Cheap, fast laptop gaming is finally becoming reality at CES 2018

Unless it’s specifically designated as a gaming laptop, you shouldn’t expect to be able to play games on a modern notebook laptop.

Meanwhile, if you buy any modern smartphone or tablet, you’ll end up with a device that’s fantastic not just for communication — but also entertainment. Today’s mobile gear can play games beautifully, with crisp graphics and surprisingly long battery life. The release of Civilization VI for the iPad Pro proved the point. With a starting price of $650, the iPad Pro isn’t unaffordable, and you’re gonna have a bad time if you try the game on a similarly priced laptop. It’s easier and less expensive to play Civilization VI on iPad Pro than on a laptop — and that sucks.

CES 2018, however, gives us reason to hope that’ll change. AMD and Intel have announced new chips that bring capable gaming performance to lower price points with less power draw. These new chips just might make capable laptop graphics the rule rather the exception.

AMD and Intel team up for new solutions

AMD deserves most of the credit for this new wave of affordable notebook graphics. It built mobile APUs — its term for a chip that pairs a CPU with a GPU — for years, but saw no success because its CPU technology was outdated. Now, though, AMD has a successful CPU in Ryzen and an equally attractive GPU in Vega. Pair them on a chip — and ta-da! You’ve a recipe for budget gaming bliss.

Ryzen mobile first arrived last year, but only in a beefy, top-tier trim that appeared in only a small number of notebooks like the HP Envy x360. CES 2018 adds Ryzen 3 mobile chips to the mix. Though not nearly as quick as the models already released, they will bring Vega-based graphics to systems sold below $500. You’ll see a number laptop designs featuring these chips appear in the first half of 2018 from Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, and HP. A few will be new, but many will be refreshes that add an AMD alternative to a previously Intel-dominated line-up.

Intel is also an important part of this story, thanks to the company’s unusual courtship of AMD. At CES 2018, it introduced four new chips that combine an Intel Core processor with Radeon RX Vega graphics.

They’re not cut-rate versions, either. According to Intel, the most powerful versions should be stiff competition for Nvidia’s GTX 1060 Max-Q. That means almost all games will be playable at 1080p resolution and high or maximum detail. Of course, a chip that capable isn’t likely to appear in affordable laptops, but it will appear in thin laptops and 2-in-1s that previously had to settle for Intel integrated graphics. The leap from Intel UHD 620 to Vega is sure to deliver a huge boost in game performance.

Nvidia, still in the mix

While AMD and Intel came out swinging at CES 2018 with big, early announcements, Nvidia shouldn’t be forgotten. On the contrary, it’s also in the mix, thanks to the humble GeForce MX150.

Nvidia’s most affordable mobile GPU didn’t see much fanfare at its launch. The company didn’t even bestow it the “GT” brand label, nevermind the “GTX” prefix that denotes a serious gaming GPU. Yet the MX150 has impressed, significantly improving on the old 940MX and, as a result, raising the bar on budget gaming overall. The MX150 can smoothly play games like Overwatch and Star Wars Battlefront II at 1080p and medium detail, and you can find it in the Acer Aspire E15 at just $600.

The MX150 popped up in more laptops at CES 2018. Acer stuffed it in the Switch 7 Black Edition to create a thin 2-in-1 with surprisingly excellent graphics performance, Samsung put it in a new Notebook 9 , and Lenovo has placed it in a variety of laptops including the ThinkPad T480s. These are all examples of serious, professional laptops that also lets you load up a round of PUBG when you need a break.

We should note, too, that Nvidia’s core graphics architecture is near due for a refresh. The MX150 actually represents the tail-end of Nvidia’s current hardware (not an exciting fresh chip), and that bodes well for what we’ll see in late 2018.

Finally, laptop gaming for everyone

The laptops that debuted at CES are just the beginning of the wave. Affordable notebooks with powerful graphics remain the exception to the rule even now, at CES 2018. However, there’s finally a broad foundation of affordable, efficient GPUs that system builders can use to change that.

Once people figure out it’s possible to buy a budget laptop that doesn’t completely suck for gaming, they’ll flock to what’s good, and put the bad ole’ days of sucktastic notebook graphics to an end.  

Editors’ Recommendations

• AMD talks details on second-gen Ryzen chips, teases Vega for mobile
• Best 17-inch laptops
• AMD crams desktop performance into ultra-thin laptops with its new Ryzen APUs
• Why your gaming laptop’s GPU doesn’t matter as much as you think
• Acer’s new laptops include a liquid-cooled 2-in-1, $250 fanless Chromebook

65 inches. 4K. 120Hz. Nvidia’s BFGD is all the monitor you will ever need

Nvidia tossed out a few morsels of what’s to come from the company in 2018 during its press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Sunday. The biggest news for gamers is an upcoming family of gaming-focused displays with big screens and big ambitions. In a sense, the show marks Nvidia’s official entry into the living room 4K display market, even though it’s made a mark in the 4K set-top box sector. We’re blown away by the big news, and we simply can’t get enough of using the word “big” in the same paragraph.

Also on Nvdia’s CES 2018 menu is an update to its GeForce Now game-streaming subscription service, and a few updates to its GeForce Experience desktop client. The streaming aspect will be good news for Windows 10 and MacOS gamers alike, while players looking for more flair in their games may find the announcements regarding GeForce Experience and Nvidia’s upcoming drivers a refreshing change from the norm. Throw it all together, and Nvidia has a rather tasty buffet of gaming news at this year’s technology show.

Big displays with built-in Nvidia Shield

The meat of Nvidia’s CES 2018 blowout is a new family of displays sporting massive 65-inch screens, Ultra HD HDR resolutions at 120Hz, and G-Sync support. If that’s not enough to whet your whistle, these BFGDs (Big Format Gaming Displays) are based on Nvidia’s Android TV-powered Shield platform. That means you have integrated access to the GeForce Now streaming platform, Nvidia’s in-home GameStream service, and Android apps only served up on the Shield storefront.

“At the heart of BFGDs is the latest G-Sync HDR technology that synchronizes the display’s 120Hz refresh rate to that of the game at every moment in time,” Nvidia says. “This G-Sync Variable Refresh Rate technology delivers a highly responsive, smooth, tear-free, immersive gaming experience unmatched by any display of this size.”

If you’re not familiar with G-Sync technology, it synchronizes the refresh rate of the display with the frames-per-second output of a GeForce graphics card or discrete chip. This process eliminates visual screen tearing when the graphics chip’s performance fluctuates while rendering on-screen action. Software-based Vsync can help, but it’s known to cause stuttering and input lag. G-Sync is a native method embedded in Nvidia’s hardware.

Manufacturers to produce these monster Shield-based displays include Acer, Asus, and HP. All three will showcase their displays during the show, including the HP Omen X 65 that’s slated to arrive this fall for a yet-to-be-determined price. All models will have a bundled Shield remote and game controller for playing Android games and managing apps via the Android TV operating system.

Finally, all displays falling under the BFGD banner will have a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, support for the DCI-P3 color space, and fast response times. Google’s Assistant is also a major player in these displays, giving you full control of content by using just your voice. The G-Sync HDR component supports video playback at their native framerates, such as 24 and 25 FPS formats.

GeForce Now officially supports Uplay

GeForce Now first began as a subscription service for Shield-branded devices. For $8 per month, you can stream a select library of 56 games to most every PC with an internet connection. All the work is performed in Nvidia’s cloud, thus the Shield devices merely serve as receivers. The company also sells games through this service, such as the remastered BioShock trilogy and Batman: Arkham Knight, so you can stream and play at any time even if you don’t have a subscription.

Nvidia began testing the service on Windows 10 and MacOS last summer, but the beta came with an awesome twist: a virtual desktop with support for game libraries not originating from Nvidia’s cloud. The initial third-party support consisted of the Steam and Battle.net platforms, but now the service includes titles purchased on Ubisoft’s Uplay platform. Supported titles include Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, Tom Clancy’s The Division, For Honor, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands.

Right now, not every PC game sold on these three third-party platforms will run on GeForce Now. Optimized games include recent hits like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Overwatch, Prey, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and Rocket League. Other optimized favorites include Diablo III, Half-Life 2, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. There are loads more supported games that are not yet optimized for the best streaming experience.

“GeForce Now gets you playing faster than ever, as the system maintenance tasks are handled for you,” says Nvidia’s Phil Eisler. “Patches and driver updates are installed automatically, and cloud saves are enabled for cross-platform play. GeForce NOW receives regular updates, including service enhancements, new games, and additional data centers, the tenth most recently opening in Amsterdam.”

Download the new GeForce Now client for Windows 10 and MacOS here. Right now, it’s available as a free beta, but expect a subscription service to emerge sometime before the end of 2018.

GeForce Experience update

In addition to the display and GeForce Now news, Nvidia also revealed features heading to the GeForce Experience desktop client. For starters, Nvidia introduced a new feature called Freestyle on the driver level that adds post-processing filters to more than 100 games. You can set these filters to automatically load when launching a game, or simply access the GeForce in-game overlay to apply or change a filter. There are currently 15 in all with 38 different settings. Here they are:

Black and White
Contrast
Half Tone
Retro
Depth of Field
Color
Details
Mood
Sepia
Special FX
Colorblind
Exposure
Night Mode
Vignette
Adjustments

“Freestyle’s more serious uses include a colorblind mode that makes it easier for colorblind gamers to differentiate between colors,” the company said. “Gamers can even use night mode, which reduces blue color, so users can sleep better after a night of gaming.”

Continuing with the filter-based focus, Nvidia revealed that Ansel received eight new filters, along with the ability to stack filters for taking the ultimate in-game photograph. If you’re not familiar with this feature, it freezes the game state without actually pausing the game so you can run around with a virtual camera and take photos like a tourist in the Big Apple. You can adjust the camera to any position, apply filters, switch on HDR depth, and create 360-degree images.

According to Nvidia, this feature also received a huge user interface “makeover,” but details are sparse. You’ll have to see for yourself when Freestyle and the Ansel update arrive as a beta in the GeForce Experience client on January 9 (v3.12), and the Game Ready Driver release 390. You’ll need to enable “Experimental Features” within the GeForce Now client to see the updated components.

Finally, Fortnite Battle Royal, Crossout, and Elex will soon include support for ShadowPlay Highlights. This is a tool for capturing your greatest gaming moments in video and screenshots for sharing using the GeForce Experience client. Although you can capture any moment during your gaming sessions, a highlight is triggered on the game side, telling the ShadowPlay platform to automatically record and save an epic boss battle or an inhuman kill streak.

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• ‘StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty’ is now free to play, throws shade at ‘Battlefront II’
• Intel promises its new CPUs will match Nvidia’s potent GTX 1060, thanks to AMD
• Who makes the best 4K streamer? Apple, Roku, Amazon, and more square off

NVIDIA’s new 65-inch 4K gaming displays run Android TV

Well this is surprising.

NVIDIA’s stepping into the gaming display space, partnering with a bunch of companies — Acer, Asus and HP to start — to release their own version of a BFGD, or Big Format Gaming Display. These 65-inch gaming displays are aimed at hardcore PC gamers who want a huge screen, and have impressive specs like a 4K resolution, HDR, as low as 1ms latency, and a 120Hz refresh rate.

Interestingly, they also have a full-on Android TV experience built in.

The pitch is that the hardcore gamers will come to the BFGD for the best experience when they hook up their PC and play, but then when they’re done with that and want to take a break they flip over to a full NVIDIA Shield Android TV experience:

This critically-acclaimed device, that before now was only available as a separate box, runs at up to 4K, in HDR, and has a whole host of apps and features. For streaming there’s support for Amazon, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube and many other key channels; for home and remote playback there’s best-in-class Plex and Kodi support; for extra gaming fun there are Android games and exclusive conversions of classic titles, such as Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3; for remote PC playing there’s GeForce NOW and GameStream; for relaxed user control there’s voice-powered Google Assistant; and for future household tech there’s SHIELD’s Smart Home technologies.

So not only do you get the benefit of having an Android TV experience, but you get the NVIDIA version of that — that means Amazon Video, GeForce Now streaming and GameStream streaming. Presumably this is rolling with the same specs as a standalone NVIDIA Shield Android TV box, which is still the industry leader. A few other TV manufacturers have gone with Android TV for their default interface, but this is interesting to see as a value-add for something that is primarily focused on having the right specs for optimal gaming performance.

Because this is a partnership deal, NVIDIA is leaving it to Acer, Asus and HP to make their own announcements about BFGD releases. So we don’t know details about availability or pricing. ASUS has announced that its version will be the ROG Swift PG65, but has no details beyond that.

RightEye’s EyeQ system uses eye-tracking to uncover brain injury

There’s more to your eyesight than just whether or not you can see. Often, your vision can be a window to other health issues, like autism, Parkinson’s and even whether you have a concussion. That’s the idea behind RightEye’s EyeQ system, which aims to revolutionize the optometrist office with eye-tracking tech to not only diagnose issues, but to offer therapeutic measures to correct them as well. At CES 2018, the company released a brand new all-in-one EyeQ terminal that incorporates a PC, a monitor as well as a Tobii eye-tracking camera that promises to do all of that and more.

According to CEO and co-founder Adam Gross, EyeQ has already been in use in schools, certain clinics and hospitals, and is also in use by Major League Baseball to test their athletes. Aside from having a new terminal, RightEye is also introducing a slew of different EyeQ tests that can assess everything from Brain Health to whether or not you have autism. One particularly useful test is called Sports Vision, which can immediately figure out if you’re still suffering from concussion symptoms. There’s also a Reading Evaluation test that children can take to figure out if their reading problems stem from actual vision issues or if it’s more psychological.

I sat down to try one of the tests out, and it’s one that simply asks you to follow a dot around as well as to shoot spaceships out of the sky. The RightEye spokesperson I talked to said this was to test reaction times as well as eye movement. I managed to pass the test with flying colors, though the stark lights in the Unveiled trade show meant the eye tracker didn’t react as quickly as it should.

Gross tells me that RightEye already has their legacy systems installed in almost 200 different locations, most of them domestically. It hopes to release its newer all-in-one EyeQ terminal in February of this year.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Mymanu Clik+ offers real-time translation in 37 languages

Mymanu’s Clik+ headphones come with a big promise: live translation between 37 languages. We saw something similar recently from Google and Bragi, but both of those are operating as a middleman, serving up the audio with an app doing the heavy lifting. Let’s be clear, Mymanu also uses an app for translation, but the Click is designed to bring us one step closer to the app-free translation device we really want.

Prototypes of the Clik have been around for a while, but here at CES we were able to finally test it for ourselves. After a successful Indiegogo campaign last fall, the headset is poised to go into production, with an expected delivery date of March this year.

When we asked how the translation worked, we were told that it’s a combination of the app, the cloud, and when Clik is involved (the app is available on its own), there is a processor inside that improves the experience. We tested the service with one of our Chinese speaking editors, and she claims the translation from English to Chinese was very accurate. Going from Chinese to English was still functional, but less accurate (possibly in part due to a noisy show floor and crawling WiFi).

During our demo, we needed two phones and the headset to have a two-way conversation, though Mymanu tells us that on release, you’ll only need the headset and your phone, so talking with people won’t require them to do anything other than listen to the output of your phone. Group conversations will also be possible between multiple users.

Beyond the language features, Clik is also a regular pair of headphones. Much like Bragi, the Clik buds use NFMI to connect to each other, which offers a more reliable link than Bluetooth. In our brief demo, audio quality sounded promising, with punchy bass and clear mid- and high frequencies, though we’d want to give them a much more detailed test before we can truly land on a verdict.

Mymanu is confident it can meet its March deadline, so if you’re interested you might want to think about ordering a set now. Currently, the Clik can be snagged for $239 (pre-order) with the price rising to $300 once it hits the shelves. For the cash, you’ll get a charging case (which can also charge your phone). The buds themselves should offer about six hours of use between charges.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Source: Mymanu

ThirdEye’s AR glasses come with massive swappable batteries

I know what you’re thinking, and yes — these are some dorky-looking AR glasses. What they lack in style, however, they arguably make up for in battery life. The ThirdEye X1 packs two hot-swappable batteries with a combined 2400 mAh charge — more than any of its competitors, apparently. That means the glasses, which project a 90-inch virtual “screen” roughly 10 feet in front of you, can last all day provided you have plenty of fresh batteries. At CES 2018, I was able to put them on and get a brief glimpse of its AR capabilities — unfortunately, though, the team at the booth could summon little more than a misty loading screen. (Lame.)

The team says its glasses are unique because it’s developing both the hardware and software in parallel. They’re meant primarily for enterprise customers — think engineers, doctors and teachers — who might need to wear them for long periods. The company says it could have potential as a consumer product too, however. A sports broadcaster, for instance, might offer them to subscribers who want a big-screen (and some day, possibly multi-screen) viewing experience at home. Pricing is based on the client and their software needs — if you want a vanilla set of X1 glasses, however, they’ll run you somewhere between $800 and $1000 this March.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

NeoMano is an everyday robotic glove for patients with paralysis

Patients with spinal cord injuries, according to assistive technology company Neofect, face three major challenges navigating their day to day lives: Opening and closing doors, brushing their teeth and picking up objects like a glass of water.

For those who may be wheelchair bound with limited use of their hands, Neofect has developed a robotic glove that wraps around the palm as well as index and middle fingers. Called NeoMano (“new hand” in a Latin/Spanish amalgamation), the glove connects to a rubber pad that can be controlled with an elbow or arm to activate grip and release motions. The mechanism itself is straightforward: two wires run down the length of each finger and triggering the grip reels them in, allowing users to pick up objects up to about 1kg.

Neofect says the lightweight glove is designed to be worn every day. Founded in 2010, the company formerly made the Rapael Smart Glove to assist hand-eye coordination in stroke rehabilitation. The prototype NeoMano we saw at CES will look “cooler” in future according to a spokesman, who also said they plan to add voice recognition and head motion to activate it. The glove should launch on Kickstarter towards the end of 2018 for less than $1,000.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

A smart insole pairs with an app to track how tired you are

Two years ago, at CES 2016, we found a pair of smart shoes that can be “laced” by simply tapping a virtual button on a smartphone app. Now, the company behind those sneakers, Zhor Tech, has brought its latest creation to CES 2018: a connected shoe insole. The device is loaded with sensors that count your steps, detect your fatigue levels, analyze your posture and detect any rough vibrations around you. Zhor Tech says that its Safety insole is designed for people who work in construction or other field jobs like that, as it helps them keep better track of their work activity.

If someone slips, for instance, the insole can detect that and alert a manager or another supervisor. Of course, the whole system comes together in an app, where users can view detailed, real-time information and share it with other people. The same technology can be built into a shoe’s midsole, according to Zhor Tech, but right now there are only plans to sell the insole to companies that make safety-conscious footwear in September for $149.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

They make air bags for people now

French company Helite has been selling wearable airbags in some shape or form for many years. Typically, it’s targeted bikers, horse riders, light aircraft pilots and other people with dangerous hobbies. This year at CES, it’s pitching the Hip’Air, a 2.2-pound belt that detects when an elderly person is falling and deploys an airbag.

A typical fall, a Helite spokesperson explained, takes 400 milliseconds. Using gyroscopes and accelerometers, the Hip’Air’ can detect a fall within 200 milliseconds of it beginning. The belt will then begin to deploy its built-in airbag, which takes a further 80 milliseconds.

Our managing editor Terrence O’Brien took a tumble for the greater good and the Hip’Air worked as advertised. It’ll launch this March in Europe prior to a US release in September. At approximately $790 (plus $50 for each one-use gas canister), it’s a lot of money to pay for peace of mind.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

NVIDIA unveils its powerful Xavier SOC for self-driving cars

As the need for more powerful processors in the emerging self-driving and semi-autonomous car grows, NVIDIA is making sure it stays ahead of the trend. At CES, the GPU-building powerhouse unveiled the Xavier SOC for AI car systems the company announced at last year’s CES.

The Xavier has over 9 billion transistors with a custom 8-core CPU, a 512-core Volta GPU, an 8K HDR video processor, a deep-learning accelerator and new computer-vision accelerators. NVIDIA says the SOC can perform 30 trillion operations per second using only 30 watts of power. NVIDIA says that’s 15 times more efficient than the previous architecture. Important for EVs where everything that pulls from the battery reduces vehicle range.

All those huge numbers means that the Xavier can crunch more sensor and vehicle data for the AI systems that will power self-driving vehicles. That should make OEMs and ride-hailing companies working on autonomous cars very happy. Artificial intelligence is already processor intensive. Add the non-stop stream of data coming from sensors and cars are topping out the capabilities of current computers.

Two Xavier processors will sit on the recently announced Pegasus AI computing platform (which is capable of level 5 autonomy according to NVIDIA) along with two NVIDIA GPUs. Shove the whole system into a car and we’re just that much closer to self-driving vehicles.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.