The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020 is wrapping up after showing us the future of tech for the year. The show is full of everything, from robot vacuum cleaners, to internet-connected toilets, to ping-pong playing robots, but in among the weird and wacky meldings of the real world and the digital, there’s some sweet tech for gamers to get excited about. Here are the best new gaming gadgets we saw at CES 2020.
Alienware Second Screen app
There are a few smartphone apps that let you hook up to your desktop as a second screen, such as Duet. But Alienware is working on a gaming-focused version that gives you access to specific views like its Fusion control center, giving you readouts of your component data while gaming to help with benchmarking. That might not seem exciting at the moment, but the Alienware team hopes to add extra uses in the future, such as controls for lighting and overclocking, to make it a benchmarker’s one-stop tool, but also include in-game integration. This is the interesting bit for us, because this could include per-game setups such as maps, or scoreboards, or inventory. We can see how useful this would be for games like Escape from Tarkov, or other mil-sim FPS games. It would be a bit like how ZombiU worked on the WiiU, letting you do all the admin stuff on the gamepad while you kept an eye on your main screen for threats. And if there’s literally only one thing that worked on the WiiU, it was that.
Elgato 4K60 S+ capture card
As we approach the next generation of home consoles, questions about resolution are filling our heads. Will the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X hit those lofty 4K targets we expect of them right out of the gate? If they do, our entire streaming setup goes out the window. Luckily, Elgato is here to offer a capture device capable of recording 4K gameplay at 60fps, and the best part is you don’t need a PC for it to interface with. That means no more stringing a 30m USB cable across the lounge to your desktop while you play from the comfort of the couch. Even with HEVC encoding to reduce file sizes, you’ll need a hefty storage card for all that high-quality footage though, so maybe check out the HyperX microSD card options to be ready.
Cloud Flight S
The wireless headset just got even fewer wires, now with Qi wireless charging. This updated model of HyperX’s first true wireless gaming headset also introduces on-earcup controls for easily managing the game audio and chat balance, and 7.1 surround sound to give you an even more immersive experience. With surround sound across PC, PS4, and PS4 Pro platforms, and customizable controls for the four buttons on the earcup, you’ll barely even need to open a menu to get great sound for your games.
Alienware Concept UFO
For the hardcore PC gamer faithful there’s more than a little jealousy involved when watching Nintendo Switch fans chortle away while they play on the train. Dell has seen that green glint in our eyes and is attempting to make the PC version of the Switch, with a handheld Windows 10 PC built just to get you away from your desktop and out into the world. It’s a little larger than the Switch, with an 8-inch screen and some pretty beefy side grips – which can be detached just like Joy-Cons while you plug into a TV if you find one on your travels. It’s obviously not going to be running The Witcher 3 at much higher resolution than the Switch already does, but being a PC platform it does mean you won’t have to wait for your other faves to catch Nintendo’s eye.
ChargePlay Clutch
For actual Switch fans, the problem of not being able to stay out of the house long enough could be solved with the ChargePlay Clutch. Essentially a battery pack that is molded to the shape of the OG Switch (not the Lite) and provides an extra 5 hours of gaming life, the Clutch also has some added extras like a kickstand and detachable Joy-Con grips, for impromptu Smash Bros battles on the bus. Unlike other battery packs for the Switch, the Clutch securely latches onto the console and transforms along with the handheld into tabletop mode, meaning you don’t have to take it off and give up on that extra power when you change modes.
