CES 2024 awards: Flipping and folding laptops, AI everything, and a vibrating gaming cushion

Razer Project Esther
Best Innovation CES 2024

Generally, chairs are known for their ergonomics. When looking at gaming chairs, looks are also a large factor. But rarely do we see a device that makes gaming chairs more immersive. But that's exactly the case with Razer's Project Esther. The gaming chair cushion features haptic feedback to help you feel the game you're in. Razer Sensa HD Haptics builds on tech acquired by Razer when it purchased Interhaptics and Razer HyperSense haptics. Project Esther has 16 haptic actuators, which allow for positional haptics. If an explosion happens on your right, you'll feel it on your right. The cushion's vibrations also vary in speed, intensity, and duration. Right now, Project Esther is only a concept, but we could see its features in a consumer device in the future.

See at: Razer

Lenovo Magic Bay
Best Innovation CES 2024

Lenovo has a vision for expanding the functionality of its laptops. Magic Bay products attach to a PC, giving you an easy way to add a webcam or other accessories to your laptop. Lenovo showed off several concepts this year. Let's just say many are more dramatic than a webcam with built-in speakers (the Magic Bay Studio is the only Magic Bay accessory you can buy for now). Since Magic Bay utilizes pogo pins, the tech supports a range of accessories, including a concept secondary display you can pop on top of your laptop. Lenovo also has a robot companion and a fan to connect to a supported laptop. Some accessories seem more practical, while others are more adventurous, such as an aromatherapy accessory for essential oils. They certainly show off the concept.

See at Lenovo

ASUS ZenBook Duo
Best Laptop CES 2024

Gone is the small secondary display of the ZenBook Duo. ASUS swapped it out for a full display, resulting in a gorgeous laptop with a pair of 3K OLED 120Hz screens. You can use the laptop like a portable workstation by stacking its screens one above the other or use it like a traditional clamshell laptop. Doing the latter is possible thanks to a keyboard that attaches magnetically. At first glance, you wouldn't know the ZenBook Duo even had a second display if the device had the keyboard attached. Inside, the ZenBook Duo runs on up to an Intel Core 9 processor, making it cutting edge in more than its screen setup.

See at ASUS

LG Ultragear OLED 32GS95UE
Best Gaming CES 2024

When buying a gaming monitor, you no longer have to choose between a high refresh rate and high resolution. The LG UltraGear 32GS95UE can swap between 4K at 240Hz and FHD at 480Hz with the push of a single button. The 32-inch OLED monitor also has a 0.03ms GtG response time and supports NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. Based on its specs, it could be one of the best 4K gaming monitors and one of the best 480Hz gaming monitors (though not at the same time). The LG UltraGear 32GS95UE is the first UltraGear monitor with a Dual-Hz design. It's an exciting addition to the lineup and the gaming monitor space as a whole.

See at LG

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid
Best Innovation CES 2024

Would you like an Android tablet or a Windows laptop? Why not both? Lenovo delivers that idea with its unique 2-in-1 unveiled at CES 2024. The device's base is a Windows laptop powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, but the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid's display is also a fully functional standalone tablet. That tablet runs on a separate Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. Unlike Microsoft's Surface Book, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid's two halves can run independently, though you'll need an external display.

See at Lenovo

MSI Claw
Best Gaming CES 2024

The name of the MSI Claw is likely a play on the company's logo, but it also refers to you getting your claws around a gaming console. MSI highlighted the effort put into the ergonomics of the Claw when announcing it at CES 2024. The handheld gaming console features Hall Effect triggers, analog sticks, and pretty RGB lighting. But the MSI Claw stands out because it runs on an Intel Core Ultra mobile processor. That's a stark contrast to the AMD chips seen inside just about every other handheld gaming console.

See at MSI

Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16
Best Laptop CES 2024

Last year, Dell revamped its XPS lineup by introducing the XPS 13 Plus. This year, that radical redesign made its way to larger form factors in the XPS 14 and XPS 16. Both new laptops feature edge-to-edge displays, zero-lattice keyboards, and haptic trackpads. They also have a row of capacitive function keys. Inside, the XPS 14 and XPS 16 run on Intel Core Ultra processors. Those chips are more efficient and powerful than their predecessors and feature Neutral Processing Units (NPUs), which specialize in AI tasks.

See at Dell

ASUS Zephyrus
Best Innovation CES 2024

ASUS made a drastic change with the design of the Zephyrus G14 and for the better. The 14-inch gaming laptop has a sleek design, largely thanks to its aluminum chassis. The entire body of the laptop is aluminum, making it look and feel premium. That material also lets the Zephyrus G14 compete with more premium gaming laptops. The fact that you can get the laptop with up to a Ryzen 9 and RTX 4070 also helps it compete. ASUS packed in some stunning design elements, including a light strip along the back of the laptop. Open up the Zephyrus G14, and you'll see a massive trackpad, an RGB keyboard, and a 3K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

See at ASUS

XREAL Air 2 Ultra
Best Accessory CES 2024

XREAL already holds a 51% stake in the augmented reality category, which could increase thanks to XREAL Air Ultra 2. They're the first smart glasses from the company to feature built-in cameras, allowing support for hand tracking and interacting with real-world objects. Like XREAL's other smart glasses, the XREAL Air Ultra 2 can also mirror a device's screen with a USB-C output.

See at XREAL

Alienware 32 4K QD-OLED
Best Display CES 2024

OLED displays are great for gaming, especially now that there are options with high refresh rates. However, OLED tech has some drawbacks, such as its relatively low max brightness. QD-OLED displays add quantum dot technology to OLED screens, resulting in a panel that overcomes the weaknesses of OLED while keeping its strengths. The Alienware 32 4K QD-OLED Gaming Monitor is the "world's first 4K QD-OLED gaming monitor with Dolby Vision HDR," according to Dell. It has a curved 4K display with a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time. Dolby Vision HDR, VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400, NVIDIA G-SYNC support, and VESA AdaptiveSync support round out a spec sheet that would be impressive on any display. Combine those specs with QD-OLED, and you have a gaming monitor with serious chops.

See at Dell