CES Focuses on AI, not Consumers

CES took place last week, with much of the discussion around the event focused on AI. We take a look at some of the gaming components that were shown, and some that weren’t. Also, we have a TGL Game of the Year! All this and the latest news for you to peruse. Let’s go!

CES is uninspiring for gaming

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) usually is awash with data on the latest gaming technology. All the latest peripherals and hardware are on display. However, with AI companies claiming the resources necessary for gamers to update their rigs, CES was somewhat bland for those who are actual consumers. 

Video card makers Nvidia and AMD had little new to show in the way of hardware for gaming. Some expected Nvidia’s 50-series Super cards to make an appearance, but these were not mentioned during CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote. Rumors floated last year suggested Nvidia would give their current top-of-the-line GPUs a 50% VRAM upgrade with the Super model, while keeping the newer cards the same price. However, with RAM being in high demand for AI and prices skyrocketing these Super cards were not shown. Instead Nvidia focused on software changes that allow better upscaling to their existing line of graphic cards. The only “new” card being discussed for gamers is a rumor that Nvidia might bring back their RTX 3060, which originally released in 2020. 

AMD barely touched on gaming during their keynote, focusing instead on, you guessed it, AI. They did announce a new CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D. Intel announced a new integrated GPU, the Panther Lake. It seems to be the only good news for people who like to game on PC. 

Some of the other top stories from the show:

• Alienware is working on new gaming laptops that are slimmer and cheaper. 
• Lenovo announced its newest portable gaming device, the Legion Go 2, which is scheduled to release in June. 
• Asus is partnering with Kojima Productions to create a new ROG tablet and various peripherals. 
• HP is merging its HyperX and OMEN brands on its new line of gaming laptops. 
• Razer announced a number of new products, including their project Motoko line, which adds AI to their headset.

Want more? Check out this list of gaming tech shown off at CES.

The Games Letter’s GOTY

We tallied the votes, and now have our third annual TGL Games of the Year. Congratulations to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for taking home the top honor for video games and Vantage for winning best board game. 

You can read about the winners in other categories in our recent article. Thanks to all our subscribers who voted.

Side Quests (more stories worth reading)

🏬 We compiled a searchable database of all the GameStop stores that are closing across the U.S. Find out if yours will remain open. 

📉 Holiday sales of the Switch 2 in the U.S. were down 35% compared with the Switch 1. 

❎ Xbox announced a Developer Direct for Jan. 22 that will focus on Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Beast of Reincarnation and one surprise entry. 

🏛️ A new report says that Discord confidentially filed to go public with an IPO.

🤠 8 years after the game was released, Red Dead Redemption 2 players believe they’ve uncovered a new mystery.

🫢 Microsoft studio Machine Games is reportedly working on a new Wolfenstein game and a “Rainbow Six Siege-style” multiplayer title.

🏆 The D.I.C.E. Award nominations are out, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Ghost of Yotei both leading the way with eight. 

🫗 Europe's game rating website leaked information about a new Life is Strange game. 

🎮 PlayStation announced their latest DualSense controller and console covers design, called the The Hyperpop Collection.

🎮 Nintendo also announced their first new colors for their Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers. 

🚀 Blizzard is planning to reveal a StarCraft first-person shooter at BlizzCon later this year.

👾 Avowed is coming to PlayStation on Feb. 17. 

📏 Splitgate Arena Reloaded devs responded to low player count, saying “Steam Charts don’t measure fun.”

☹️ Ubisoft shut down its Halifax studio just weeks after it unionized. 

🩺 Nine years after it first aired, fans discovered an episode of Doctor Who used an image of a dragon skeleton from a Skyrim wiki. 

👎🏼 EA is shutting down the servers required to play Anthem Jan. 12, rendering the game unplayable. 

📆 PlayStation’s top 5 list of most-played games on the console in the U.S. for 2025 is identical to the list for 2024. 

😢 Sega co-founder David Rosen passed away at age 95.

📈 Round numbers: Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles sold 1 million copies, Shape of Dreams sold 1 million units and Detroit: Become Human sold over 15 million copies.

New Releases this week:

1/15: The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon (PlayStation, Switch and PC)
1/16: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC)
1/16: BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW (PlayStation, Xbox and PC)

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