Windows

Valve has released a major Steam Client Update for Windows. While the changelog is relatively long, the main change is a new Big Picture Mode. The ageing UI has finally made way for the Steam Deck UI, which contains several Windows-specific changes.

The 14-inch laptop from Huawei includes a Tiger Lake processor, brings an elegant metal case, produces only little noise, and offers a long battery life. At the time of our test, the whole package is available at a price point around 600 Euros (~$652).

The Surface Pro is Microsoft's flagship convertible, and the ninth generation now offers Wi-Fi 6E and a leap in performance thanks to the Alder Lake CPU, but other features such as the optional LTE modem or the audio jack have been omitted. This doesn't make the device any better.

Amazon US has discounted the LG Gram 17 (2022), a machine that is also known as Gram 17Z90Q. Typically, LG charges US$1,799.99 for the 17-inch and Intel Alder Lake-powered laptop, but Amazon US has dropped its price by 26%, a saving that takes over US$450 off its list price.

With the Core i5-12500H CPU and a GeForce RTX 3060 laptop GPU, all current titles can be displayed smoothly on the matte FHD display (300 Hz). The GPU and CPU are accompanied by a fast PCIe-4 SSD (1 TB), 16 GB of RAM, and a Thunderbolt 4 port. A copy of the Windows operating system is not included.

Featuring multiplayer skirmishes and castle sieges that bring together up to 100 players, Warlander includes a medieval-inspired setting with supernatural items and abilities, as well as powerful robots. This free-to-play title is now available on Steam, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles scheduled to follow in April.

Introduced yesterday, version 528.24 of NVIDIA's GeForce Game Ready Driver package provides support for the DLSS 3 updates scheduled to arrive soon in Hitman 3 and Marvel's Midnight Suns. It also comes with pre-release optimizations for other titles with day-1 DLSS support, such as Dead Space, Forspoken, and Deliver Us Mars.

Despite being best known for smartphones, OnePlus has confirmed that it intends to get into the mechanical keyboard game in 2023. A new leak purports to post an in-the-wild snapshot of this accessory for the first time, thereby revealing its allegedly nostalgia-addled materials and design. Then again, the OEM's own teaser paints a different picture.

Lenovo introduces numerous ThinkPad laptops into the market every year that each cover different market segments. It is not easy to select one model from this wide selection that is "the best," but we still think that for most users, this is the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G3 AMD.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the best-selling video games in history, with more than 40 million copies sold. Now "enhanced with numerous visual and technical improvements," the Complete Edition of this title that arrived back in 2015 brings together the base game and its two expansions for 80% off.

Confirming a series of leaks and rumors, GTA: The Trilogy Definitive Edition is finally available on Steam and also playable on Steam Deck. Although this buggy remasters bundle that arrived in November 2021 hasn't received any fixes for roughly a year, at least it can be acquired for half the price until February 2.

AYA NEO has updated the processors its plans to offer for the AIR Plus gaming handheld series. While the Intel Core i3-1215U remains, AYA NEO appears to have stopped developing a Pentium Gold 8505 version. Instead, AYA NEO will offer two AMD APU options, with the Ryzen 5 7520U and Ryzen 7 6800U representing the Mendocino and Rembrandt architecture.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has issued a blog post detailing the company's plans to reduce its personnel numbers by 10,000 in 2023. These layoffs have reportedly already begun, affecting one of the Redmond giant's US centers. Then again, some of those whose jobs are terminated are slated to benefit from enhanced post-employment support.

The Windows Task Manager in the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25276 allows creation of live kernel memory dumps from the System process apart from the already existing memory dump creation from user mode processes. The new Windows Insider Preview build also offers previews of Apple TV and Apple Music apps in the Microsoft Store, although these can be downloaded to public versions of Windows 11 localized in the US as well.

Samsung has announced pricing and availability for the Galaxy Book2 Go series. Offered as the Galaxy Book2 Go and the Galaxy Book2 Go 5G, the laptop series comes with a 14-inch IPS display, a Snapdragon 7c Plus Gen 3 chipset and a 42.3 Wh battery, among other features. The Galaxy Book2 Go series starts at £449 and will be available later this month.

The EliteBook scores with a powerful, energy-efficient Rembrandt APU, USB 4, LTE modem and very good battery runtimes. HP uses a very bright 13.3-inch screen in a work-friendly 16:10 format (1,920 x 1,200) with an optional privacy filter.

If you view the ExpertBook B6 Flip as a convertible, you probably have the heaviest device in its class. Even as a workstation, the device is large and incredibly powerful. This is primarily due to the extreme cooling that takes up a lot of space in the large case.

HP's 2-in-1 device offers an Alder Lake CPU, two Thunderbolt 4 slots, and a 3k touchscreen display (16 inches) in the more work-friendly 16:10 format. The touchscreen can be operated with the fingers as well as with the included HP Tilt Pen.

Released back in March 2019, Tom Clancy's The Division 2 allows the player to lead a team of elite agents against the forces of evil in a fight taking place in a post-pandemic Washington DC. The 70% deal brings the Standard Edition of the game down to US$9, while the Warlords of New York Ultimate Edition is now available for US$24.

Thanks to the ongoing "MIDWEEK MADNESS" deal, NBA 2k23 is now available on Steam for just US$20.99. However, those also interested in playing golf can (allegedly) take advantage of the PGA Tour 2K23 X NBA 2k23 Bundle, which is available for US$79.99. Lastly, NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition is now US$49.99 (50% off).

Microsoft has confirmed the ultimate end of Windows 7 support by finally pulling the last vestige of updates available to the OS. The Redmond giant has also now announced that its 8.1 successor is also now at the end of its life, although it will not be extended the same prolonged security-update palliative care of the preceding version.

Available since late October 2016, Sid Meier's Civilization VI has received a rich set of expansion packs and updates. Even now, the game remains in active development. Those interested can grab it for an impressive 90% discount that applies to the base game while the 19-item Anthology package is available for 86% off.

Acer tries to go sustainable with the Aspire Vero: the chassis of the 14-inch laptop is partly made of recycled plastic. In addition, the device offers great performance, Thunderbolt 4 support and outstanding battery life.

The new Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo 50q Gen 4 is a desktop of just one liter (l) in volume, yet is rated to fit SSDs and HDDs of up to 1TB in size, as well as up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM. It is also WiFi 6-capable thanks to choice of its 13th-gen Intel platforms, and supports business-class IGEL operating systems as well as Windows 11 installs.

A built-in privacy filter can be very handy on the go and prevent unwanted eyes on sensitive data, but there are a couple of limitations. This is also the case for the HP EliteBook 865 G9, which would offer a better overall package with the regular IPS screen.

We have now reviewed several configurations of Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10, and an OLED model recently passed through our test labs. Image quality certainly counts among its advantages, but buyers are forced to sacrifice battery life in return.

Compatible with Sony PlayStation 3, 4, and 5 consoles and Windows 7 to Windows 11 PCs, the Logitech G29 racing wheel features stainless steel paddle shifters, a hand-stitched leather wheel, and dual-motor force feedback. With a list price of US$399.99, it is now discounted by 32% on Amazon, so the price tag reads US$272.99.

Lenovo's latest consumer-grade IdeaCentre is a PC of no more than one liter (L) in capacity, yet packs specs also found in larger up-to-date desktops, Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 2.1 included. It has also come to CES 2023 with 13th-gen Intel processors. With its partially-recycled chassis and upgradeable RAM/SSD storage, it also checks sustainability boxes.

With its first new ThinkPad announcement for the year 2023, Lenovo is bringing incremental updates of the flagship X1 series to the market. X1 Nano Gen 3, X1 Yoga Gen 8 and X1 Carbon Gen 11 continue to use the design of last year's models.

Dubbed "Apex Predators" and labeled 2.23, War Thunder's final update of the year introduces three iconic rank VIII 4th generation fighters, namely the F-16, the MiG-29, and the Tornado. Other changes include new and updated ground vehicles, new locations and missions, interface updates, as well as new music and sound effects.

OnePlus has unveiled plans for a move into PC accessories today (December 17, 2022) as part of its ninth anniversary event. The well-known mobile device brand has outlined plans to make its own mechanical keyboard, complete with its own custom switches and gaskets. They are touted to fit into a "meticulously crafted" metallic casing for a unique typing experience.