After numerous leaks and rumors, the cat is finally out of the bag. The next ASUS Republic of Gamers handheld PC isn’t the Ally 2 but the ROG Ally X as expected. While some might see it as simply splitting hairs, the naming does make a difference. It still has the beating heart of the first ROG Ally, but with a few extras that respond to the criticisms and requests of the gaming community who embraced this more portable form factor right off the bat. From some perspectives, those extras are really small and subtle, especially if looking at it from the outside. But with enough of those changes working together, the ROG Ally X is positioning itself to be a more powerful companion that will let you play more games longer.

Designer: ASUS ROG

Just from a glance, you might not be able to tell that this is in any way different from the OG ROG Ally, at least except for its new all-black motif. It still boggles the mind why ASUS chose white for its first iteration, a color that’s almost alien to gamers’ palettes, though it did help the ROG Ally stand out from its rivals. If you look more closely, however, and hold the device in your hands, you might notice how things are somewhat different, hopefully for the better.

The handles, for example, are rounder now, which helps improve the grip that’s critical to a handheld device. The back triggers now come at an angle for better ergonomics, while the joystick and D-pad have been improved to be more durable and more precise. The biggest changes, however, are on the inside, where every little thing counts if it’s meant to improve the gaming experience.

It’s still the same AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme as the original ROG Ally, but that mobile gaming processor is now paired with 24GB of DDR-7500 RAM, up from 16GB in the first iteration. The storage capacity has been doubled to up to 1TB, but the bigger surprise is that ASUS is making it easier to upgrade it. The battery has also been doubled to 80Wh, which means you’ll have more time playing before you need to plug the little monster in. To compensate for this newfound power, ASUS ROG promises an improved thermal cooling solution so you won’t burn your hand while you play.

There is at least one change that some might consider a downgrade, depending on how attached they’ve become to ASUS’ proprietary XG external graphics port. In its place, the ROG Ally X uses a more standard Thunderbolt-compatible USB-C port that could still work with external GPUs but also with a lot more devices as well. Given all these changes, it’s no surprise that the ASUS ROG Ally X will cost more than its predecessor at $799.99. Then again, this version is squarely aimed at power gamers, and those who can live with the bare minimum can still get the older model, at least for now.

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We have seen no shortage of retro designs that try to recreate the glory of old product designs, especially in the gaming world. Many of these try to be as faithful as they can to the original, but some are content to add a few interesting twists like sticking to the spirit of the design and the experience. A Game Boy, for example, was one of the earliest handheld gaming devices to gain international fame, but that doesn’t mean it has to stick to that petite size today. In fact, this DIY retro project goes in the opposite direction and brings the green-tinted monochrome display of the OG Game Boy to an extra large arcade cabinet screen, complete with a joystick and buttons that could feel more satisfying to mash to quickly get through dialogues.

Designer: Shaun Campbell (didsomebodysayretro)

Compared even to its colorful successor, the original Game Boy felt a bit underwhelming. Despite that, it opened gamers of the past generations to a world of gaming that they can take anywhere with them. In addition to special features that allowed them to link up with other Game Boy devices, the gaming handheld embodied a kind of freedom that was revolutionary in an age of home consoles. It’s almost ironic, then, that the WoodBoy project removes that portable design but exchanges it with another of the Game Boy’s popular traits: pure gaming fun.

In a nutshell, WoodBoy shoves the original Game Boy, not the Game Boy Color, into a handmade wooden arcade cabinet. This gives it a much larger screen than the minuscule 2.5-inch screen of the handheld original, something a bit better for today’s more discerning eyes. In fact, everything about the arcade is an upscaled version of the Game Boy, redefined for, well, arcade play. Instead of a gigantic D-pad, for example, you get a more satisfying joystick for directional control.

Curiously, WoodBoy eschews the traditional 2×2 button arrangement you might find on most arcades for two red buttons at the top and two black buttons on the front edge of the cabinet. This mimics the separation of the A, B, Start, and Select buttons on the Game Boy and minimizes the potential for confusion or erroneous presses. At the same time, however, that might make it harder to hit pause quickly with either of your hands if it has to travel to the front.

What makes WoodBoy different from many DIY retro projects is that it runs actual original Game Boy cartridges rather than using emulation. It utilizes a kit that mods the original Game Boy device into a console, making it compatible with authentic cartridges and games. That, of course, makes it dependent on owning said cartridges, but WoodBoy is definitely a collector’s product anyway.

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While LEGO’s released quite a few game-themed playsets in the past few years (the Super Mario and Animal Crossing ones immediately come to mind), they’ve notably missed one title that’s arguably had just as big an impact (if not bigger) on the gaming community as Mario and Animal Crossing. I’m sure Zelda fans have waited with bated breath for the day LEGO dropped a Zelda-themed playset and looks like that wait finally paid off. LEGO’s first official Zelda Playset captures the Great Deku Tree in a 2-in-1 build that lets you either make a variant of the tree shown in its early stages, or in full-bloom as shown in the franchise’s 2017 game, Breath of the Wild. The set also includes a whole slew of familiar characters like Zelda, Link, and many more!

Designer: LEGO

Clocking in at a hefty 2,500 pieces, The Great Deku Tree offers a unique two-in-one build experience. Zelda veterans can choose to construct the iconic tree as it appears in the opening chapter of The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, complete with a section inspired by the Deku Tree Dungeon and a miniature replica of Link’s house in Kokiri Village. Feeling a touch more recent? The set also allows you to build the weathered and majestic Great Deku Tree from Breath of the Wild, complete with hidden Koroks.

Beyond the impressive tree itself, the set boasts a treasure trove of characters and accessories to bring Hyrule to life. We’re talking buildable figures of Link (both his classic and Breath of the Wild incarnations), Zelda, and even a creepy-crawly Skulltula. The set also includes iconic items like the Deku Shield, the Sheikah Slate, and the legendary Master Sword, nestled snugly in its pedestal.

With intricate details, playable features, and a whopping piece count, The Great Deku Tree promises an immersive building experience for Zelda fans of all ages. Whether you yearn for the nostalgia of Ocarina of Time or prefer the open-world adventure of Breath of the Wild, this Lego set caters to both sides of the Hyrulean coin.

The Legend of Zelda Great Deku Tree set is available for pre-order now for $300, with a release date set for September 1st. So grab your rupees, dust off your Master Sword replica (safety first!), and get ready to embark on a Lego brick adventure through the beloved world of Zelda.

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The Raspberry Pi, lovingly called RPi by fans, did for electronics what 3D printing did for design. It allowed almost anyone to come up with interesting, innovative, and sometimes just amusing projects that need a very small and cheap computer to function. The size of a credit card and less than $100 (going as low as $35 even!), the Raspberry Pi is a barebones and naked single-board computer (SBC) that you can insert almost anywhere and add to any design. That said, there are some use cases for the RPi that require a proper enclosure and those are a dime a dozen these days. This one case, in particular, goes over the top and puts the small pocket-sized computer inside a box that, for all intents and purposes, looks like a miniaturized gaming desktop, complete with multiple fans and RGB lighting.

Designer: Sunfounder

Truth be told, this Raspberry Pi 5 case really goes overboard considering the limitations of the computer in terms of performance. You’ll only ever be able to play very light computer games on it, so associating it with a gaming desktop seems out of character, but it definitely gives it some style. Then again, we did see an even more exaggerated liquid cooling system for the Raspberry Pi that makes this case actually look reasonable.

The Pironman 5, as the case is called, is also unlike the majority of Raspberry Pi cases in that it’s actually made of aluminum instead of plastic, just like a typical desktop tower. And like many gaming PCs these days, one side and a part of its back it made of transparent acrylic that lets you take a peek into the computer’s innards, not that there’s that much to see anyway. The RPi, after all, is just a single board that has everything soldered into it, but the case does have a few interesting bits that will make it worth looking into.

There are three fans, which is again overkill, and two of them have RGB lighting. Equally interesting is how the case exposes all the RPi’s ports on the case’s back, just like what you’d expect from a desktop computer, despite the board having those ports on different sides. There’s even a way to access the GPIO pins without opening up the case, making expansion and modification super easy. You can add an NVMe SSD or control the computer with an IR remote control, all of which are not available in the base Raspberry Pi.

The Pironman 5 is cute and eccentric, and few will probably be using the case aside from a few niche situations. It makes the single-board computer look more interesting and more usable as a desktop computer, but you pay the price in terms of space, power consumption, and the literal $80 cost. Then again, that’s the beauty of the culture that the RPi started, allowing anyone and everyone to come up with interesting designs, even if they turn out to be impractical in the end.

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Liking for retro game-inspired handhelds has surged in the last few years, thus, prompting proactive manufacturers to catch up on the trend. Anbernic is not letting this opportunity go with a variety of gaming handhelds including the RG35XX H, RG353P, RG35XXSP, and the RG556 (very unconventional naming conventions has to be said) already released this year.

Add to that lineup the latest RG Cube which comes loaded with a Unisoc T820 processor, capable enough to play titles from the Nintendo 6 and Dreamcast. According to the company, it doesn’t stop there as the handheld should also play select titles from the PS 2, GameCube, Wii, and Nintendo 3DS in emulation mode.

Designer: Anbernic

The cute Android 13-powered gadget has a 3.95-inch IPS touchscreen (720×720) with a 1:1 display ratio which to be honest should affect the visuals in some of the newer titles. The octa-core processor (maxes at 2.7 GHz speed) mated to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM is supported by an 850MHz GPU capable of producing 1080p resolution visuals at an impressive 120fps. The buck doesn’t stop there as RG Cube has 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage with expandable storage of up to 2TB via a MicroSD card.

For extended gaming hauls, the handheld boasts a battery life of 7 hours courtesy of the 5200mAh battery life. The in-built fan provides active cooling when things get too hot. Most gamers should love this compact gaming player since it has RGB lighting effects, a gyroscope sensor, a vibration motor, D-Pad input, action buttons, shoulder triggers, and Hall Effect joysticks that should last long without any malfunctions. Playing classic games on this one will be a treat with the stereo speakers in-built, USB-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack for purists.

Anbernic has not announced the pricing or release date of the gaming handled yet or the pricing. At launch, the RG Cube will come in three color options: Beige White, Radiant Purple, and Gray.

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Gaming on the go is quite popular these days, whether it’s on a mobile phone, a handheld device, or even a laptop temporarily parked at a cafe. While video games have traditionally been divided into PC and console camps, this latest trend has made many gamers reach for controllers or devices with built-in controllers, regardless of their platform of choice. Wireless game controllers have become quite numerous because of this, ranging from typical designs to telescopic mechanisms that stretch to grip smartphones or even tablets. Of course, these two aren’t the only designs possible for portable gamepads, and this concept tries to approach the problem from a different angle, one that takes a page out of one of the trendiest smartphone designs of late: foldable phones.

Designer: Przemysław Wolnicki

The basic problem with game controllers is their innate bulk. You can’t really shrink them without sacrificing comfort and ergonomics. This makes them less appealing to quickly stow in bags, much less pockets, as you dash out the door in the hopes of being able to play later on. Even those who prefer to game at home might find the permanent presence of a large chunk of plastic to be visually distracting and might look for ways to minimize their footprint when not in use.

Swift is a game controller design concept that adopts a folding mechanism to make the device more compact in transit. Despite the fact that foldables aren’t new, it’s curious that this design hasn’t been adapted for game controllers at all. There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages to such a design, but those can hardly be verified unless tested in the real world.

This controller concept adopts the more symmetrical button arrangement of a PlayStation controller, which would make the folded form also more balanced when folded. One curious detail about the design is the ribbed surface covering the middle and back of the controller. It’s not clear whether the choice of material is simply aesthetic, but it will definitely have an effect on the texture of the controller, which in turn affects comfort and ergonomics.

While a foldable controller design is definitely interesting and curious, it also raises a few questions as well. While the design does halve the width of the device, it doubles its thickness in turn. There might also be some concerns about the wear and tear this mechanism will incur over time, especially given the wires that have to run through the middle to connect the two halves. Perhaps that is the reason why a foldable design hasn’t been adopted for controllers, but this concept at least tries to encourage pushing the boundaries instead of just adopting the status quo.

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When speaking of computer chairs, you probably first think of overgrown office chairs with a tall back and plenty of padding. While that is indeed the most common design, there are some that take the idea to the extreme, creating what is better described as a cockpit rather than a chair. These often include not only a space to hide the desktop computer from view but also a way to mount not just one but multiple monitors as well. It’s an all-in-one battle station for gamers and computer users who want all their equipment in a single basket. But while that concept in itself is already unconventional, this rather peculiar design really pushes the envelope by embracing the form that immediately comes to mind when looking at these computer gaming “thrones”: a deadly metal scorpion.

Designer: Cluvens

Truth be told, we may have caught a glimpse of chairs with embedded computers and built-in monitors from sci-fi shows, but those have mostly remained the stuff of fiction and stage props until recently. There have been a few new designs surfacing lately, including from giant brands like Acer, and while some of these gaming pods or cockpits try to aim for a similarly futuristic aesthetic, the SK Scorpion puts a different twist on the idea. Instead of a piece of furniture, this over-the-top chair looks more like a sleek robotic insect designed to keep you within its grasp and keep distractions away.

The scorpion motif isn’t just for show, however. Just like the segmented “tail” of the scorpion, the chair’s back and top arch can actually move with a little flexibility, reclining the backrest down to an almost flat angle and moving the screens away for a more restful position. Instead of claws, the scorpion’s arms can swivel in and out, providing not only a place to put things but also some degree of customization for what is practically your small workspace. That said, the chair’s legs don’t inspire too much confidence and is one aspect of the design that tried to be too realistic without being practical.

As far as computer cockpits go, however, the functionality that the SK Scorpion provides isn’t exactly extraordinary. It can support up to three 29-inch monitors placed side-by-side, or more depending on your creativity, creating an immersive view that’s almost in your face. You sadly need to put a separate tray on top of the two arms for the keyboard and mouse, and other things you might need for play and even work, though there are accessories available for holding your cup and hanging your headset. There are no built-in lights as well, so you’ll have to make provisions for that on your own.

That feature list looks a bit sparse until you consider the $3,400 price tag, a mere fraction of what fully featured computer cockpits cost. The menacing scorpion design probably won’t appeal to all gamers, and its novelty will quickly wear off. At least its ability to almost like completely flat, providing gamers with a convenient though probably uncomfortable bed to take power naps, is admittedly intriguing. Then again, these designs are really meant more for hardcore gamers, those who don’t mind isolating themselves in a bubble, at least when they’re gaming.

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Is there a reason why desktops and even mini PCs mostly come in flat boxes? Electronics are still rigid objects, and they have to adhere to flat or similarly boxy designs with today’s engineering limitations. As such, a tower or a box is the most space-efficient container for these pieces that work together to provide all your computing needs. But what if space was less important than aesthetics, especially with today’s more compact hardware? That’s the kind of revolutionary mindset that this mini PC is trying to present with a chassis that is almost literally out of this world, looking more like a spaceship that’s ready to take off and elevate your gaming, and it does so literally as well.

Designer: ACEMAGIC

Mini PCs are no longer that alien to people’s ears, especially thanks to the popularity of the non-PC Mac mini and Mac studio. These computers emphasize compact designs that save you some desk space while still cramming as much power in a tiny boxy. That doesn’t have to be the only design available, however, especially with how small some computer components have become. After all, the latest breed of handheld gaming PCs are technically portable mini PCs, though with even bigger constraints when it comes to performance.

The ACEMAGIC M2A is a mini PC that throws design conventions out the door. Technically, its hardware can all fit in what would be a slim and minimalist rectangular box, but that would be boring and completely unoriginal. Instead, the company aimed to make its product stand out, almost literally, but making it look like a spacecraft similar to those you’d see on sci-fi flicks and shows. Specifically, the main body itself tapers slightly to the side and then splits upward and downward into fins. The style is largely polygonal, which matches the sci-fi theme, with LED accents in front and on the tip of the wings for added flavor.

The design admittedly takes up more vertical space on your desk, and it won’t be something you can conveniently place underneath your monitor (unless that monitor is set up on an ergonomic stand or arm). It is, after all, designed more to have some visual impact rather than space savings, but it does have one practical benefit, whether intentional or not. The bottom fins act as legs that lift the mini PC up, allowing for better airflow into the bottom-mounted fans.

Internally, the ACEMAGIC M2A tries to be a compact gaming PC, and it seems to meet that description, depending on your needs. It practically uses hardware from 2022, so it might not be up to snuff when it comes to more demanding AAA titles today. There are definitely more powerful mini gaming PCs in the market today, ones with the latest CPUs and GPUs, which makes you wonder if this spaceship-like computer’s high price tag is really worth that distinctive design.

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It’s about time that gaming companies and studios realize that there are people who would love to play their games and use their consoles but are hindered because of one physical disability or another. Accessibility has only recently been an advertised feature of games and gaming hardware, and it might take a while before it actually becomes a standard in the industry. Thankfully, major companies are leading the accessibility charge, giving birth to accessibility devices that may look weird but give all gamers, even those perfectly capable ones, incredible powers to enjoy games the way they want them. Take for example this newly announced Xbox-certified accessibility controller that almost looks like a small alien swarm thanks to its modular design.

Designer: ByoWave

For gamers with physical disabilities that relate to their hands or fine motor control, the typical game controller or keyboard, despite their ergonomic designs, is sometimes impossible to use. Thankfully, there has been an increased interest in developing more accessible control devices, spearheaded by the Xbox Adaptive Controller in 2018 and followed by the Sony Access Controller, previously dubbed “Project Leonardo,” last year. Of course, there are more than just two ways to design for accessibility, and ByoWave’s Proteus Controller is just the latest to turn heads with its unconventional mechanism and innovative idea.

In a nutshell, the Proteus Controller is made up of small, rounded cubes with some faces that can be changed to be a button, a D-Pad, a joystick, and more. These cubes can then connect to each other to form different shapes that cater to the needs of the gamer. It can, for example, be a single, curving stack that you can hold like a joystick, a 2×2 grid that you can mash like arcade buttons on a table, or even a conventional gamepad layout with the right accessories and connectors. It can support over a hundred such configurations and LED lighting combinations, letting the user decide how they want to play depending on their circumstances.

Of course, the controller is primarily designed to address the needs of gamers with disabilities, but it’s not hard to see how this will be popular with almost any gamer, especially those on the Xbox platform. The sheer number of options and combinations is mind-blowing, and some might even just make new controller designs just for the fun of it. It’s a clear example of how accessible design actually benefits everyone, and gamers will probably be excited for the arrival of the Proteus accessibility controller in the fall, especially given its starting price of $299.

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Not only does this LEGO set let you slide bricks into place, it comes with a randomized brick generator, and even a scoreboard to capture your score!

A perfect tribute to one of the world’s most influential digital games (with perhaps the most riveting backstory of any game ever), this LEGO Ideas set comes from the mind of LEGO Builder ‘victorvey300’ who wanted to pay a hat-tip to Tetris on its 40th anniversary which first made its appearance in Russian game circles back in the early 80s, finally finding its way to Nintendo’s first Game Boy in 1985. The LEGO set comes in the form of a box with a lid that doubles as the game’s screen. Bricks sit in a container below, controls can be found on the bottom right, and the top right acts as a leaderboard. When all’s done, the box closes shut, ensuring that bricks don’t get lost.

Designer: victorvey300

Not to spoil the AppleTV+ movie for you, but the Tetris game has one of the most nail-biting backstories of all time. Developed by Alexey Pajitnov, a resident of the Soviet Republic in the 80s, Tetris was circulated heavily within the USSR on bootlegged floppy disks and finally made its way to an American sales representative for a gaming company. What ensued was literally Cold War espionage at its best. Henk Rogers, the American rep who discovered Tetris tried to buy the rights to the game on behalf of Nintendo, which was working on the first Game Boy handheld console. Tetris was to be a part of this revolutionary portable gaming device, but the Soviets weren’t ready to sell Tetris to any outsider without putting up a fight (all hardware and software sales outside the Union were controlled/authorized by a government agency). In the end, Pajitnov managed to escape Russia and also ended up selling the rights to Tetris, which featured on the first Game Boy, becoming the global sensation it is today. As a tribute to this story and to Alexey himself, the LEGO Ideas kit also comes with a minifigure of Pajitnov standing beside an old-school computer!

The beauty of this LEGO build lies in just how much attention to detail it has. The vault-shaped kit has Tetris graphics on the outside (with branding), and the inside is simply filled with features and details that allow as many as 6 players to actually play a full game of Tetris, complete with brick generators that tell you what the next brick should be.

Playing the game is delightfully simple. Bricks sit in a bin at the bottom, the playable area or the matrix grid is right in front with vertical channels to slide bricks down, and a treadmill-shaped panel on the bottom right lets you scroll to see what your next brick should be. Scroll with your right hand, find the corresponding brick with your left and drop it down the channel of your choice. It slides down instantly, landing in place just the way it would in a game. The only real difference is that you need to choose each brick’s orientation and position before you drop it into the channel. Pieces don’t rotate or move once they’ve been slid in.

A game of digital Tetris can go on for HOURS because every time you complete a row, it disappears, helping clear out a part of the screen for more gameplay. That feature doesn’t exist in this LEGO version, which makes for a fairly shorter game… but calculating scores is much easier, allowing you to correspond the uppermost complete row to the line on the scoreboard right beside it. You can, however, reset the entire game in a flash by hitting the red Reset button on the left side of the matrix grid and have all the bricks drop down into the bin below. The alternative would be to manually lift each brick out of the lid, which sounds a little too problematic…

The Tetris bricks are referred to as tetrominoes, and come in 7 shapes that correspond with letters of the alphabet (I, O, T, J, L, S, and Z). The bricks are color-coded to make things easier to understand (after all, we recognize colors MUCH faster than we do shapes) for all people, and the game allows as many as 6 players, with colorful studs that you can press into the scoreboard to mark your highest scores.

This LEGO kit comes from the mind of independent builder victorvey300, who put his passion for LEGO and his love for Tetris together to create this incredibly comprehensive MOC (my own creation). Victor’s submission is a part of LEGO’s Ideas forum, a community-driven site where passionate LEGO creators build their own structures and users vote for their favorite ones. With over 5000 votes, this LEGO Tetris set is cruising comfortably to hit the 10,000 vote mark, which is then followed by LEGO’s own internal team reviewing the submission before turning it into a retail set. If you want, you can vote for the LEGO Ideas Tetris set too simply by visiting the LEGO Ideas website here.

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