme Edition 20 review.

Corsair HS35 v3

Best Gaming Headset

The Corsair HS35 v3 wireless gaming headset has the cleverest dongle, which easily plugs into either a USB-A or USB-C port. When you’re playing on a handheld, you can simply plug the T-Shaped USB-C dongle, and then when you move to a full-sized PC, you can simply stick the mini-transmitter into a USB key-sized converter. We also have to commend Corsair for making its lightweight gaming headset even lighter with a new floating design while also improving its 50mm drivers to support Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio.

Gigabyte Aorus Elite FM275K16P

Best Gaming Monitor

The world of 5K resolutions is no longer confined to Apple Studio displays, as Gigabyte and other competitors are bringing 5K resolution to gaming monitors. The Gigabyte Aorus Elite FM275K16P has multi-mode support that lets you switch between different resolutions and refresh rates, including 5K at 165Hz, 4K at 220Hz, and QHD at 330Hz. Clever AI features are also included that let you take an area of the screen, like a minimap, and reposition it, as well as have your crosshair instantly change color if it clashes with a particular surface.

Alienware AW3426DW

Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitor

The Alienware AW3426DW builds upon the company’s previous ultrawide monitor, but now uses the latest QD-OLED panel that has a Penta Tandem OLED and RGB stripe sub-pixel layout, reducing text fringing. It’s also brighter, has a 280Hz refresh rate, up from 240Hz, and a less reflective coating.

Corsair Warthog PC Case

Best PC Case

The Corsair Warthog is the most outrageous and yet utilitarian PC case we’ve seen at Computex 2026. Its Sci-Fi-inspired design will speak to both Halo and Doom fans, and yet its oversized, angled feet double as easy-to-grab carry handles. We also love the large front buttons, and switches are all guarded from accidental presses by little metal bollards that mesh well with the industrial-military theme of this case. The last super useful addition Corsair has made is a rear light that toggles to help you see all your back I/O ports, saving us from having to awkwardly use our smartphone’s flashlight whenever we want to plug and unplug USBs and video cables.

BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2

Best PC Accessory

It may not be a new product, but learning about how BenQ created its ScreenBar Halo 2 at Computex 2026 has earned it a place on our list. Most of us either work in a dimly lit room or with bright lights on, or sometimes even in the dark. BenQ has poured an insane amount of passion and research into creating the perfect lighting that not only prevents any glare from bouncing off the screen but can also boost concentration, reduce eyestrain, and make working a far more pleasurable experience. The BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 not only lights your desk, but it provides a soothing backlight behind your monitor for increased illumination.

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

Best Gaming Device

Asus has perfected the Xbox ROG Ally X20 by giving it a dazzling OLED display with a 1,400-nit HDR brightness and 600-nit brightness – and it’s just slightly bigger too. It also has a fancy, new transparent shell, and Asus has improved every input with new Gulikit TMR thumbsticks, a transforming D-Pad, rounder buttons, deeper triggers, improved bumpers, and a new action key for quick screenshots and gameplay recording. This handheld also comes bundled with a pair of smart glasses, which likely raises the price, but they let you play games on a 171-inch virtual display.

Read our Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 hands-on review.

MSI MEG Vision X2 AI+

Best Gaming Desktop

AI may be everywhere, and it’s now become ingrained in practically every PC on the market. However, MSI took the concept of having an AI in a PC by letting you see and interact with its dragon mascot, Lucky, via a hologram-like display in the front panel. You can ask him questions, and he’ll respond in a chipper voice, making the usual monotonous AI chatbot responses a little more fun and personal.

Gigabyte Aorus Infinity Series GPU

Best GPU

Gigabyte unveiled its gorgeous Aorus GeForce RTX 50 Infinity Series graphics cards at Computex 2026, which feature a striking, retro-futuristic design. It’ll make quite the centerpiece in any gaming rig, and also lets you conceal the usual cables from sight thanks to its rear connector. And of course, there’s also RGB lighting to play with.

• Up next: Nvidia RTX Spark laptops: pictures of every model from Computex 2026

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• 💡 Traditional room lighting often creates eyestrain by causing screen glare and improper light distribution

• 🤔 BenQ designs its ScreenBar products using rigorous optical simulations to ensure precise light placement and visual comfort

• 🖥️ Asymmetric lighting technology prevents light from hitting the monitor directly, preserving accurate screen colors for creatives

• ☺️ Features like background cascading light reduce visual stress by minimizing the contrast between bright screens and dark rooms

Amazon: BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2

We’re all guilty of overlooking the importance of lighting in our daily lives, especially when using a monitor or a laptop. While working in a brightly lit environment rarely poses any problems, most creatives have a habit of working late at night in dimly lit spaces, or even with only the screen to illuminate the room.

And while anyone who has stared at a computer monitor or laptop screen for long periods at night will know just how bad it can be for their eyes, it doesn’t stop most of us from doing it, especially when the alternative is often to put the main light on or a desk light.

The problem with those solutions is that they can shine light directly onto the screen, illuminate the wrong areas of your room, and even shine light indirectly into your eyes. Neither solution is ideal, and it means most traditional lighting can lead to increased eyestrain and fatigue.

Thankfully, BenQ has been working on tackling this problem since 2017 with its monitor light bars. After a tour around BenQ’s offices in Taiwan, not only did I gain a new understanding of just how important lighting is, but I also appreciated why its range of ScreenBar devices, like the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2, are so useful.

“We see lighting very differently,” said Lexi from the BenQ Smart Lighting Lab. “Lighting is really about visual performance, so our goal is not only to make everything brighter, but to place light exactly where people need it. We spend a lot of time in front of screens like never before, and traditional lighting was never designed for this kind of visual environment.”

BenQ uses several optical simulations and physical prototypes to create and perform thousands of tests so that its ScreenBar products and other lighting solutions account for glare control, light distribution, reflection behavior, and illumination consistency.

“We evaluate not only brightness, but the quality and consistency of the light itself. For example, we study color rendering, spectrum balance, and long duration visual comfort, because visual comfort is not determined by brightness alone,” Lexi explained.

BenQ also has solutions for different activities, whether it’s reading sheet music while playing the piano, or reading on the sofa. It’s even created a light that is specifically designed to help children concentrate when completing their homework.

Products like the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2, which sits on top of a monitor, can be adjusted using the included wireless puck to different color temperatures and brightness levels, which means creatives no longer need to work in the dark to get the most accurate screen colors. BenQ’s lighting solution doesn’t hit the screen because of its asymmetric lighting technology that angles light away, so colors don’t shift on the display. Instead, the light only goes where it’s needed.

The ScreenBar Halo 2, in particular, has another cascading light on the back which provides a soft background. BenQ said studies have shown that this can significantly reduce visual stress, and it lowers the contrast between the screen and the surrounding environment, allowing the eyes to relax more naturally.

“When you’re sitting in a very dark room with only a bright monitor in front of you, the contrast becomes extremely strong. Your eyes continuously adapt between a bright display and dark surroundings.” said Lexi.

As someone who doesn’t treat their eyes with the care they deserve, and spends a lot of late nights working and gaming on a monitor, the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 is a product I never knew I needed, but will definitely use from now on.

The BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 is available now for $199. Other lighting solutions from BenQ are also available, including the ScreenBar Pro and the e-Reading Desk Light.

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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.

• 📸 We took photos of every Nvidia RTX Spark laptop coming out this year

• 💻 There are models from Microsoft, MSI, Lenovo, Dell, HP, and Asus

• 🔜 Gigabyte and Acer will also release laptops powered by RTX Spark

• 💪 Nvidia RTX Spark promises to deliver the power of Apple silicon, but for Windows devices

Nvidia RTX Spark promises to be a tremendous breakthrough for Windows laptops, with up to 128GB of unified memory, access to CUDA cores, and GPU performance that’s comparable to the desktop RTX 5070.

RTX Spark also allows manufacturers to create slim laptops that still deliver excellent battery life without sacrificing performance, and I got to see (and hold) every model that will include Nvidia’s new chip during Computex 2026.

However, apart from Microsoft’s new Surface Ultra Laptop, which was used to demo all of RTX Spark’s feature set, none of the laptops were allowed to be turned on. Here are all the laptops that will be powered by Nvidia RTX Spark and available soon.

Microsoft Surface Ultra Laptop

Arguably the star of the show, and the machine that was trusted to showcase all of RTX Spark’s capabilities, the Microsoft Surface Ultra Laptop is a beautiful, exceptionally engineered piece of kit. The new Surface Ultra Laptop has been built from the ground up, and it shows. From the way the device almost floats above the table to its reworked cooling system and bright, crystal clear mini LED display, there’s a meticulous attention to detail throughout.

Asus ProArt P14 and ProArt P16

Asus showed off its gorgeous range of ProArt laptops, which are just 12.9mm thick and feature stunning OLED displays. The ProArt 16 includes a massive 99.9Wh battery, and like all RTX Spark laptops in this list, it can be configured with up to 128GB of unified memory. If Windows users were looking for a MacBook Pro competitor, this is it.

MSI Prestige N16 Flip AI+

The only transforming laptop on the list, the MSI Prestige N16 Flip AI+ features a UHD+ tandem OLED touchscreen display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s also compatible with the MSI Nano Pen stylus, which can be neatly tucked away underneath the laptop.

HP Omnibook Ultra 16

A super slim and powerful laptop from HP, the Omnibook Ultra 16 is just 0.62 inches thick and has a redesigned exhaust vent to keep things cool. It had a noticeably premium heft to it when picked up, and a really nice keyboard feel when typing.

HP Omnibook X 14

The HP Omnibook X 15 is a more compact and lighter option, and is being advertised as “the world’s thinnest RTX Spark” laptop. It’s just 0.53 inches thick, but still includes a full I/O of ports.

Dell XPS Creator 16

Tied with the Microsoft Surface Ultra Laptop for the most beautiful RTX Spark machine on this list, the Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition has a 16-inch Tandem OLED display with True Black HDR 600, a built in SD card reader, and a minimalist, sleek design.

Lenovo Yoga Pro 9n

The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9n has a 15-inch display and a premium, durable aluminum chassis. It’s a sleek-looking laptop with top-firing speakers, a massive trackpad, and will reportedly include pen/stylus support.

Up next: Dell XPS 13 returns to compete with the MacBook Neo – for $100 more

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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.

• 💻 Microsoft’s next Surface Pro is right around the corner, according to leaks

• 👀 The new Surface Pro with the Snapdragon X2 Elite chip has leaked

• ⚙️ New images reveal a familiar device with beefier specs

• 📅 Rumors suggest the new Surface Pro could arrive as early as June 16

• 💰 There’s no word on pricing just yet

Microsoft is starting to do interesting things with its Surface devices again, and now, it looks like the Surface Pro is getting a fresh upgrade. WinFuture has published a huge leak revealing numerous specs and photos of the upcoming Surface Pro powered by the Snapdragon X2 Elite. The biggest physical change? Yeah… there really isn’t one.

• More: Microsoft unveils powerful Surface Laptop Ultra with Nvidia RTX Spark chip

The upcoming Surface Pro will still have a 13.3-inch OLED display, thin bezels, and a kickstand on the back for propping it up. Microsoft is expected to drop the blue color option from this year’s lineup, leaving you with a choice between black, platinum, and "Dune" (gold). You’ll also have a choice between three color-matched Alcantara keyboards, which will likely be sold separately as they are with every Surface Pro tablet.

Microsoft’s biggest upgrade will be the Snapdragon X2 Elite, which is much faster than the original X Elite from a couple years ago. The new Surface Pro will be available with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of user-replaceable storage, according to the leaked images. You’ll also get Qualcomm Hexagon graphics and neural processing for AI tasks, as well as up to 15.5 hours of battery life (a tad more than the previous model).

It doesn’t seem like there will be much else new with the upcoming Surface Pro. Microsoft isn’t redesigning it, adding a new color, or giving it any new capabilities not driven by the faster chip inside. Instead, it’s sticking to a very familiar formula with better specs, likely to help the Surface Pro continue to perform well in Windows 11’s Copilot AI era.

WinFuture reports that the new Surface Pro could arrive as soon as June 16. We don’t have exact pricing yet, but given that the release date is reportedly around the corner, we’ll know sooner than later.

• Up next: ModRetro M64 review: the glow-up your N64 always deserved

Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.

🏆 Review score: 4/5

🏅 Editor’s Choice Award

✅ Pros

• ✨ Stunning mix of gold, transparent plastic, and RGB that melds together

• 🎯 65K sensor captures micromovements for competitive FPS shooters

• 🖱️ 100m click lifespan and Corning Gorilla Glass mouse feet will stand the test of time

• ⚙️ Gear Link configuration website saves you from having to download software

❌ Cons

• 🤑 $259 is a lot for a gaming mouse

• 💦 Potentially too slick to hold for gamers with sweaty hands

• ⚖️ 8K polling rate reduces max DPI to 50K and battery life to 37 hours

• 🪶 82g is a little heavy for the ultra-lightweight mouse category

ROG Harpe II Extreme Editon 20 - $259

The Shortcut Review

The Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 is a remix of the brand’s celebrated ultra-lightweight gaming mouse. It’s been given a transparent shell, 24K gold plating, and a ridiculously sensitive 65K sensor for competitive play, but all of this comes at the high price of $259. I’ll be honest, the Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 won me on aesthetics alone. The mix of the smoky transparent shell, shiny gold within, RGB, and futuristic decals just hits the cyberpunk aesthetic I love. The fact that it has a fantastic hand shape, long-lasting microswitch mouse buttons, Corning Gorilla Glass mouse feet, and uses the Gear Link website to configure settings instead of downloading software is just icing on this great gaming mouse.

The Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 falters in a few ways. The slick design can be a detriment, as its transparent surface is entirely smooth and can slip out of a sweaty hand, especially for gamers with a claw or fingertip grip. You also can’t use this mouse at its maximum 8K polling rate without two trade-offs: a lower maximum DPI of 50K and reduced battery life to 37 hours. This 82-gram mouse also isn’t the lightest of ultra-lightweight clickers if that’s your main priority.

The real reason to buy the Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 is its aesthetics and longevity. Its mouse switches and Corning glass skates won’t quit on you for years, and you’ll have the bragging rights of owning a gold-plated gaming mouse for all that time too.

Full Review

✨ 24K gold-plated. The Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 leaves a hell of an impression, combining a smoky transparent shell, a 24K gold-plated inner frame, more gold on the scroll wheel and side buttons, and RGB lighting. This gaming mouse is also decked out with decals celebrating ROG’s 20th anniversary, giving it an even more cyber-edged feel. That might all sound like too many clashing aesthetics at once, but it coalesces into a “Cyberpunk 2077 but cleaner” sort of style. It’s gorgeous.

⚠️ Slippery when wet. This is one slick-looking mouse, but it can also get a little too slick if you have sweaty palms. The entire transparent shell is smooth, and while this wasn’t an issue for my palm grip, those with a claw or fingertip grip might have trouble keeping a hold of the Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20. Asus includes a few strips of grip tape, but this ends up covering the whole point of a transparent mouse. I wish Asus had micro-etched the surface for added grip, since it has the technology to emboss ROG and Xbox logos all over the equally transparent Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20.

🖱️ 100,000,000 clicks ready. The Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 wasn’t just built pretty; it was designed to last. The ROG Optical Micro switches under each mouse button are rated for a 100 million click lifespan that’s sure to last for years, even if your StarCraft 2 APM rate is in the 400+ range. The mouse’s feet/skates are also made of Corning Gorilla Glass, which will basically never need to be replaced, unlike the silicone pads used by most other mice.

☄️ 65,000 DPI sensor. This mouse features a 65,000 DPI sensor that’s quite a bit faster than the already-sensitive 42,000 DPI sensor on the previous Asus ROG Harpe II Ace. At a maximum of 65K DPI, the Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 can track even the slightest mouse movements, which is essential in shooters like Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant.

This mouse is designed to read the smallest movements. For example, the lift-off distance can be adjusted to be as small as 0.7-1.7mm. If you’re mouse aiming with your whole arm (as you should be), the Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 also supports a maximum acceleration of 70g and a maximum speed of 800 inches per second (IPS).

ROG Harpe II Extreme Editon 20 - $259

⚡ 8,000Hz polling at a cost. If you want the best lag-free connection for competitive gaming, you’ll want to plug in the SpeedNova 8K dongle. It unlocks the Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 8K polling rate; however, it comes at a fairly high cost: reducing the max DPI to 50,000 and shortening battery life to just 37 hours. That might still sound like a lot of time to game, but this mouse’s regular battery life reaches 195 hours at a 1K polling rate.

🖥️ No install needed. Unlike so many peripherals, there’s no software installation required with the Asus ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20. You can simply load the Gear Link website, connect your mouse, and then you’re free to tweak all the settings without downloading a thing.

You can go in deep to tweak the ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 to your exact liking with angle tuning and snapping, DPI adjustments, including separate X and Y axes, and debounce delay. You can also calibrate the mouse’s sensor to your desk surface or pick one of the presets if you own an Asus ROG mousepad. Lastly, there’s a Zone Mode toggle that locks the mouse to its highest settings, saving you the hassle of jumping into the app to turn everything up manually.

ROG Harpe II Extreme Editon 20 - $259

• Up next: Asus ROG Azoth Extreme Edition 20 review: the most expensive gaming keyboard I’ve ever loved

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Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

• 🍎 Apple’s iPhone Fold just leaked in a new image

• 📱 The photo reveals a supposed dummy unit

• 👀 It looks like what all the leaks have suggested: a passport-shaped foldable with two rear cameras

• ⚙️ Meanwhile, details on the iPhone Fold hinge have also leaked

• 📅 Apple is expected to announce its foldable iPhone this September

The first foldable iPhone is coming later this year, and as the days and weeks progress, we’re learning more about what Apple might have in store. New images have popped up that supposedly reveal a dummy unit of the upcoming iPhone Fold, complete with a passport-like design and dual rear cameras. Meanwhile, a separate report suggests that Apple’s hinge for the iPhone Fold could use technology it’s been using for 15 years.

• More: Dell XPS 13 returns to compete with the MacBook Neo – for $100 more

🪙 Here’s the iPhone Fold in Silver

Ice Universe shared the above image on Weibo, suggesting it’s a white dummy model of the iPhone Fold (or iPhone Ultra). The wide shape aligns with other leaks we’ve seen, while the two rear cameras have also been corroborated by previous reports. Of course, there’s no Apple logo here or indicator it’s an official prototype from Apple, so it’s worth taking it with a grain of salt.

That being said, this is roughly what we expect the iPhone Fold to look like. Apple will keep the design somewhat basic on the outside, beyond its much wider aspect ratio that isn’t all that common in the foldable market (well, at least not yet). It’ll come with speakers, a USB-C port, MagSafe, and two rear cameras. It’s also expected to only ship in two colors: white (Silver) and black (Space Gray).

🤘 “Liquidmetal” coming to iPhone Fold?

In another leak, Apple is said to be incorporating technology it’s been using since at least 2010 into the iPhone Fold’s hinge: Liquidmetal. The material, which is a metal alloy with a glass-like atomic structure to allow for greater elasticity and flexibility, is widely used for the company’s SIM card tools, but it might finally be used for the benefit of an iPhone’s design.

Fixed Focus Digital on Weibo says that Apple has settled on a hinge made of Liquidmetal for the iPhone Fold. The hinge itself is rumored to be thin and flexible enough to the point that the crease in the middle of the device’s 7.6-inch display isn’t identifiable, which would be a huge feat of engineering for foldable phones. Use of the material has been rumored for quite some time, and now that we’re getting leaks saying Apple has decided on it this late in the game, it seems likely it’ll be used for a big portion of the iPhone Fold’s construction.

Our iPhone Fold coverage continues

The iPhone Fold is rumored to arrive this September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. We’ll be tracking more rumors and leaks as they pop up, so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out.

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• Up next: Microsoft Surface Pro with Snapdragon X2 Elite leaks ahead of rumored June 16 release date

Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.

• 😍 Gigabyte unveiled the FM275K16P, the world’s first 5K Mini LED glossy gaming monitor

• 😮 The monitor offers multi-mode support for resolutions and refresh rates, including 5K at 165Hz and QHD at 330Hz

• 🤖 The FM275K16P uses AI for content optimization (AI Picture Mode) and image sharpening (AI Super Resolution)

• 👏 The new Aorus Geforce RTX 50 Infinity series GPUs feature a relocated rear power connector and improved cooling

Gigabyte showcased a fantastic range of new products during Computex 2026, including the world’s first 5K gaming monitor and its head-turning Infinity series GPU.

Leading its Auros Elite series lineup of monitors is the FM275K16P, a 27-inch 5K Mini LED glossy gaming monitor. It delivers a razor-sharp 218 PPI clarity and has 2,304 local dimming zones to improve contrast and black levels.

Multi-mode support lets you switch between different resolutions and refresh rates, including 5K at 165Hz, 4K at 220Hz, and QHD at 330Hz.

The monitor’s display is built using fourth-generation Tandem OLED and RealBlack Glossy surface, with a HDR peak brightness of up to 1,500 nits.

The FM275K16P also uses AI in clever ways. AI Picture Mode optimizes SDR content, while AI Super Resolution sharpens image clarity using intelligent upscaling. Tactical Features are also included, such as being able to place different parts of the screen where you’d like, such as a mini map, and the Tactical Crosshair feature auto-adapts between red and green color, to provide distraction-free aiming across changing backgrounds.#

Gigabyte also revealed the gorgeous Aorus Geforce RTX 50 Infinity Series graphics cards at Computex 2026, which feature a bold new design. The power connector has been relocated to the rear side, allowing for improved and cleaner cable management, and Gigabyte says changes to the cooling system and airflow have increased air pressure by 53.6% and air volume by 12.5%.

Of course, the new Aorus Geforce RTX 50 Infinity Series are also armed with prominent RGB lighting, which can be customized to your liking. You can pick between a black or white version of the cards to suit your setup.

Up next: New Asus Zenbook 14 wows at Computex 2026 with two eye-catching colors and lightweight design

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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.

• 😍 The new Asus Zenbook 14 is available in new Arctic Blue and Komodo Coral colors, featuring a lightweight, thin design (around 2.65 pounds)

• 🦾The chassis is made of ‘Ceraluminum,’ a blend of ceramic and aluminum, and includes a gorgeous OLED display

• 💰 It can be configured with CPUs from Qualcomm, AMD, or Intel, with price ranging from $799 to $1,299

• 🔋 Expect up to 21 hours of battery life and enhanced privacy features, including Microsoft Pluton security

Asus revealed its line of new Zenbook 14 laptops at Computex in two head-turning colors: Arctic Blue and Komodo Coral, which join the familiar Zabriskie Beige.

The Komodo Coral shade was arguably the standout color, and will appeal to those who may have been eyeing Apple’s blush pink MacBook Neo but want a more powerful Windows 11 laptop.

The 14-inch Asus Zenbook is incredibly lightweight and thin at around 2.65 pounds, and it was effortless to hold all three colors at once during our hands-on at Computex 2026.

The gorgeous, vivid OLED display was also a standout, and has pleasingly been adopted by practically every Asus laptop model this year. The Intel version can be specced up to a 3K resolution, and has a 16:10 aspect ratio plus a silky-smooth 120Hz refresh rate.

Unlike previous thin and light laptops, which often rely on cheaper plastics to shave off the pounds, the Asus Zenbook 14 chassis features ‘Ceraluminum’. It’s a material that offers the smooth touch of ceramic, blended with the strength of aluminum, that feels premium and durable.

The new Asus Zenbook 14 can be configured to your liking, with all major CPU manufacturers accounted for. Qualcomm, AMD, and Intel are all supported, with the price increasing, respectively, depending on the processor you choose. There’s a bevy of connectivity options, too, with one HDMI 2.1 port, one USB type A port, 1 USB type C port, and 1 Thunderbolt port.

Asus says that the 2026 Zenbook 14 will provide 21 hours of battery life in optimal conditions and, perhaps predictably, it offers “AI-enhanced” productivity features. Privacy concerns have also been addressed, as it features Windows Hello, passkey support, adaptive dimming and lock, plus Microsoft Pluton security to keep your privacy protected.

In terms of price, an Asus representative tentatively told us to expect a price range of $799 to $1,299, depending on the specifications.

Up next: Acer Predator Atlas 8 hands-on review: Intel’s best shot at gaming handheld supremacy

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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.

• 💻 The new Vivobook range includes conventional S14/S16 models and transforming S14/S16 Flip models

• 💪 All laptops are powered by the Snapdragon X platform, delivering up to 45 TOPS NPU performance for AI acceleration and efficiency

• 😍 They feature professional-grade OLED displays with TÜV Rheinland low blue light certification

• 🔋 Conventional models offer up to 25 hours of battery life, while Flip models provide around 20 hours and 360-degree flexibility with Asus Pen 3.0 support

Asus unveiled its new range of Vivobook laptops at Computex 2026: the transforming Asus Vivobook S14 Flip and S16 Flip, and the more conventional Vivobook S14 and S16.

Both models are powered exclusively by the Snapdragon X platform and can deliver up to 45 TOPS NPU performance. This translates to lightning-fast responsiveness, intelligent AI acceleration, and excellent power efficiency.

The new Asus Vivobook range sports gorgeous, professional-grade OLED displays, which also have TÜV Rheinland-certified low blue light technology to protect your eyes during long productivity sessions.

The Asus Vivobook S14 and S16 come in Light Blue and Matte Gray, and feature a slim, all-metal chassis. A full set of I/O ports and a promised 25 hours of battery life mean they should give you enough power when you’re working away from a power plug or using them for entertainment.

The Asus Vivobook S14 Flip and S16 Flip offer a few more unique features aimed at creatives. You can prop the Vivobook Flip in tent mode, stand mode, use it as a tablet, or simply as a standard laptop. It has Asus Pen 3.0 support, allowing you to write, sketch, and take notes.

Battery life takes a slight hit on the S14 Flip and S16 Flip, with Asus promising around 20 hours. However, with fast charging support and a compact 68W USB-C charging, it’s easy to rectify.

Like the Asus Vivobook S14/S16, the Flip model also features a premium all-metal finish and was noticeably lightweight when I put the laptop in its different orientations. Pricing wasn’t finalized when we spoke to an Asus representative, but expect it to cost between $899 and $1,200 based on previous models.

Up next: Asus ROG Xbox Ally 20X hands-on review: the best Xbox gaming handheld, now upgraded with OLED

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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.

• 📱 The wider version of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 just popped up in the real world

• 👀 New images show someone holding what seems to be the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8

• 📐 The device is much shorter and wider than the Fold 7, with two rear cameras instead of three

• 🤳 Samsung is rumored to make the regular Fold 8 wider, while the taller version will be called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

• 📅 Both phones are expected to arrive on July 22

The wider version of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has leaked once again. This time, new images show the device being held by someone in the real world, complete with a protective case to try to disguise it.

• More: MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ hands-on review: the most powerful gaming handheld in the world

The eagle-eyed photographs (courtesy of DCInside) reveal a phone that looks a lot like the Galaxy Z Fold 7, except much shorter and wider, with just two rear cameras instead of three. That’s the same design we’ve been hearing about for months, and the one we expect to see later this summer.

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide could wind up being the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8, according to a separate leak. That would require the taller Fold 8 to get a new name, reportedly “Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.” That phone will come with a taller cover screen, three rear cameras, and (potentially) a bigger battery. Meanwhile, the regular Fold 8 will be positioned to take on the iPhone Fold, which is also said to have a passport-style form factor.

Neither of the real-world images show off the folding display, but leaks suggest it’ll measure 7.6 inches, while the cover screen will be 5.4 inches. It’ll be a much different take on a foldable than anything Samsung’s shipped before, making it one of the most interesting upcoming devices of 2026.

We likely don’t have much longer to wait until the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra arrive. Samsung is widely expected to host an Unpacked event on July 22 to reveal the devices, alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 8. We’ll keep you posted if we hear anything else.

• Up next: PS6 release date should be pushed back after the Steam Deck price increase

Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.

• 💻 Dell has finally announced a new version of the XPS 13

• ⚙️ The new version is powered by Intel Wildcat Lake chips, with options to configure up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage

• 💰 It’s positioned as an entry-level laptop that’ll compete directly with the MacBook Neo, but for $100 more than what Apple’s charging

• 🧑‍🎓 Dell is offering a $100 discount for students that brings the XPS 13 down to $599 for a limited time

Dell is finally bringing back one of its most beloved products. The company’s XPS 13 laptop has made its return, this time as an entry-level model in Dell’s lineup to compete with other sub-$700 laptops, including the Apple MacBook Neo. It’s thinner and lighter than ever, it maintains super-thin bezels around the screen, and it’s powered by Intel’s Wildcat Lake Series 3 chips.

• More: Microsoft unveils powerful Surface Laptop Ultra with Nvidia RTX Spark chip

The design and specs are quite the combination for a laptop under $700. While yes, it likely won’t be as powerful as what you’ll find in the MacBook Neo, a laptop that’s just 12.7mm thick with some of Intel’s most interesting entry-level chips yet seems quite compelling. Unfortunately, the biggest downside to the specs is the RAM; the base configuration only gets you 8GB, whereas you’ll need to pay more for 16 or 32GB when Dell releases those specs.

Around the laptop, you’ll find a couple of USB-C ports… and that’s it. There’s no headphone jack on the XPS 13, which has been the case since the previous model. The MacBook Neo does come with a headphone jack, for the record, and much more fun colors than the silver and dark gray finishes Dell is offering.

The screen sounds like it’ll be nice to look at. The XPS 13 gets you a 13.4-inch LCD touchscreen with a 120Hz variable refresh rate, up to 500 nits of brightness, and support for HDR content. The backlit keyboard spans from edge-to-edge, and there seems to be a pretty sizable trackpad as well. You also get three storage tiers: 256GB on the base model, 512GB, or 1TB (the 256GB model will launch later).

Dell says the new XPS 13 will last up to 17 hours when streaming video, and students should be able to get through a full day of classes. That sounds like it’ll roughly translate to all-day battery life for most people, but we’ll need to test those claims when we get the laptop in to review.

In addition, there’s a 2MP 1080p webcam at the top of the display, support for Wi-Fi 7, 65W charging, and a quad-speaker setup for jamming out to your favorite music.

Dell is charging $699 for the base XPS 13, $100 more than what the MacBook Neo costs. For a limited time, Dell says it’ll offer a $100 discount for students to get the price lower, but Apple already offers the same discount to lower the Neo’s price to $499. It’ll be interesting to see how the new XPS stacks up in real-world testing, especially for the higher price. Dell says the XPS 13 will be launching “soon,” with more premium configurations available later this summer.

• Up next: Nvidia RTX Spark ARM processor promises to power a new generation of AI laptops

Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.

• ^🤖 The Computex 2026 Global Press Conference focused on the importance and limitless potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• 😇 TAITRA chairman James C. F. Huang compared AI’s creation to Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Eden’, calling it a new intelligence created by humans

• 🦾 Huang stated that AI is evolving from a simple tool into “actors”, paralleling previous technological waves

• 😮 AI’s impact led Computex to dedicate an entire pavilion to robotics, and AI is now being quickly integrated and deployed into real-world scenarios

AI is here to stay, and its limitless potential was the focus of this year’s Computex 2026 Global Press Conference.

The official opening media event saw journalists and industry leaders gather from across the globe at Hall 2 of the Nangang Exhibition Center in Taiwan, with hundreds of people (myself included) almost spilling out of the venue.

Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) chairman James C. F. Huang started the conference boldly by comparing AI to Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Eden’, which shows God giving life to man, the first intelligence on Earth. Huang believes humans have created new intelligence in AI.

Huang also highlighted how Computex has gradually witnessed the rise of the PC, Internet, mobile, and cloud, with each wave making it more central to human life. Now, AI is evolving from being a simple tool to actors with autonomy.

The impact on robotics is so significant that for the first time, Computex has dedicated an entire pavilion to robotics.

Jason Chen, the chairman of the Taipei Computer Association, shared Huang’s enthusiasm for AI and said that artificial intelligence is quickly being integrated into real-world scenarios. It’s no longer just concepts and demonstrations, but is now ready to be deployed.

It feels like AI is no longer just a marketing buzzword and will soon change how we live our lives in previously unimaginable ways. And while it will still have its skeptics (even Pope Leo has weighed in with his concerns about AI), it’s also exciting to see where this new AI frontier will take us.

Up next: Nvidia RTX Spark ARM processor promises to power a new generation of AI laptops

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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.

• 💻 Microsoft has announced the new Surface Laptop Ultra

• ⚙️ It’s powered by Nvidia’s new ARM-based RTX Spark chip

• 📺 It has a 15-inch Mini-LED display, impressive AI performance, plenty of IO, and a huge trackpad

• 👀 Microsoft has yet to reveal all of the key details about the laptop, including its price

• 🍁 The Surface Laptop Ultra is just the beginning of a swath of new Nvidia laptops coming this fall

Microsoft is going big with its next Surface device. At Computex 2026, the company announced/teased the new Surface Laptop Ultra, the most powerful Surface yet and the most powerful computer Microsoft has (apparently) ever created. The new machine uses Nvidia’s new ARM-based RTX Spark chip, which promises to deliver incredible performance for both normal tasks and AI computing. It’s expected to arrive this fall, along with a slew of other Nvidia RTX Spark-powered laptops.

• More: MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ hands-on review: the most powerful gaming handheld in the world

There are a number of things we don’t know about the Surface Laptop Ultra just yet, but Microsoft did reveal a number of key details and specs that give us an idea of what to expect. The laptop is less than 18mm thick and weighs less than 4.5 pounds, according to the company. It’ll sport a 15-inch Mini-LED display, which Microsoft says is the brightest screen its ever shipped with up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness. The trackpad is 30% larger than the previous-generation Surface Laptop, and it’ll have plenty of IO (three USB-C ports, USB-A, HDMI, a headphone jack, and even SD card support).

Where the most interest lies is under the hood. Nvidia’s new RTX Spark chip lives at the core of the machine, which is expected to be offered in a range of flavors when the Surface Laptop Ultra ships. Nvidia says the chip can be configured with up to 20 CPU cores, 6,144 GPU cores, and 128GB of unified memory, but it’s not clear if the Laptop Ultra will offer specs similar to that, or tone things down a bit.

Whatever the case, the laptop sounds like it’s going to be very powerful. On top of handling all your everyday tasks, Microsoft says that combined with the GPU, the Surface Laptop Ultra will come with up to 1 petaflop of AI computing power, which is quite impressive. This’ll help play into Nvidia’s vision for more AI-powered laptops for all.

The machine will come with all-day battery life, according to Microsoft, although it’s unclear what kind of usage will quality under that moniker. The laptop also has a new thermal system with up to 2.5x the thermal capacity of the previous Surface Laptop. Microsoft says the Laptop Ultra is also designed for serviceability for easy repairs, and it’ll have a replaceable SSD.

We don’t know the price or release date for the Surface Laptop Ultra. However, it’ll be among the first Nvidia ARM chip-powered laptops and PCs to hit the market this fall, according to what we’ve heard from Nvidia and Microsoft. In the mean time, we should gradually learn more about this elusive, ultra-powerful MacBook Pro competitor. Stay tuned.

• Up next: AMD’s affordable $549 Radeon RX 9070 GRE graphics card is now available globally

Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.

• 📣 Nvidia has unveiled its long-rumored RTX Spark ARM processor

• 💪 The flagship processor features a custom 20-core CPU promising 1-pentaflop of AI performance

• 🎮 6,144 CUDA Cores could give this laptop processor the same graphical power as an Nvidia RTX 5070

• 📆 RTX Spark laptops, desktops, and mini PC will start shipping this fall

• 📦 Eight major hardware makers are developing at least 30 laptops and 10 desktops

Nvidia’s long-rumored RTX Spark series of ARM processors has been looming around Computex 2026 like a specter, but now the brand’s first-ever CPU has been revealed, and it promises to power a new generation of AI laptops.

Developed in collaboration with MediaTek, Nvidia primarily spoke about its flagship processor that’s practically a portable version of the GB10, which powers Nvidia’s incredibly small DGX Spark personal datacenter PC. It features a custom 20-core Grace CPU promising one petaflop of AI performance, 128GB of unified memory, and 70 billion transistors built on TSMC’s 3nm process.

It should also deliver incredible gaming performance with its 6,144 CUDA Cores – potentially making it as powerful as an RTX 5070. On stage, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang showed two thin-and-light RTX Spark-powered laptops playing Forza Horizon 6 and 007: First Light.

There will also be more affordable iterations of RTX Spark processors with as little as 16GB of memory.

RTX Spark laptops and desktops coming this Fall

Eight hardware makers, including Dell, MSI, Microsoft, Asus, and HP, have already been developing laptops for RTX Spark and we’ve already seen a few of them at Computex 2026. These laptops are due to start shipping this fall, and it’ll just be the start. Nvidia foresees there will be 30 laptops and 10 desktops all powered by RTX Spark in the near future.

Nvidia has also been working with Microsoft to ensure Windows on ARM and software developers are fully ready to support RTX Spark. During the keynote, Nvidia announced that Adobe Premiere and Photoshop will be 2x faster and Creative Agent Ready.

Ushering in a new age of AI computing at home

Beyond sheer computing horsepower, Nvidia wants to make AI computing an everyday thing that happens on your machine. Instead of relying on web-based agentic AI clients like Claude and OpenAI, Nvidia wants its processor that puts an AI datacenter at your fingertips.

Nvidia’s philosophy extends to not just wanting its chip to power the tools and software you already use, but also to provide you with AI agents to execute tasks with just a single text prompt. For example, streamers could ask Windows to draw the electronic shades and tune all the lights, or an architect could simply ask their computer to start modeling the floor map of a four-story home.

• Up next: AMD’s affordable $549 Radeon RX 9070 GRE graphics card is now available globally

Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

• 📣 AMD makes its China-exclusive $549 Radeon RX 9070 GRE available in the US

• 📋 It’s a more affordable, but cut-down GPU with 48 Navi GPU cores, 48 Compute Units, 3,072 Stream Processors, and 12GB of GDDR6 memory.

• 🎮 AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE delivers affordable 1440p gaming with the latest FSR 4.1

• 🖥️ AMD also reintroduced two affordable $329 AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D and $349 AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D processors

AMD has made its $549 Radeon RX 9070 GRE more widely available, including in the US, after it was available exclusively in China for a year.

This Golden Rabbit Edition or Great Radeon Edition GPU is essentially a cut-down version of the Radeon RX 9070 that launched last year. It features a smaller set of 48 Navi GPU cores with 48 Compute Units and 3,072 Stream Processors, paired with 12GB of GDDR6 memory.

Despite packing fewer transistors, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE is a fantastic entry-level option for 1440p gaming, supporting the latest version of Fidelity FX Super Resolution 4.1 (aka FSR 4.1) with AI-based upscaling and frame generation.

AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

AMD is also bringing back two returning processors with the $329 AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D and $349 AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D. As RAMageddon has turned PC building into practically a venture-capital investment, AMD has brought these 2023- and 2022-era processors back as an affordable X3D CPU option.

The $329 AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D is an affordable AM5 chip if you’ve dreamed of adding an affordable 3D V-Cache processor to your build. It features 8-cores, 16-threads, 104 MB of total cache, 4.5GHz boost clock, and a 120W TDP.

Meanwhile, the $349 AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a returning AM4 chip that also commemorates the platform’s 10th anniversary. This 8C/16T chip has 100 MB of total cache, a 4.5GHz boost clock, and a 105W TDP. While its $20 more expensive than AMD’s other returning chip, its older chipset could save you more money in the long run, as you won’t have to buy expensive DDR5 memory.

• Up next: AMD’s FSR 4.1 is coming to older RX 7000 and 6000 GPUs, but what about PS5 and Xbox?

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Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

• 🤔 Valve’s recent Steam Deck price rises have brought into question whether the PS6 release date should be pushed back

• 📈 The ongoing memory crisis has forced companies to drastically increase hardware prices due to rising costs

• 📆 It’s unclear as to how badly this could affect the PlayStation 6 by the time it reaches the expected 2027 release date

• 🤐 Sony hasn’t reportedly changed its launch plans, although it has said no word officially on potential pricing and availability for the console

There’s growing concern about how the recent hardware price rise for Valve’s humble Steam Deck might affect our expectations for the PlayStation 6.

If you weren’t aware, Valve has raised the price of the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED by nearly 50% to make the 512GB model $789 and the 1TB model $949 – that works out to a 44% and 46% jump, respectively.

That essentially means the 512GB model is dearer than a standard PS5, and the 1TB model is more expensive than a PS5 Pro, even after Sony’s own hefty PS5 price rises.

If Valve has put the Steam Deck up by nearly 50% on both counts, it begs the question as to what it could mean for the PlayStation 6.

Back in August 2025, largely before the memory crisis had begun in earnest, it had been predicted that Sony would be aggressive with the PS6’s pricing and target the same $499 price tag as its predecessor with a much beefier console in tow, plus the potential for a PSP 2 style handheld as an accompanying device.

However, in the several months since then, the landscape has drastically changed to the point that it’s feared that the PS6’s price could balloon well into four figures if the recent rises for the Steam Deck and Sony’s own consoles are anything to go by.

Is 2027 a realistic PS6 release date?

With it being rumored that Sony is targeting 2027 for the PS6 release date, given that its launch plans reportedly haven’t changed, it brings into question how viable such a prominent console hardware launch can be, with pricing potentially being so high.

Sony itself has said it doesn’t know when the PS6 is going to launch, or how much the console is going to cost, given the volatility of memory pricing, and this recent Valve price rise doesn’t exactly help matters.

We still don’t know much about the PlayStation 6 officially, beyond that Sony has said the next console generation has been “top of mind” in recent months, although leaks have indicated it could be a versatile console with accompanying handheld with a large amount of memory and with the ability to play discs as well as digital games.

A ray of hope

It’s worth remembering, though, that Sony is likely to have better economies of scale, given that it’s purchasing and selling consoles in the tens of millions, potentially leading to lower prices, and therefore a lower retail price than we may be fearing.

However, until we get any official word, all we can do is hope for the best and prepare for the worst at the same time.

Up next: GTA 6 reviews need be positive for the game to be successful, says publisher Take-Two

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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.

• 👍 Despite the hype, for GTA 6 to be successful, it needs to review well

• 🤔 That’s what Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has said in a recent interview

• 🏆 Rockstar’s last two releases have both received scores of 97 on Metacritic

• 😬 The media and cultural landscape has changed a lot since those releases, so GTA 6 needs to be near perfect to keep up

According to GTA 6’s publisher, Take-Two, for the game to be successful, it needs to review well. That’s despite it arguably being the most anticipated game of all time.

An interview with The Game Business podcast, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick stated that the critical reception of GTA 6 was important, and that it matters as much today “as it has in the past”.

Zelnick went on to explain that Rockstar’s scores are “typically in the mid-90s, sometimes high 90s”, which he stated was a “reflection on Rockstar’s commitment to quality.”

For reference, Rockstar’s last two games, 2013’s GTA 5 and 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2 both managed a score of 97 on Metacritic, meaning GTA 6 needs to be virtually perfect to keep up the brand’s high standards.

However, as content director at Future, Dan Dawkins, pointed out on the podcast, a lot of time has elapsed since the release of both games, with the landscape of media and culture drastically changing since then, potentially making it more difficult to garner such a high score.

With this in mind, a recent study has pointed out that game reviews may not be as important as they once were. The Game Business highlighted that the upcoming ESA 2026 Essential Facts About The US Video Game Industry report notes that only 42% of gamers sometimes read or watch professional reviews when considering a game, and that just 11% always watch or read them.

Other pieces of coverage, such as official trailers, user reviews, posts on social media and forums, family and friends recommendations, gameplay videos and demos are all seen as more important.

Zelnick also recently admitted that the expectations for Grand Theft Auto VI are “terrifying” and said that meeting those expectations is “a pretty daunting challenge”. It probably doesn’t help that a former GTA 6 dev said the game “probably won’t look as good as the trailers”.

In the interview, Zelnick also reiterated that he wasn’t too concerned about the impact of console price rises on game sales. As much as he thinks they will have “some influence”, he argues that “consumers remain highly interested in interactive entertainment, and in the consoles that deliver that entertainment.”

Owing to the ongoing memory crisis, virtually all manufacturers have put hardware prices up, with hefty PS5 price rises from Sony taking place in April, while Nintendo is also putting the Switch 2 up by $50 on September 1. Valve also announced a steep Steam Deck price increase.

Expect there to be a GTA 6: Collector’s Edition announced ahead of the game’s release date of November 19.

Up next: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, as Microsoft finally fulfills its promise

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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.

• 😅 The Steam Deck OLED sold out again in the US, despite a severe price hike of almost 50% for each model

• 📈 The 512GB model increased 44% to $789, and the 1TB model increased 46% to $949

• 🤔 The demand is likely due to months of being out of stock, the handheld’s quality (especially the OLED screen), fear of missing out (FOMO), and purchases by opportunists/scalpers

• 😩 The new pricing removes its status as an easy entry-level option and is expected to cause the upcoming Steam Machine to cost at least four figures

Valve’s Steam Deck OLED received a severe price hike yesterday, returning to stock on Steam with a price increase of almost 50% for each model.

The Steam Deck OLED 512GB jumped 44% to $789 (was $549), and the 1TB model increased 46% to $949 (was $749).

However, despite the huge jump in price, the Steam Deck OLED has once again sold out in the US.

There are a few reasons why this might be the case. First, the Steam Deck OLED has been out of stock for months, so demand will have naturally built up. Second, even though I wouldn’t recommend the Steam Deck OLED at its new price point, it’s still a fantastic PC handheld, and its gorgeous OLED screen alone separates it from most of the competition.

The fear of missing out (or FOMO) may have led some potential buyers to pick one up, regardless of the new price tag. And there’s also the distinct possibility that opportunists and scalpers may have tried to pick up a few units knowing the handheld is in scarce supply.

With the Steam Deck OLED 1TB model costing more than a PS5 Pro and only slightly less than the significantly more powerful Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, Valve’s handheld is no longer the entry-level option it once was.

The impact of the Steam Deck price rise will also undoubtedly have a knock on effect on the company’s upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame, which are still without a release date or official price tag.

Many now expect the Steam Machine to cost at least four figures, which could diminish the system’s original appeal.

Up next: Acer Predator Atlas 8 is the first gaming handheld powered by Intel’s new chip

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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.

• 📆 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 releases on October 23, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC

• 😮 It will also be released on the Nintendo Switch 2, fulfilling Microsoft’s promise to bring the shooter to Nintendo systems

• 🔫 The game’s campaign is set to push the series into “darker and more dangerous territory”

• 🌎 Campaign players will fight in locations including Korea, New York, Paris, and Mumbai

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will release on October 23, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and it’s also coming to a Nintendo console for the first time since the Wii U.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will be released on the Nintendo Switch 2, which fulfills Microsoft’s promise to bring Activision’s blockbuster shooter to Nintendo systems. Microsoft signed a binding deal with Nintendo to appease the FTC, which tried to block its multi-billion dollar acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

In a reveal blog post on the Call of Duty website, developer Infinity Ward says Modern Warfare 4 “pushes the series into darker and more dangerous territory, bringing long-running storylines to a powerful and emotional breaking point.”

The campaign will see players fight in Korea, New York, Paris, Mumbai and reclaim occupied territory. Multiplayer will deliver “grounded, precise combat where fluid movement, player choice, and greater control define every engagement.”

Interestingly, this will be the first Call of Duty game to skip PS4 and Xbox One, despite both consoles’ large install base.

You can pre-order Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 today, with Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders opening later in the year. The Nintendo Switch 2 version is being developed natively by Infinity Ward, in partnership with Digital Legends, and more details will be shared later this summer.

Up next: Steam Machine price is easier to predict after Valve’s Steam Deck increase

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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.

• 🤔 It might have gotten easier to predict the price of the Steam Machine after Valve raised Steam Deck prices

• 📈 Leaker SadlyItsBradley has said he was told the console will be higher than the current Steam Deck pricing

• 💰 For reference, the Steam Deck is now costs between $750 and $1000, depending on model

• 😬 Our own originally specced comparable system is also nearly $1200, when it was $780 when the Steam Machine was first announced

We still don’t know how much the Steam Machine is going to cost, although making a prediction has become a little easier after the hefty price rise Valve has implemented for the Steam Deck.

If you weren’t aware, Valve has raised the price of the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED by nearly 50% to make the 512GB model $789 and the 1TB model $949 – that works out to a 44% and 46% jump, respectively.

With this in mind, a recent X post from leaker SadlyItsBradley has stated that he was told an estimate for Valve’s starting price for the upcoming Steam Machine and that it could be “higher than today’s Steam Deck prices”.

His post stated he was told this some two months ago, although this was preceded by the caveat that it was “just whispers in my ear” and nothing “official”.

This isn’t good news, although it’s perhaps to be expected, given how the memory crisis has affected Valve’s plans for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame so far.

Even as we approach the middle of 2026, we still don’t know when the Steam Machine is going to launch or how much it’s going to cost, even though Valve has maintained it’ll launch this year.

At the time of its announcement, Valve said it wanted to price the device to a ‘similarly specced gaming PC’ and looked to the Steam Hardware Survey for a baseline of the system most folks are using.

According to Valve, the Steam Machine will reportedly match or outperform 70 percent of Steam users’ existing hardware, with the original idea to maintain price parity with those kinds of more affordable systems.

At the time of release, a comparably specced custom PC with components close to what’s inside the Steam Machine cost $780 or thereabouts. That same PCPartPicker list today is going to cost you closer to $1200, which lays bare the kind of cost we can expect the Steam Machine to take.

It doesn’t seem unreasonable, therefore, to say that the Steam Machine’s price is likely to be a four-figure sum in both its base and upgraded storage formats, which isn’t good news for those who were expecting it to hit a value-oriented sweet spot as had originally been predicted back in November 2025.

In a small shining light for Valve’s hardware decision, Valve launched the $100 Steam Controller recently, and it sold out in a matter of 30 minutes after receiving strong reviews in the tech press last week, although the brand has introduced a reservation queue system to get controllers in the hands of users when they come back into stock.

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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.