The CES show floor is often a wild, seemingly lawless place where you’ve got e-Bikes and vacuum cleaners next to dancing robots and beauty tech. While the show does attempt to categorize all the vendors into specific areas, the boundaries are often wobbly and it’s easy to get lost in the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center or the Venetian Expo for days.
While the more sensational displays dominate most headlines, CES is still fundamentally a consumer electronics show. Of course, most attendees are dazzled by various iterations of the Boston Dynamics robot dog and autonomous cars, you can still find some gems of various computing innovations from VR and AR headsets to holographic displays to quirky design concepts.
Asus ROG XREAL R1 AR glasses
The ROG XREAL R1 AR glasses could have easily gotten lost in the deluge of products Asus debuted at CES this year, except that they’re exceptionally cool and stood out anyway.
Asus has debuted AR glasses before, but the new XREAL collab version comes with an ROG Control Dock which allows you to easily switch between device inputs on the glasses. So you can switch between your PC, your game console, or your handheld with a “single click.” No more fiddling with clunky wires or bluetooth pairing.
Outside of the ROG Control Dock, the R1 glasses feature the same premium build quality XREAL is known for with 0.55-inch, 1920 x 1080, Sony OLED displays with a peak brightness of 700 nits, and a 57-degree field of view. This essentially makes the ROG XREAL R1s an Asus-branded version of the XREAL One Pro glasses.
OneXPlayer Sugar 1 handheld
OneXPlayer can always be trusted to have a few bonkers handheld devices on show, and this year was no different. The OneXSugar Sugar 1 handheld is a dual-screen handheld gaming PC that can be converted between a single screen or dual-screen layout, and the controller grips can even swing around for a Nintendo DS style setup.
And that means the OneXSugar Sugar 1 could become the flagship handheld for Nintendo DS emulation, since traditional single-screen devices often struggle to cope with the way DS games were built to utilize the dual-display in gameplay.
Of course, the actual tech specs of the OneXSugar Sugar 1 handheld leaves a lot to be desired. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 processor, the OneXSugar will struggle to play more modern games. The OneXSugar Sugar 1 exists more as a proof of concept than a full consumer device, though it is on the market. But the joy of the Sugar 1 isn’t how well it works, but what it represents.
And I’m here for the continued evolution of the handheld gaming PC market, because it’s one of the few genuinely exciting aspects of modern gaming.
HyperX Clutch Tachi Leverless Xbox Arcade Controller
Arcade controllers are getting fancier than ever, and the HyperX Clutch Tachi Leverless Xbox and PC Arcade Controller just might be the most extra of them all.
Not only is the product’s name about 4 descriptors too long, the Clutch Tachi also features TMR switches for lightning-fast inputs, fully mappable keys, customizable RGB, adjustable legs, and open source files to customize the faceplate and buttons to match your favorite arcade cabinet.
Wacom is an industry standard for digital artists and illustrators, though most professionals stick to Wacom’s Cintiq line of artist tablets rather than the more entry-level Wacom One. While the company is known for its artist displays, tablets are becoming more and more popular as a digital art solution, and thus the Wacom MovinkPad was born.
It’s a small, light Android tablet with Wacom’s custom studio software pre-installed, though it is an Android device so you can load whichever design apps you prefer.
While the Apple iPad Pro will likely still reign as the artist tablet king for now, seeing some competition in the space is always great. And Wacom’s pens are some of the best options on the market. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Evangelion collab?
Arkalink One
The Arkalink One is a tabletop roleplaying game expansion accessory that can enhance your gameplay experience with voice-driven animations and app-based customization options for the screen animations. It’s got a magnetic faceplate that you can swap out, or 3D print custom options to match your game and character style.
Whether you use it to track stats and spell slots, use it as part of your tabletop terrain, or make it into a digital prop, there’s plenty of uses for the Arkalink One. Combined with its Arca Studio software for session recaps and recordings, and it’s the kind of D&D accessory that could be a lifesaver for groups with terrible schedule management.
Hyper HyperDrive Next USB-4 V2 M.2 PCIe enclosure
PCIe enclosures are hard to make interesting. It’s a box you slap a drive into, and let it do its thing.
What makes the HyperDrive Next USB-4 V2 enclosure fascinating is its tech specs. Offering 80Gbps speeds, modular PCIe expansion, IP55 protection, and 25W of power delivery, it’s one of the better drive enclosures in terms of flexibility, ease of use, and durability. Plus, you can use it for more than just SSDs. If you want, you can use the HyperDrive to add an M.2 AI accelerator to your laptop or desktop without needing a full CPU overhaul.
Sharp Poketomo
AI companion devices were big at CES this year. And for folks who live in apartments that aren’t pet-friendly or who have lives that aren’t conducive to pet ownership, I can see the appeal of having a virtual companion. But many of the other AI companion bots look like Cyberpunk Furbies.
The Sharp Poketomo is a cute, adorable little AI companion that doesn’t look like it’ll haunt my dreams. The companion bot expresses feelings through LEDs and sounds, but it’s cute face and tiny 12cm body makes it easy on the eyes. It’s also easy to carry around, comes with cute outfits, and there’s an entire online community dedicated to making more cute outfits for these little AI companions in a way that feels wholesome and not creepy, which is more than I can say for most of the other AI companion bots out there.
MSI Claw 8 AI+ Glacier Blue
Technically, the Claw 8 AI+ isn’t a new product. It’s been seen at various tradeshows since it debuted behind glass at Computex in 2024, but for the show this year MSI trotted out a brand new colorway for its critically acclaimed Claw 8 AI+ handheld.
While I wouldn’t often waste time in a CES roundup talking about an older product, the fact is, I’m bored of the same black, white, and silver tech. It’s popular, but it’s also boring. So I’d like to reinforce MSI’s decision to go with bold colors on the Claw lineup. Give me more blue, purple, and neon green gaming hardware, thanks.
