While CES isn’t actually a gaming convention, the latest tech innovations often interact with video games in some ways. At CES 2019, we’ve had the chance to check out a bevy of cool products connected to the gaming world. As hard as it is to pick our favorite gaming tech on display, that’s exactly what we’ve done here. From awesome gaming laptops to the Teslasuit, here are the coolest pieces of gaming tech we saw at CES 2019.
DOF Robotics Hurricane 360
https://twitter.com/feliciavagabond/status/1082816363712794624
DOF Robotics makes a variety of simulation rides that utilize a bunch of different technologies, including 4D displays, virtual reality, and augmented reality. At CES 2019, the innovative company showed off the Hurricane 360, a three-seat ride with VR functionality. As you can see in the video above, each rider wears a VR headset to take them off into a different world. If you’re prone to motion sickness, the upside down flips and abrupt movements coupled with the immersion of VR may not be for you. But it sure does look fun, right?
What’s particularly interesting about the Hurricane 360 is that the ride experience changes based on the application, creating a dynamic experience rather than the same old thing you get with traditional roller coasters.
Disney Technologia School of Magic
Created by Life is Tech and produced by former Square Enix Chief Technical Officer Yoshihisa Hashimoto, Disney Technologia School of Magic is the latest interactive experienced designed to get youngsters into programming. And we have to say, this is one of the coolest “learn to code” applications we’ve seen thus far. Set up as both a game and a teaching tool, the School of Magic somewhat resembles Kingdom Hearts. As a new student at a magical school, you go through a variety of Disney worlds to help out iconic characters such as Rapunzel, Goofy, Snow White, and Winnie the Pooh.
Throughout the 14 quests (100 hours of course content), you need to assist the Disney characters with their problems by coding. The full coursework covers web design, multimedia art, and game design. Kids will learn the basics of JavaScript and HTML/CSS. It combines Disney magic and learning. What more could you ask for?
Atari Pong Tables
The Atari Pong Coffee Table was one of the coolest things we saw at CES 2018. The gorgeously designed table made the classic game cool again. This year, Calinfer and Unis Technology have unveiled two new additions to the Pong table family.
The Atari Pong Arcade Table is designed for arcades and entertainment rooms. While the Coffee Table version was a sit and play experience, the Arcade Table is meant for standing like you would in an arcade. It’s coin-operated and can even dispense tickets.
The Atari Pong Cocktail Table has a square design perfect for bars and entertainment rooms. The stand’s height can be adjusted as you please for both sitting and standing play. The game itself has three difficulty levels and a water-resistant seal on the display, because drinking while playing a heated game of Pong can lead to some spillage. It does have drink holders, so you can be a little responsible.
Teslasuit
Last year at CES, we spoke to Teslasuit CTO Dimitri Mikhalchuk about the VR bodysuit. This year, Digital Trends gaming editor Felicia Miranda had the opportunity to try it out.
The Teslasuit is the stuff of science fiction, but it’s real. The Teslasuit has an advanced haptic feedback system. When gaming in VR while wearing the sleek suit, you can feel when you touch things in a game and it’s realistic in terms of force (not to the point of hurting you, though). The haptic system can even be re-programmed to add your own effects. In addition to the haptic feedback system, the suit has climate control and biometric features as well as a full-motion capture suite. When the suit launches, it figures to be quite pricey and have appeal with both developers and consumers.
Gaming laptops
If you’re in the market for a new gaming computer, CES 2019 was home to a number of impressive gaming laptop reveals.
The Alienware Area-51m particularly caught our attention due to one killer feature. You can swap out the GPU and CPU anytime you want. It also boasts a desktop-quality processor from the jump. It’s much sleeker than the traditional gaming laptop as well.
Razer unveiled its follow-up to the great Razer Blade 15. Dubbed the Razer Blade Advanced it has more powerful options under the hood while maintaining its gorgeous look. We also liked the MSI GS75 Stealth, which comes with an Intel Core i7 processor and GeForce RTX 2080 GPU.
More CES 2019 coverage
- Our CES 2019 Hub: The latest news, hands-on reviews, and more
- HTC shows off two new headsets, a VR browser, and ‘Netflix for VR’
- HP Omen X Emperium: a 65-inch gaming monitor for your living room
- NES and Famicom join forces on new mini console, mini arcade cabinets
- The coolest new gadgets and gizmos from the CES 2019 show floor
One of the more intriguing gaming laptops we saw, the Acer Predator Triton 900, was a 2-in-1 featuring four distinct modes (laptop, easel, display, and reversed). It boasts similar specs as the MSI GS75 Stealth. Lastly, the Asus ROG G703 stood out for its approach for storage, which sees three SSDs come together to create one of the fastest gaming laptops money can buy.
Full rundowns of these laptops are available in our best gaming laptops of CES 2019 roundup.
Alienware 55 gaming monitor
Alienware’s 55-inch OLED gaming monitor made our mouths water. In fact, we called it “the most beautiful gaming monitor we’ve ever seen.” Yes, it’s that impressive. While you can buy a TV with an OLED screen already, the Alienware 55 is the first gaming monitor to boast a gorgeous OLED display. Along with the HDR-enabled OLED display, the Alienware 55 has a 120Hz refresh rate, which is important when running games at super high framerates. A release date or price hasn’t been announced, but we’re thoroughly excited for its arrival.
