It’s the first week of a new year and the tech world doesn’t have time to slowly get back to business after the holidays. It’s because CES 2026 is booming, with all sorts of companies descending on Las Vegas to reveal their latest innovations and what they plan to bring you in the near future.
Many Engadget team members are out in the field testing as many new technologies as possible. Of course, we also keep an eye on all the major CES press conferences. Samsung held its First Look presentation, focusing on home products, while LG showed off a wide range of TVs and Lego revealed its new Smart Brick technology. We’ve heard from the major chipmakers, tested Samsung’s tri-fold phone, checked out some awesome laptops, and seen some cute robots. There’s also some trendy gaming hardware at the show, not to mention some weird technology.
You don’t necessarily need to wait to get your hands on all these gadgets, either. Some are available for purchase now.
You can keep up with all the big announcements from CES 2026 (and some of the quirkiest gadgets we’ve seen) here. We also had Live updates from CES with all the latest news from the event. Be sure to check The best of CES 2026 from Engadget also, in which we highlight 15 winners across multiple categories and name our Best in Show winner.
Lego
In his first appearance at CESLego announced the Smart bricka standard-sized brick with a 4.1mm ASIC chip inside, designed to respond in different ways depending on what set you build and how you build it. Using what Lego calls the “Play Engine” and built-in copper coils, each brick can sense things like movement, orientation and magnetic fields, as well as its own distance, direction and orientation relative to other smart bricks. Each brick also has a tiny built-in speaker that will play audio “related to live playback actions” rather than just pre-recorded clips.
Smart Bricks come with Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures, which have their own abilities, one of which is to allow the Smart Bricks to know in what context they are being used. All of these pieces are connected together via a local wireless layer called BrickNet which, in part, lets the Smart Bricks know where they are placed in relation to other smart components.
The first “Smart play“The partner is, unsurprisingly, Star Wars, which will launch three “all-in-one” sets using smart bricks, smart labels and smart minifigures. The 473-piece Darth Vader TIE Fighter set will cost $70; the 584-piece Luke’s Red Five X-Wing set will cost $100 and the 962-piece Throne Room Duel & A-wing set will cost you $160. emit lightsaber swooshes, fighter sounds and The imperial march.
Engadget deputy editor Nathan Ingraham arrived at experience Lego’s Smart Play system in person and I have never been so envious of him. One of the Star Wars sets lets you have an interactive lightsaber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Not only does the Vader figure have his signature heavy breathing, but the speaker emits the Sith Lord’s “nooooo” cry if he loses the duel.
This all sounds extremely cool. I can’t wait to see what else Lego and fans can do with Smart Play technology.
LG
Besides some TVs (which we’ll get to in a moment), LG brought many other products to CES. On the one hand, the company shined the spotlight on its CLoid robot. Like the much scarier 1X Neothe CLOiD is designed to make household tasks such as starting laundry cycles, folding clothes, unloading the dishwasher, and serving meals easier.
This seems to be more of a concept than something you’ll be able to buy soon. During an in-person demonstration at CES, Engadget senior reporter Karissa Bell saw CLOiD competently perform some household tasks, although very slowly.
The company also launched the LG Audio Suitea modular home audio system developed in collaboration with Dolby to rival Sonos. Just before CES, LG raised the curtain on a new batch of xboom speakers as well as some monitors And ultralight Gram laptops which are made with a material he calls Aerominus.
Chipmakers
It’s CES, so of course we’re going to see a bunch of laptops and desktops, as well as announcements about the technology that powers the new models. This means Nvidia, Intel, AMD and Qualcomm are all in town to talk about their latest chips and other innovations.
Given its lofty position in the industry (and the economy), NVIDIA’s CES press conference is always one to watch. This year’s edition was largely a recap of the company’s recent initiatives, but it included some news to share.
NVIDIA announced Alpamayo, a group of open-source reasoning models designed to help autonomous vehicles handle challenging driving scenarios. The company also revealed that a super computer built on the Vera Rubin GPU architecture that NVIDIA unveiled in 2024 is in production.
Things haven’t exactly been going well for Intel for a while, but the company is surely hoping that its Core Ultra 3-series chips can help him right the ship. These are the first chips built using the Intel 18A process (18 angstroms, or just under 2nm). The company claims to offer improved performance – 60% more than previous generation Lunar Lake processors – and better battery life for laptops.
Ultra Series 3 features a new Arc B390 integrated GPU, with 50% more graphics cores, double the cache and 120 TOPS performance GPUs. Put it all together and these chips should deliver up to 77% faster gaming performance than Lunar Lake models, Intel said. To that end, the company introduced an Ultra Series 3-powered gaming handheld later this year.
Devindra Hardawar, editor-in-chief of Engadget, played it Battlefield 6 on a Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 powered by Core Ultra Series 3 (an ultraportable) and I left impressed. The game ran up to 190fps at 1080p at high graphics settings, even without a dedicated GPU. This is a promising sign for the Arc graphics integrated into Intel chips, as well as the company’s scaling and frame generation technology.
Of course, AMD wasn’t going to be left out of the CES party. The company announced several Processors For laptops and desktopswhile coldly declaring that “AI is everywhere” and “changing the face of gaming”. Ick. There was a lot of talk about AI during the two-hour (!) keynote, as well as a “jet-powered flying robot.”
And then there is Qualcomm. The company unveiled the Snapdragon X2 Plus chip at the show. It’s more of a mid-range chip that’s not as powerful as the high-end Snapdragon X2 Elite – it doesn’t have as many CPU cores, for one thing. Still, Qualcomm claims that the X2 Plus delivers up to 35% faster single-core performance than the previous generation. The company also claims that the Adreno GPU offers a performance improvement of up to 29% compared to the last generation.
Laptops
What would CES be without new hardware using these new chips? As always, laptop and desktop computer manufacturers were present at the show to offer you their latest models. (Be sure to check out our dedicated roundup of all the laptops that caught our attention at this year’s show.)
Samsung’s Galaxy Book 6 Ultra, Galaxy Book 6 Pro, and Galaxy Book 6 feature Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chips and revamped designs that are said to improve heat management. You can read our story on the Galaxy Book 6 series for the specs of these laptops, although we don’t have a price or release window yet.
Dell understands fair by dropping the XPS name as part of a broader rebranding effort and we’re happy to see the company is making an about-face on that front. A full lineup of XPS laptops is coming this yearincluding a brand new XPS 13 (a long-time Engadget favorite on the Windows ultraportable front). Dell also has 14- and 16-inch XPS models in the hopper, as well as others it’s keeping under wraps for now.
We love weird laptops and ASUS didn’t disappoint in bringing the ROG Zephyrus Duo at CES. This is a dual-screen gaming laptop with two 16-inch OLED panels, one of Intel’s new processors, and up to an NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU. The keyboard is detachable and can work wirelessly. A kickstand can help you prop up the Zephyrus Duo in all sorts of orientations. You can even position both screens in an upside down “V” tent mode. We don’t know the price of the Zephyrus Duo yet, but it certainly won’t be cheap.
That’s not all ASUS has brought to the dance. The company has made a special edition of the ROG Flow Z13, inspired by the works of famous game designer Hideo Kojima. THE ROG Flow Z13-KJP has a visual flair that draws inspiration from Death Stranding and Metal Gear. Kojima’s mascot Ludens is also there. There is no price or release date yet for this variant or its corresponding accessories.
Micro-RGB TVs
Like yesterday, televisions were at the forefront of CES, Micro RGB is a term you can expect to hear a lot about in the months and years to come, especially when you’re shopping for your next TV. Micro RGB is a new technology similar to Mini LED, although it uses red, green and blue LEDs instead of white backlighting. Contrast ratios are not as high as Micro LED and OLED displays because pixels cannot be turned on and off individually.
However, Micro RGB units are considered brighter and more color accurate. e than TVs that use other display technologies, in part because the LEDs in these displays offer smaller, more customizable dimming zones. Read the explanation from journalist Steve Dent for a more in-depth analysis of the difference between Micro RGB and other types of display technologies.
We’re seeing more and more TVs like this showing up at CES 2026, including one mammoth 130-inch concept model that Samsung brought to Las Vegas. The company revealed its first Micro RGB TV in August, it’s a 115-inch model at $29,999. This year, you can expect it to start offering Micro RGB TVs in 55-, 65-, and 75-inch sizes. 85-, 100-, and 115-inch models are also in the works.
LG unveiled its first RGB mic set at CES as well. The largest variant is 100 inches, but there are also 86 and 75 inch models. Elsewhere, LG presented its latest Wallpaper TVwhich is a 100-inch OLED screen. We also took a look at the LGs new TV gallery — The Gallery is the company’s version of Samsung’s Frame TV format.
Other new TVs and OS updates
We have another competitor to The Frame, as Amazon entered this scene with the Ember Artline TV. The 4K OLED model has Amazon Photos built-in, and you can choose from 2,000 free artworks to display on the screen. The Ember Artline can automatically turn on or off when someone enters or leaves the room.
It runs on the Fire TV platform and (of course) there’s Alexa+ integration, as well as support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Wi-Fi 6. The Ember Artline is expected to start shipping this spring. It starts at $899 for the 55-inch model.
Speaking of Fire TV, Amazon has redesign of the platform’s user interface with rounded corners for show, movie, and app thumbnails; a little more space for said tiles; and changes in typography and color gradient. The company has also reworked the platform’s codebase and claims that the Fire TV operating system will deliver speed increases of up to 20-30%. Amazon will begin rolling out the updated UI next month.
From Google’s side of the TV business, you can expect more features based on Gemini. The company offers the ability to search for specific times and people in Google Photos on Google TV, as well as options to remix photos into different styles and create slideshows on the fly. Video and photo generation models Veo and Nano Banana AI are also coming to Google TV. You can also expect to be able to adjust the TV settings using your voice. These Gemini features will first be available on TCL models equipped with Google TV, then on other devices in the following months. In the meantime, you can consult the report by journalist Amy Skorheim hands-on impressions of the Gemini updates.
Also in TV news, Peacock and Dolby have extended their partnership. Currently, Peacock Sunday Night Football streams support Dolby Atmos. You’ll soon be able to watch more live sports on Peacock with Dolby Vision and Atmos, as support for NBA and MLB events is on the way. Dolby Vision is coming to Sunday Night Football on Peacock too.
Belkin, on the other hand, has a new wireless HDMI dongle This doesn’t require a Wi-Fi connection. This should make it easier to stream video from a device with a USB-C port to a TV, monitor, or projector — handy if you’re planning an outdoor movie night in a space with spotty internet access.
Monitors and projectors
Let’s keep the focus a little on display technology by taking a look at some of the monitors and the projectors we saw at CES this year. Dell revealed a 52-inch ultra-wide curved 6K monitor (the first of those on the planet, according to the company). The UltraSharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub monitor has a nice feature in that it’s possible to connect four PCs simultaneously and give each a dedicated section of the screen – which could make cooperative gaming quite fun if you’re dedicated enough to try this setup. It is also possible to control the four connected PCs with a single mouse and keyboard. This monitor is available now for $2,900 with stand and $2,800 without.
Dell also introduced a new 32-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor with Dolby Vision and True Black 500 HDR support. The Dell UltraSharp 32 4K QD-OLED Monitor can be yours for $2,600 starting February 24.
Samsung And LG revealed new gaming monitors ahead of CES. Samsung’s 32-inch Odyssey 3D is a model that offers glasses-free 3D on a 6K display, while LG has a new series of 5K monitors. But during CES, the latter also raised the curtain on the 27-inch UltraGear GX7, a $1,000 QHD OLED display with a 540Hz refresh rate.
Samsung has brought the latest version of its FreeStyle+ projector at the show. Mat Smith, head of Engadget’s UK bureau I checked the new model in person and felt that Samsung had given the projector a serious upgrade over the previous iteration. The FreeStyle+ is now much brighter, while the updated keystone correction feature seems very useful.
Elsewhere, Anker Soundcore announced the Nebula P1ia portable 1080p projector with speakers that you can unfold and tilt. At $369, this seems like a pretty decent option if you’re looking for an entry-level projector that you can take anywhere. The P1i should also arrive in time for camping trips, as Soundcore says it will be available early this year. The brand also announced that its high-end Nebula X1 Pro, a version of its Nebula X1 4K that includes a 160W surround sound system, will be available this month for $4,999.
XGIMI was also at CES to present its latest high-end projector, the Titan Noir Max. There’s no word on pricing yet, but it appears to be an upgraded version of the $3,999 Titan model.
Samsung
Samsung being Samsung, the company had a lot more to offer at CES than just TVs. Before the event, he announced his two new soundbars (we had some practical time with one of these) and the elegant Music Studio speakers (we have I got some IRL impressions of these). He also announced his intention to bring Google Photos to TVs.
At First Look Showcase On Sunday, Samsung talked about “AI experiences everywhere. For everyone” (sigh). Here we saw more TVs, like the slim S95H OLED, featuring a no-gap stand that lets you position the unit against a wall.
First Look has long focused on home products. Naturally, Samsung executives have discussed some features of the company’s refrigerators, such as recipe selection updates, AI cooling technology, and Google’s Gemini-based AI vision, which is said to be able to recognize more items and help you figure out what you need to buy without having to manually take inventory. FoodNote, on the other hand, is a weekly summary that details what went in and out of your fridge.
In addition, Samsung highlighted the Samsung Bespoke AI Laundry Combo and its new AI wash cycle. With the new Air Dresser, featuring an Auto Wrinkle Care feature, Samsung aims to do away with irons (thanks, Samsung). As for the Bespoke AI Smart Vacuum and Mop, it can apparently keep an eye on your pets when you’re not at home.
L’Oreal
L’Oréal often brings interesting beauty technologies to CES and the company did it again this year with a trio of gadgets. The LED eye mask uses red light and near-infrared light to treat puffiness, discoloration and fine lines.
The LED face mask appears to be a softer version of the masks we’ve seen from Dr. Dennis Gross, Omnilux, Therabody, and Shark in recent years. However, it is currently only in prototype form and is not expected to be released until next year.
The Light Straight + Multi-styler uses infrared light to help dry and style hair in a similar way to L’Oréal’s AirLight Pro. It’s said to have sensors that use “built-in proprietary algorithms and machine learning” so they can adapt to your gestures and “maximize the individual experience.” L’Oréal claims that while traditional straighteners can operate at 400°F or higher (temperatures that can damage hair), its latest innovation “effectively straightens hair without ever exceeding 320°F.” You can also expect the Light Straight to arrive in 2027.
Mobile
At CES 2026, we got our first chance to test the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, which the company officially announced last month. Lead writer Sam Rutherford had doubts about the price (not yet confirmed for North America, but it costs around $2,500 in Korea) and bulk.
However, after Sam opened it, “my concerns were quickly put aside because suddenly you’re greeted with 10 inches of snappy AMOLED goodness.” This extra real estate could prove very useful for many people. Combined with a keyboard and perhaps a mouse, it might just be the laptop/tablet replacement many have been waiting for. Be sure to read Sam gets his hands dirty for his full first impressions.
Almost exactly three decades after the release of his first real flip phone,Motorola revealed its very first foldable phone on the side. The Razr Fold has a 6.6-inch external display and an 8.1-inch main display, with stylus support on both. The camera lineup includes a 50 MP primary sensor from Sony, a 50 MP ultra-wide/macro lens, and a 50 MP telephoto lens. There is a 32 MP external selfie camera and a 20 MP internal sensor as well. We’ll get full specs, pricing, and availability information in the coming months.
Back at CES 2024, we were able to try out a physical keypad phone accessory from clicks. Two years later, the brand is manufacturing its own Blackberry-style phones, as well as a new physical phone keypad accessory. The Android 16-based Clicks Communicator features a touchscreen keyboard with a fingerprint sensor in the spacebar, a 4-inch OLED display, a 3.5mm headphone jack (hooray!), and microSD storage expandable up to 2TB. You can book one now for $399 – the price will increase to $499 on February 27.
As for the new accessory, Clicks calls it the Power Keyboard. It connects to an iOS or Android phone via MagSafe or Qi2, and can function as a power bank in a pinch thanks to the 2,150 mAh battery. The Power Keyboard also has Bluetooth functionality, so you can use it with devices like tablets, smart TVs, and virtual reality headsets. Pre-orders are open now, and the Power Keyboard is expected to ship in the spring. Early adopters can lock a pre-order for $79 before the retail price jumped to $110.
Those who prefer their cell phone to have fewer features might be interested in Punkt’s latest model. THE MC03 is a nifty touchscreen model that runs on AphyOS, focused on privacy and security, based on the Android Open Source Project. It has a user interface that borrows a page from the Light Phone’s playbook, although you can always install any of them. Android app.
The MC03 will hit European markets this month priced at €699 / CHF 699 / £610. However, there is a compulsory subscription. You get one year of access included with the purchase of a phone, then a monthly fee of €10/CHF/£9 (paying upfront for a long-term plan can reduce the cost by up to 60%).
Charging technology
Anker and Belkin currently feel like CES mainstays. They each had some interesting charging gear to show off this year. Belkin proposed a refreshed Nintendo Switch 2 case which charges the console via its 10,000 mAh power bank (which offers up to 30W of fast charging). The case has an LCD screen on the outside to show you at a glance how much juice it has left and there’s a built-in kickstand that you can prop the console up on.
Belkin’s new Switch 2 charging case costs $100 and it’s available now. The company’s new $100 UltraCharge Pro power bank can charge two devices simultaneously. You’ll be able to get your hands on it next month. There is also a very slim BoostCharge power bank that can fit in your pocket. It will cost you $60 and will ship later this year.
Anker revealed its nice Nano charger, which can apparently identify the model of iPhone you’re connecting to it and provide the appropriate level of charging power. This plug will arrive later this month for $40.
The company has announced a series of other products capable of charging multiple devices at the same time. The $150 Prime Foldable Wireless Charging Station can charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously, with up to 25W of Qi2 wireless power. This will happen by the end of March.
There’s also a 10-in-1 nano power strip ($70, releasing late January) with 70W of output, surge protection, and multiple USB-C ports, USB-A ports, and AC outlets. Anker also introduced a 13-in-1 Nano Docking Station that you can buy right now for $150. Among other things, it supports up to three 4K displays, up to 100W of upstream charging, and 10Gbps of data transfer between devices connected to it. Practical!
AI
No prizes for guessing that there was a ton of AI-related news at CES this year. Amazon, for its part, announced that it was deploying a web version of Alexa+. This means you won’t necessarily need an Amazon device to try out the AI-powered generative assistant. However, Alexa+ Early Access customers get first access to the web version.
There were also a large number of AI-powered devices on the CES show floor. The one we saw early on is a Tamagotchi-style virtual pet from a startup called Takway. THE accept will remember your interactions with it (you will need to feed it and play with the animal to keep it healthy and happy). Once grown up, the Sweekar will go on virtual adventures and will tell you about his exploits when he “returns”. Takway will soon launch a Kickstarter campaign for the Sweekar, which will likely cost between $100 and $150.
Playing AI, meanwhile, showed himself a pair of AI robot companions that are admittedly rather cute. Cocomo can respond to your voice and touch interactions, follow you around your home, and learn more about you over time. It stays close to human body temperature, so it’s comfortable if you hug it. Inu, on the other hand, stays on your desktop. He too responds to your voice and your touch.
We also saw the Fraimiquean E Ink display that can leverage OpenAI to generate images. There’s no subscription for the Fraimic (which costs $399 for the standard size, which has a 13-inch screen) and you get 100 AI-generated images per year included with your purchase. Pre-orders are open now and the Fraimic should start shipping this spring.
Some companies are still trying to create wearable AI devices. SwitchBot has a portable microphone called the AI MindClipwhich seems to be able to record and transcribe everything you say (no, thank you!). Anker’s Soundcore division also got involved in the mix with its Work voice recorder.
Plaid, for its part, brought its NotePin Tracking to the dance. This time, the NotePin S has a button you can press to record conversations. You can also tap the button to flag key moments that an AI-generated summary should focus on. The NotePin S is available now for $179, if you’re inclined to buy such a thing.
As for Subtle’s voice headphonesthese would be able to pick up audio below the sound of a whisper, so you can dictate information to them very quietly and an AI model will transcribe what you can say. You can also use the $199 Voice Earbuds as regular headphones to make calls and listen to audio.
However, you’ll have to pay upwards of $17 per month to access features like instant dictation and the ability to transcribe notes without having to look at your phone (internet access is also required to use Subtle’s best transcription templates). If you choose not to subscribe, Voicebuds will use a smaller local model for transcription.
In the same spirit, Bee provided an update on what it’s like from Amazon bought the business last year. It has developed four features that it is rolling out to its existing AI voice recording wearables, including one that composes an email when you say you should send one, and another that highlights trends in what you say over a period of weeks or months. There’s also a voice notes feature, since that’s something you can’t already do with your phone.
Robots
Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot is ready to roll. We’ve seen a few iterations of this machine over the past few years and now the company latest model is about to enter production. Additionally, Boston Dynamics partnered with Google DeepMind to merge core models from Gemini Robotics AI into Atlas robots.
For a press releasethe partnership “will focus on the ability of humanoids to perform a wide variety of industrial tasks and is expected to become a driving force in manufacturing transformation, starting with the automotive industry.” It turns out that Hyundai (majority shareholder of Boston Dynamics) and DeepMind will be among the first to receive Atlas robots.
LG’s CLOiD is still an assistive robot in concept for now, but the Onero H1 is one you might be able to buy as soon as this year. During an in-person demowe saw Switchbot’s Onero H1 robot (slowly) pick up clothes, throw them into a washing machine, and close the door. The company also released a video showing the Onero H1 performing other household tasks, from serving food and drinks to washing windows. We’re told Switchbot plans to sell the robot for “less than $10,000.”
Then there is OlloBota robot companion with an optional extendable plush neck that’s warm to the touch. OlloBot is designed to “grow” alongside your family: it can capture special moments and develop its own personality. The data is stored locally on a removable heart-shaped module to guarantee both confidentiality and the possibility of moving it to a new OlloBot in the event of a failure of the first one.
The “face” of the device is a tablet capable of displaying videos, photos and expressions. The robot can handle calls, find missing items, and help you control Matter-enabled smart home devices. It also responds to your voice and touch.
The team behind the robot plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign this summer. The regular model will cost around $1,000, while the one with an extendable neck will cost you around double that. Better yet, several outfits will be available for the robots, including a giraffe costume. How adorable!
Transportation
Sony and Honda brought the latest review of their first Afeela EV at CES 2026. We already knew that you would be able to play your PS5 remotely while the vehicle is parked, although we learned a few new details from the companies presentation. The Afeela 1 will debut with an advanced driver assistance system without human intervention. The goal is to eventually offer level 4 autonomy via over-the-air updates.
Sony Honda Mobility plans to begin shipments in late 2026, first to California and then to Arizona. However, after taking a close look at the latest iteration of the EV, Engadget contributor Tim Stevens believes that the Afeela 1 feels “increasingly disconnected» from year to year, even if “it was a daring product at the time announced at CES 2020.”
We also got our first look at a more advanced model. The Afeela Prototype 2026 is a taller version of the first EV. Don’t expect to be able to try it yourself until at least 2028.
Long arc motors announcement a pair of lightweight electric vehicles that have a curb weight of just 2,200 pounds. The Speedster and Roadster feature advanced in-wheel motors from Donut Labs, a spin-off of Verge Motorcycles. Longbow brought the Speedster to CES and the EV looks pretty attractive.
The vehicles will, however, be expensive. Given current conversion rates to UK prices, the Speedster will start at around $100,000 and the Roadster at around $75,000, but that’s before you factor in costs such as tariffs.
The Segway is expansion its e-bike range with two new models packed with smart features, from Apple Find My integration and GPS tracking to remote locking and health app functions. The Muxi (above) is quite nice and has a cup holder (!), while the $2,000 Myon has a bigger frame and features like electronic shifting. Both are loading-centric step-by-step models. You can buy the Myon now, and the $1,700 Muxi will be available in March, just in time for spring.
In addition to these electric bikes, Segway had a new electric dirt bike to tell us about. The Xaber 300 was created for off-road use. There are three power modes, offering the equivalent of 150cc, 200cc and 300cc engines. Segway has not revealed pricing for the Xaber 300, which is expected to be available this spring or summer.
Games
Nvidia announcement the latest version of its DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) scaling technology. DLSS 4.5 is said to deliver sharper visuals thanks to the 2nd generation Super Resolution Transformer, now available for all RTX GPUs. NVIDIA claims this provides better temporal stability, reduced ghosting, and improved anti-aliasing.
On GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs, DLSS 4.5 will be able to generate up to five additional frames for each traditionally rendered frame and deliver path tracing performance up to 4K 240Hz, NVIDIA says. Dynamic 6x Frame Generation functionality will be available for these graphics cards this spring.
NVIDIA also detailed a new version of its G-Sync variable refresh rate technology. It says G-Sync Pulsar can minimize motion blur by effectively quadrupling your refresh rate. So 250Hz gameplay will apparently deliver perceived effective motion clarity of over 1000Hz with G-Sync Pulsar enabled.
You will need a G-Sync Pulsar compatible display to use this feature. Most displays have a backlight that is always on, so images fade from one frame to the next. On G-Sync Pulsar displays, there are multiple horizontal backlight sections. The backlights pulse up and down. This is said to help the pixels in each image stabilize before they are backlit, reducing motion blur.
It’s interesting. Acer, AOC, ASUS and MSI are each launching a G-Sync Pulsar compatible 27-inch monitor this week.
THE FlipPad is one of my favorite things I’ve seen come out of CES this year. This is an 8BitDo mobile game controller designed for vertical use. There are a bunch of neat physical controllers for phones which are designed for landscape mode. But many mobile games are played with the phone facing upright. And that’s not to mention emulators that let you play Game Boy titles while your phone is up. So it’s good to see 8BitDo offering a physical controller that will do the trick. The company also revealed a new Xbox controller with exchangeable joysticks and button modules.
Why have a number pad on the side of your keyboard when you can have a highly customizable controller instead? Corsair I put a Stream Deck in a keyboard and it looks absolutely awesome. I haven’t yet taken the plunge on a Stream Deck-style controller, and since I prefer not to have an additional device on my desk, I’m very tempted to pick up the $350 Galleon 100 SD, which is available now.
It has 12 programmable keys that you can use to play (give me that Helldiverse 2 profile so you don’t have to type in cheat codes) or livestreaming, but there are also many other applications. They can help with video editing, controlling smart home devices, or simply adjusting media playback. There’s also a five-inch screen and two dials for precise control. Oh, and it’s a full-size mechanical keyboard to boot.
GameSir had some interesting controllers to talk to us about. THE Fast driving (which seems to be a working name) has a steering wheel with force feedback in the middle of a regular gamepad. It’s a good idea and it seems to work quite well. The Swift Drive is expected to hit the market later this year.
Additionally, GameSir partnered with Hyperkin to create a modular controller which works with phones, tablets and Nintendo Switch consoles. You’ll be able to slot these devices into the X5 Alteron’s grip (like you would with a Backbone or Razer Kishi controller), although there’s also a Bluetooth option for PC gaming. Magnetic modules include those inspired by the GameCube and Nintendo 64, and there will be one with a trackpad designed for first-person shooters. There’s no price or release date for the X5 Alteron yet, but I can’t wait to try it out.
Elsewhere on the gaming front, Lenovo revealed a SteamOS-powered version of Legion Go 2. This variant of the handheld will be available in June for $1,199.
Razer had some concept material to show off, including an AI-driven headset with built-in cameras capable of recognizing objects and text, and a gaming chair with integrated haptic feedback and spatial audio. There is also a AI desktop companion device with multiple avatars to choose from, including an animated and legendary girl League of Legends Faker player.
Audio
Victrola announcement a nice Bluetooth speaker that fits perfectly under your turntables. You can also use a cable to connect the two. Of course, you can play audio from other devices, including phones and tablets. I’ve been eyeing a Victrola turntable for a while thanks to its Sonos integration, and the Soundstage speaker is also tempting. The Soundstage will be available this summer for $350.
Speaking of pretty speakers, I really like the aesthetic of these three wireless library options from Cambridge Audio. The sleek L/R Series speakers start at $549 for a 100W model with a 21mm hard-dome tweeter with a 3-inch long-throw woofer, but no Wi-Fi streaming support (there is Bluetooth aptX HD, however).
At the higher end is the $2,299 L/RX, an 800W speaker featuring a 2.5-way acoustic design with a 28mm Torus tweeter and two five-inch woofers. There’s even a touch of LED lighting on this model and the $1,599 L/RM, which has 300W of power, smaller dual four-inch woofers, and the same 28mm tweeter. All three speakers will be available later this year.
There’s a lot more audio gear at CES beyond to Victorla and Cambridge Audio speakers, of course. JBL was at the event to show off a whole bunch of headphones And gaming headsets. Shure now has a USB-C version of its MV88 condenser microphone, making it compatible with Android devices and recent iPhones. It will cost you $159. The latest version of JLab’s tiny JBuds Mini headphones now feature customizable active noise cancellation (ANC) and yet they it still costs $40.
PartyStudio seems like a fun product: it’s a MIDI speaker with 128 built-in instrument sounds and over 50 drum machine models. There is also a 36-key MIDI keyboard called PartyKeys (the speaker will work with any MIDI keyboard though). PopuMusic is the company behind both.
Anker, meanwhile, has new AeroFit 2 Pro Earbuds it’s quite interesting. These are the company’s first open earbuds with ANC. You can buy them in February for $180. There’s also a new portable Bluetooth speaker from Anker called the Soundcore Boom Go 3i. It’s a 15W unit with (according to Anker) up to 22 hours of battery life, and it’s expected to cost between $65 and $80 when it releases in March.
Engadget deputy editor Billy Steele checked out some CES audio gear, including $250 OpenFit Pro Headphones from Shokz – which support Dolby Atmos – and Fender Audio Headphones and Speakers.
Billy also got some hands-on (or head-on) time with Klipsch’s first new headphones in years. There are initially three models in the company’s Atlas series, including the Atlas HP-1, a wireless set with ANC that features a beautiful wood finish on the exterior of the earcups. Klipsch currently only allows demos with lossless audio over USB-C, but the audio quality is “excellent,” Billy wrote in its practical history.
Smart home
As always, there was a ton of smart home gear at CES this year. One thing that caught our attention is a robot vacuum cleaner concept from Dreame. It’s one of several companies working on models that can climb stairs, but the Cyber X is slightly terrifying because it has large legs that look a bit like chainsaws. The teeth on these legs help provide traction so the Cyber X can climb stairs nearly 10 inches high.
While Dreame’s vacuum cleaner positions its legs horizontally to climb stairs with tank-like traction, Roborock’s Saros rover pushes itself upward on extendable legs to reach upper floors. The legs have wheels at the bottom and knee-shaped joints – these can also help the robot vacuum lift itself above obstacles on the ground.
Narwhal built a vacuum cleaner for your mattress. The U50 is a portable model with a UV sterilization lamp. It has a high-speed tapping function that can help dislodge dirt and mites. The company also introduced a new robot vacuum and mop with a “PetCare mode” that you can use to track down your four-legged best friend and check on them when you’re not at home. You can even talk to your pet through a speaker system. Both products should be available in the spring.
Anker’s Eufy brand has a new robot vacuum cleaner toowith a video doorbell, exterior lighting and a smart lock. This one is quite interesting: Lockin’s last smart vein recognition lock can charge wirelessly via an optical infrared beam emitted by a separate device plugged into an outlet.
Along the same lines, Ring has updated its door, window and glass break sensors, and it introduced an OBD-II car alarm, motion detectors and panic buttons. Most of them will be available in March, but you can pre-order the car alarm now.
Elsewhere in home security, Ugreen announced a modular system this does not require a subscription. In a time when so many companies are desperate to sell you a subscription for a reliable monthly income, this is pretty refreshing. Devices that are part of the Ugreen platform, including a video doorbell and 4K cameras, are expected to be available later this year.
IKEA debuted at CES to showcase some of its smart home technologies, namely a series of cost-effective, Matter-enabled devices. In addition to some home sensors, the company plans to offer a $6 smart bulb, an $8 smart plug, and a $6 smart remote in the coming weeks. Senior Reporter Amy Skorheim checked the products and I particularly liked the BILREA remote control, which you can use to control IKEA lamps and other appliances.
Amy also met some quite interesting devices from Emerson Smart. The company’s in-device voice control technology means you can control its smart plugs, fans, heaters, and air fryers without a Wi-Fi connection or having to set things up via an app.
Speaking of smart bulbs, Philips announced a few Hue updates at CES. You will need a Hue Bridge Pro to use the SpatialAware functionalitywhich uses augmented reality to ensure that all the lights in a room work together harmoniously to create, for example, a more natural sunset scene. Philips will roll out SpatialAware to Hue users this spring. Apple Home support for the Hue Secure Camera, Hue Secure Video Doorbell, and Hue Contact Sensors.
Elsewhere in lighting, Govee offers a new floor lamp, as well as a ceiling light supposed simulate a skylight.
In terms of kitchen technology, GE Appliances has a new smart refrigerator designed for easy restocking. It has a built-in barcode scanner that you can use to quickly add items to a shopping list. It is possible to sync items with Instacart for grocery delivery. There’s also an interior camera that can help you keep an eye on the produce in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer. As you’d expect for a smart fridge, it has a touchscreen on the door that you can use to call up recipes. The GE Profile smart refrigerator will be available in April for $4,899. Discover Amy Skorheim’s practical history for our first impressions.
Foodmeanwhile, is an AI kitchen robot that you will be able to purchase in the coming months. Load it with ingredients, choose one of the 500 dishes from Nosh’s repertoire and the robot will prepare everything. Although it has water and oil reservoirs, as well as a built-in spice rack, you will still need to prepare fresh ingredients before adding them to the machine. Nosh will cost $2,000, but if you’re ready to pre-order now, you can purchase one for an early bird price of $1,200.
Coming out, Whisper Aero claims that the T1 Leaf Blower (from its Tone Outdoors division) is 80% quieter and 60% more powerful than “leading portable gas blowers.” It sounds pretty good on paper, so let’s hope your noisy neighbors will be convinced to shell out $599 for a one-bedroom when it arrives in September. Meanwhile, Segway’s Navimow unit has plenty of new robot lawn mowers.
Health and accessibility
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that a toilet computer makes an appearance in our roundup of weird CES technology. But if I learned anything from watching Scrubsis that our waste offers a lot of revealing information about our health, so Throne is a pretty convincing device.
It has a camera and microphone to track your bowel movements and urination level. The idea is to determine your usual toilet usage and then report any deviations from that. The creators hope Throne will help you better understand your gut health, which could be beneficial for those taking GLP-1 medications, for example. Throne will begin shipping in February for $340 and a $6 per month subscription.
Vivoo also introduced a toilet device that can monitor your urination level. Not only that, the company revealed a smart menstrual pad. The idea is that users can scan the pad with their phone’s camera after use.
Elsewhere, the latest version of the Withing Body Scan scale can track 60 biomarkers, compared to 40 that the first model of 2023 can keep an eye on. The Body Scan 2 should be available in the spring for $600.
Another health-focused product we found interesting was the Eyebot Vision Testing Booth. This kiosk aims to speed up the eye exam process with a test that only takes a few minutes. A licensed ophthalmologist working remotely will review Eyebot’s results before signing a prescription.
The kiosk cannot perform medical tests, such as the brief blast of air that ophthalmologists use to assess glaucoma risk. But Daniel Cooper, editor-in-chief of Engadget, found that Eyebot’s findings matched perfectly with the prescription he received from a professional last year.
Accessibility technology is a welcome sight at CES, and WheelMove it seems like it could be useful to many wheelchair users. This is a device with a large front wheel that can be quickly attached to any manual wheelchair. It can then raise the wheelchair’s small front wheels off the ground, primarily to help users navigate uneven terrain. The WheelMove, at $6,000, will debut in France later ard in the year before a wider deployment.
ReviMo has built a robotic elevator that it says can help people move from (for example) a bed to a wheelchair without the help of a caregiver. The company expects Niko costs about $15,000, but he is trying to get the device covered by insurance.
Dephy Companion is designed as a walking aid. It is an exoskeleton worn on the ankle and attached to a sneaker. The Sidekick has sensors capable of detecting the user’s gait and adapting to it in order to deliver an effective boost with each step.
At $4,500, the Sidekick isn’t cheap, but it could be a steal for those who may not be as physically active as they’d like. Dephy also adapts the technology for sports use: the company is working with Nike on a robotic sneaker project.
Wearable devices
Unsurprisingly, there were also a lot of wearables at CES. Pebble’s successor, Core Devices, was there with a follow-up to the Pebble Time Tourwhich debuted a little over a decade ago. The circularRound Pebble 2 has a much thinner bezel than its predecessor, a 1.3-inch color e-paper display, and a promised battery life of more than two weeks. The latest model from the relaunched smartwatch brand will arrive in May for $199, and we have I had the opportunity to try it.
There is also a Pebble smart ring called the Index 01. It has a button you can press to talk to Pebble’s Claude-powered AI when you want to remember something. Engadget Editor-in-Chief Cherlynn Low had the chance to try it out at CES, and account that Pebble and Core Devices founder Eric Migicovsky and his team might “have the right approach to creating an AI ring.”
You can pre-order the Index 01 now for $75. Once shipping begins in March, the price will jump up to $99.
There has been some intriguing news on the bracelet front, particularly in terms of the Meta ecosystem. The company itself demo a way to use one’s EMG bracelet (comes with the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses) to control other devices, such as a car’s infotainment system.
On top of that, a startup called Hapware created a haptic bracelet which works with the computer vision features of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. It’s said to be able to understand the facial expressions and other nonverbal cues of people you’re chatting with, which could be beneficial for people who are blind, visually impaired, or neurodivergent. The Alaye bracelet starts at $359. You can pay $637 for a version that includes a one-year subscription. Otherwise, the plan required by Hapware costs $29 per month.
Smart glasses were also present at CES. Xreal has given its entry-level One cinema glasses a technical upgrade and a new name. The 1S has brighter 1200p displays (instead of 1080p), a slightly wider field of view, and a lower price – $449 instead of $499. There’s a new power bank/DisplayPort hub that you can use to charge the Xreal Glasses and easily connect them to a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2. The Xreal Neo costs $99. Like the Xreal 1S, it’s available now.
ASUS and Xreal have teamed up to create a gaming-focused product. ROG Xreal R1 Smart Glasses. They feature 1080p displays with a 240Hz refresh rate. An included controller dock has two HDMI 2.0 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 port, making it easy to plug in and switch between console, handheld, and PC inputs. ASUS and Xreal have not yet announced a release date or price.
Projector manufacturer XGIMI also made his debut its first smart glasses at CES, while Lumus demonstration models with fields of view of 30 degrees and 70 degrees. IXI also had something compelling to show: a pair of glasses that can automatically focus on what you’re looking at. The company hopes to release a consumer version this year,
Other things that caught our attention
This roundup is pretty damn comprehensive (if I do say so myself), but there’s still a lot more that caught our attention at CES. Much of this technology may not fit neatly into the above categories. So let’s review some of these announcements in bullet form:
HP has revived an old trend by jam a computer inside a keyboard.
We’ve long loved Satechi’s Thunderbolt 4 docks around these parts, so you can be sure that the brand’s first Thunderbolt 5 release will make us sit up and pay attention. With the Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock with SSD enclosure and the new Pro Cable, Satechi promises support for multiple 8K monitors, 180W smart power delivery, and transfer speeds of up to 120Gbps. The dock has several other ports and slots, including a headphone jack. You can also insert an 8TB SSD into the $400 CubeDock.
Yukai Engineering Baby FuFu is a larger version of the company’s Nekojita FuFu drink cooling gadget. It’s a portable baby fan that hangs on strollers.
Anker’s Eufy introduced a baby bottle washer with built-in water softener to help remove stubborn minerals, sterilization up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ability to dry baby bottles in 40 minutes. THE S1 bottle washer also offers per-app control, the ability to clean up to eight sets of vials at once, and then the ability to keep them in sterile standby mode for up to 72 hours.
Clear the fall can compress soft plastics (such as grocery bags that recycling centers generally don’t accept) into cubes that can be recycled. It’s a compelling idea, even if the company’s device costs $1,400.
It’s always fun to learn about developments in the field of smart bird feeders. Bird Buddy introduced two new models of different sizes, each equipped with HD cameras and microphones capable of identifying birds through their songs. The larger Birdbuddy 2 also has built-in solar panels.
That’s enough for all the key news from CES 2026. Thanks for sticking with us this week!
This article was originally published on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/all-the-tech-and-gadgets-announced-at-ces-2026-130124023.html?src=rss
