Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Shacknews is back from our annual journey to the Consumer Electronics Show. Our findings ranged from technological marvels, to useful tools, to wild and weird discoveries. With the big show still fresh in our minds, the staff came together to assemble a list of products that we wanted to recognize as our favorite findings from the show.
Here we go! Here are Shacknews' Best of CES 2025 picks:
NVIDIA's latest GPU generation is certainly worthy of mention. There's a lot of hype surrounding the RTX 5070, RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090. The Blackwell GPUs boast far greater performance than their predecessors, packing more shader units, an increase in VRAM, and faster GDDR7 memory. Those improvement percentage figures only get higher upon hitting the high-end RTX 5090.
Professional users will undoubtedly be enticed by the Blackwell units' ability to quickly process various AI-related tasks. Of course, not everybody is concerned with that. Some folks just want to play video games. For that, the lower-end RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 will more than suffice, offering a substantial upgrade over the 40 series Ada GPUs, including the RTX 4090. They'll also be available at a reasonable price, with the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti coming in at $549 USD and $749 USD, respectively.
Stern Pinball brought an advancement in the classic game that we certainly never saw coming. Read more about it in our preview.
LG brought incredible advancements in televisions to this year's CES to the point that it was hard to nail down a specific favorite. Ultimately, the honors go to the LG OLED Evo G5 and its unparalleled brightness tech. Most of the Evo G5 models will come with Brightness Booster Ultimate tech included, allowing this TV to burn bright. That's remarkable considering that LG is shipping the new Evo G5s without Micro Lens Array technology.
Even better, for the purposes of our gaming-minded readers, the LG OLED Evo G5 will come with a 165Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 inputs, and AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-Sync support. Whether watching movies or gaming on the current console generation, the LG OLED Evo G5 TV looks top-notch. Just be aware that there's no pricing information available, so maybe don't wishlist this thing just yet.
If you're looking for something more dedicated to your PC, LG also brought an amazing new monitor to CES. The UltraGear GX9 comes with hefty 45-inch or 39-inch displays, each supporting 21:9 resolution at a staggering 5K2K (5120 x 2160) resolution. It offers the clarity that's to be expected out of an LG OLED panel, utilizing the company's Anti-Glare & Low Reflection (AGLR) tech, but is also certified for low blue light emissions, allowing for longer gaming sessions.
Speaking of gaming sessions, how do you like your monitor: flat or curved? The UltraGear GX9 comes with a bendable OLED panel allowing for both. NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro certification make this the ideal gaming monitor while webOS also allows for additional entertainment apps.
Expect these monitors to come at a high-end price, but for what they offer, they certainly appear to be worth the expense.
XREAL has stayed committed to the AR game and the One Pro AR glasses may be its best product to date. These sleek glasses allow for users to view ultrawide displays from within their lenses, coming in at a high-quality virtual 171-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. There is a sense of an optical illusion doing most of the legwork. After all, a pair of glasses can't replicate the clarity of an actual high-end TV or monitor. However, the 57-degree field of view was impressive, as was the ability to switch between Anchor and Follow modes with the simple side tap. There's also an Ultrawide setting, though time constraints didn't allow me to try this one out.
The XREAL One Pro's versatility was what impressed me the most with its USB-C connector allowing for connections to mobile devices, handhelds, and the Nintendo Switch. An HDMI adapter can also allow for connections to other hardware, as I saw when I tried out Batman: Arkham Knight on the Xbox One.
As far as AR glasses go, the XREAL One Pro is at the top of its class. Those looking for a different way to game may want to give this a look, even if the $599 USD asking price sounds a bit steep. The XREAL One Pro is expected to ship in March.
In the world of gaming handhelds, "refinement in design" appeared to be a major theme. First up is the Lenovo Legion Go S, which comes in Windows 11 and SteamOS varieties. Boasting an 8-inch WUXGA touch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and 120Hz refresh rate, the Legion Go S comes equipped with either the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go or AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chips, 32GB RAM, and up to 1TB of storage with a MicroSD card slot also available.
It does the job performance-wise, but more importantly, it feels like it has a more comfortable grip. Weighing less than two pounds with a refined form factor, it fits a user's hands much better than its predecessor, making it ideal for longer gaming sessions.
Likewise, the new MSI Claw is a noticeable improvement over last year's model. MSI's handheld also offers an 8-inch display, though this one is not a touch panel. This system uses an Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 processor with 32GB RAM and an M.2. SSD slot. That may not sound impressive, but the Claw makes up for that somewhat with two Thunderbolt 4 ports and Wi-Fi 7 support.
Like the Lenovo Go S, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has been redesigned with comfort in mind. The handheld now fits more comfortably in a user's hand, seemingly crafted for all sorts of hand sizes. The handheld also comes with fresh analog sticks, bumpers, D-pad, and buttons for a more refreshing gaming experience.
LCD displays inside PC cases are not exactly a new phenomenon, but Corsair has taken the idea to the next level with the Corsair Xeneon Edge. This is a 14.5" touchscreen IPS panel with a 2560 x 720 resolution that can be used in a variety of ways. It can be latched onto the side of a user's PC through the device's magnetic universal mounting system, which is comprised of 14 magnets. Heck, with that many magnets, it can attach to many other surfaces for the sake of convenience. There's also a desk stand, in case users want to place it elsewhere on their work stations.
The Xeneon Edge's uses are numerous. It can be used as a window into their current resource usage, it can integrate with applications like Spotify, it can be used for Discord, and Corsair is even talking about eventually integrating support for sister company Elgato's Stream Deck. Both HDMI and USB connections are supported, making the Xeneon Edge a fine addition outside of your PC or as part of the rig itself.
PC builders will want to keep an eye on Corsair this year. The Corsair Frame 4000D Modular Case allows for full versatility when putting together your latest rig. Nearly every single piece of the case is swappable or replaceable, whether it's the front panel, the motherboard mounting tray, or the different rails. This level of versatility also allows for users to opt for different materials for their rig, potentially swapping out metal components for other more decorative designs or even different materials, like acrylic. Cable management is also a dream with multiple zip ties included that can be arranged in different ways.
The possibilities for this case are endless. An improved airflow also makes it ideal for some of those new GPUs that are about to hit the market.
Gunnar had a full lineup of glasses at CES this year, which included a collaboration with Call of Duty and a new line aimed at women. However, the most interesting frames on display were the Venture glasses. This utilizes electrochromatic lens technology that allows users to set their lens tint through a slider along the side of the frames. It was a hoot to see in action and go a long way towards separating these frames from other glasses on the market.
We're not hard to please at Shacknews. Offer something practical that makes our gaming lives better and easier and we'll honor it. Razer isn't reinventing any wheels with the Razer Handheld Dock Chroma, but this might be the best third-party dock I've seen. Utilizing 100W power passthrough with three USB-A ports, one USB-C port, an HDMI 2.0 port, and an Ethernet port, the Handheld Dock Chroma's versatility is unmatched. Whether you're using it for your Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, ROG Ally, or other handheld device, Razer will support it capably while also giving it some sparkle through its signature RGB Chroma technology.
This could entirely be because Razer's ruthless price points have beaten me down over the years, but hearing that the Razer Handheld Dock Chroma will retail for $79.99 USD was a huge eye-opener. That's about the same price point as official docks from Nintendo and Steam, making this a rare value from a brand usually known for higher price points.
We're admittedly late to the cocktail party on this one. The Bartesian has been honored at several past CES conventions, but this is the first time that Shacknews encountered the at-home cocktail maker. Operating with Keurig-style technology, the Bartesian does all the heavy lifting when it comes to combining ingredients and mixing them all together with different flavor pods. Simply set it and forget it, whether you want something to take the edge off or something to make you really forget your troubles.
After some long days at CES, it was nice to settle down with a lemon drop, allowing me to close this feature with something that's off the beaten gaming path. Cheers to founder Ryan Close. The Bartesian is available now for $349 USD.
That's what stood out to us when walking the floor of this year's Consumer Electronics Show. There was a lot that caught our eye, so be sure to check out Shacknews' various channels, including YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and more for a closer look at everything we saw.