Category: Technology

Bethesda announced on X today that Quake is now a Steam Deck Verified title. The 1996 game from the legendary id Software has also been designated Handheld Optimized for the Xbox ROG Ally devices. As one of the OG boomer shooters, Quake still commands a sizable and passionate fan base, and it’s now available on just about every gaming platform imaginable. 

Since rolling out its verification program, several thousands of games have been designated as supported for the Steam Deck. Valve has more recently been preparing to have additional gaming devices run its SteamOS platform. Even though Xbox ROG Ally is the only one now, there’s already a special extension of verification to note if a title is more broadly compatible with Steam’s operating system. And don’t forget that Valve’s anticipated Steam Machine is due out some time early this year, so it wouldn’t be surprising to have those verification checkmarks start to carry more weight in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/quake-is-now-steam-deck-verified-223009852.html?src=rss 

Last year at CES, Dreame showed off a robot vacuum prototype with a mechanical arm. But while we were able to see the arm extend and retract, we didn’t see the device, which was described as a prototype at the time, actually grab anything, which was a bit disappointing.

This year, though, the company has made its arm-enabled vacuum a reality with the Cyber 10 Ultra. Dreame previewed it recently at IFA in Berlin, but has now confirmed it will be on sale later this year. 

The vacuum has an extendable arm that looks pretty similar to the prototype version we saw last year. It extends from the top of the vacuum and has a claw-like device at the end for scooping up objects. According to Dreame, it can pick up items that weigh up to 500 grams (about 1 pound) so it should be able to grab a wider variety of stuff than the Roborock vac we saw last year, which had a 300-gram weight limit for its arm. 

The arm can also do more than pick up stuff from the floor. It supports its own cleaning accessories, and can grab vacuum nozzles and brush attachments from its base station. This allows the arm to act as an extension of the vacuum itself so it can be used similarly to how you might use hose attachments to reach hard-to-get areas with a traditional vacuum. 

And, like Dreame’s other robot vacuums, the Cyber 10 Ultra also has mopping abilities and can climb up small steps up to 6cm (about 2.4 inches). That’s not quite as impressive as the tank-like stair-climbing Cyber X prototype it also brought to CES, but should help the Cyber 10 reach a few extra places in the house. 

The company hasn’t announced an exact release date, but says it’s targeting August of this year and currently expects the Cyber 10 Ultra to cost around €1799 (about $2,100).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/dreames-robot-vacuum-with-an-arm-is-back-at-ces-2026-and-it-can-do-more-than-pick-up-shoes-210000020.html?src=rss 

Robot vacuum companies are once again trying to outdo each other at CES 2026. This year, Chinese appliance maker Dreame is showing off a prototype of a device that can climb up and down an entire flight of stairs.

The concept, called the Cyber X, was previewed last year at IFA in Berlin. The vacuum sports a somewhat terrifying set of legs with rubber treads that allow it to autonomously navigate multi-story environments. While Dreame has previously shown off vacuums that can move up smaller steps, it says the Cyber X can climb stairs up to 25cm (9.8 inches) high and slopes up to 42 degrees. It can manage both straight and curved staircases, and can climb a flight of steps in 27 seconds, according to the company.

In addition to its legs, the Cyber X also has a built-in water tank to support mopping abilities, and a laser-powered navigation system to help it maneuver up stairs and around other obstacles. It also has a braking system that allows it to stay stable on floors and stairs, even if the battery dies. We haven’t been able to see it in action yet, but Dreame is expected to show off its abilities at its CES booth and we’ll update this post once we’re able to get an up-close look. 

Dreame’s Cyber X concept and the X60.

For now, Dreame says Cyber X is just a research prototype and hasn’t indicated if it plans to make it, or a robo vac like it, more widely available at some point in the future. But Dreame has a history of showing off innovative features at CES ahead of an actual release. Last year, the company had a prototype vacuum with a mechanical arm at its CES booth. This year, it announced a new vacuum with very similar abilities. 

The company also announced the Dreame X60 Max Ultra, its latest flagship robot vacuum that can roll up smaller steps. The X60 Max Ultra, which costs $1,699, can move over stairs up to 8.8cm (about 3.4 inches), a small improvement over last year’s X50, which could clear heights of 6cm (about 2.4 inches). That’s not enough to manage a full-size stair, which is typically around 7 inches, but it should make the X60 flexible enough to navigate threshold steps and other small obstacles.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/dreames-latest-robot-vacuum-concept-has-slightly-terrifying-legs-that-can-climb-full-size-stairs-210000399.html?src=rss 

Riot Games has a pretty long legacy as a PC gaming studio, but the company is spreading out into consoles with its newest title. 2XKO will land on consoles on January 20, to coincide with the start of its first season. The game will be available globally for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S with cross-play support, allowing current players to access their existing progress on a PC account.  

The formula for most recent Riot projects (with the notable exception of Valorant), has been to take the extensive character roster from its long-standing League of Legends MOBA and place them into other game genres. 2XKO is the company’s foray into a 2v2 fighting game. Ten familiar LoL champions were on the debut linup when it launched in early access on October 7.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/riot-games-2xko-will-hit-consoles-on-january-20-185627826.html?src=rss 

IO Interactive just revealed minimum and recommended specs for the PC build of 007 First Light. The company recommends 32GB of RAM and 12GB of VRAM. In a normal world, this wouldn’t be news, as modern NVIDIA GPUs certainly have more than enough VRAM. However, we live in a world where AI companies gobble up lots of memory.

This has caused newer cards to tick up in price, with more hikes to come. Older cards like the RTX 3070 just won’t cut it, as that one ships with 8GB of VRAM. Standard RAM is also getting much more expensive, putting that 32GB out of reach for many gamers. In other words, playing the James Bond sim at max settings will likely cost a pretty Moneypenny.

IO also recommends an Intel Core i5 13500 or an AMD Ryzen 5 7600 CPU, along with 80GB of storage space. Rumors have been swirling that NVIDIA is set to relaunch the RTX 3060 from 2021 to help offset increased demand caused by the hungry hippo that is AI. That one does ship with enough VRAM to run the game at recommended settings.

However, mostly everyone will be able to play the game at minimum settings. It requires just an NVIDIA GTX 1660 or AMD RX 5700 and an Intel Core i5 9500K or AMD Ryzen 5 3500. Players must have 16GB of traditional RAM and 8GB of VRAM.

It’s worth noting that both the recommended and minimum specs are for running the game in 1080p. The company hasn’t announced anything for 4K settings, so it must be pretty bad on the VRAM front.

IO has also revealed a partnership with NVIDIA on the game. 007 First Light will include DLSS 3 with Multi Frame Generation for “an even deeper sense of immersion and improved performance.”

007 First Light is a nifty-looking action title that chronicles the early years of everyone’s favorite lothario spy. Patrick Gibson from The OA and Dexter: Original Sin plays Bond and Lenny Kravitz, the guy who sings stuff, voices the villain. The game will be available on May 27 on multiple platforms.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-pc-version-of-007-first-light-requires-lots-of-expensive-ram-and-vram-to-run-at-recommended-settings-184339040.html?src=rss 

Amazon has announced the next collection games that will be available to play through its Luna game streaming service in January. The highlight of the bunch is EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26, which will be available for a limited time on the service, but as in the past, Amazon is also giving away free PC games too if you’d prefer not to stream.

Madden NFL 26 will be available to Prime members everywhere Luna currently streams, from January 10 through February 10. Luna is also getting several new “GameNight” games — Amazon’s name for streaming games you can play with a smartphone — including multiplayer physics-based building game Tricky Towers on January 8, and the party game collection The Jackbox Party Pack 3 on January 23. If you’re looking for something a little more narrative-driven, Alan Wake Remastered and Death Stranding Director’s Cut are also available to stream right now.

As part of the Prime benefits Amazon offers to subscribers, there’s also some new PC games you can redeem for free. The best option this month is turn-based strategy game Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, which is worth a revisit after the dramatic mechanical overhaul Sid Meier’s Civilization VII introduced last year. Here’s a complete list of games Amazon will offer over the course of the month, and which PC game store you’ll be able to download them from:

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (Epic Games Store)

Brigador: Up-Armored Edition (GOG) 

Reflections of Life: Dark Architect Collector’s Edition (Amazon Games App)

Gunslugs: Rogue Tactics (GOG)

DeathKeep (GOG)

Harold Halibut (GOG)

D&D Stronghold: Kingdom Simulator (GOG)

Al-Qadim: The Genie’s Curse (GOG)

Technotopia (Amazon Games App)

ELDERBORN (GOG)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/amazon-lunas-january-lineup-includes-madden-nfl-26-for-free-192500032.html?src=rss 

Welcome to your first CES edition of TMA, attempting (almost futilely) to distill the biggest product reveals and announcements. Despite two days of briefings and conferences, today is merely day one. However, we’ve already seen Sony Honda reveal its next car — and the Afeela 1 isn’t yet on sale. We’ve got a deep dive on what we’ve seen so far, right here.

AMD announced new Ryzen AI 400 laptop processors and updated desktop chips, including the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, with a new focus broadly on AI processing improvements. NVIDIA had a lengthy, dense press conference showing off its dominance in AI tech, but it lacked major consumer announcements — until overnight, when it revealed next-gen G-Sync tech and an upgraded version of DLSS. The new tech can handle up to 4K 240Hz path traced performance. It also adds an improved version of Super Resolution Transformer, with more stability.

This year’s wildcard CES press conference was… Lego? It revealed Smart Bricks, which adds sensors, audio and wireless communication to traditional Lego pieces. The system is launching with Star Wars sets later this year — and perhaps crucially, no smartphone or screen is needed to play.

There’s also LG and Samsung to get into — more on those below!

— Mat Smith

The other big stories (and deals) this morning

CES 2026 Day 0: Everything else

Intel hopes its Core Ultra Series 3 chips are the start of a comeback

Razer’s Project Madison concept chair has reactive lighting, immersive audio and multi-zone haptics

It took guts for Dell to admit its mistake. Here’s how XPS will make its big comeback

The Handy 2 Pro is an ‘overclockable’ sex toy

Garmin had the nerve to launch a food-tracking feature in Las Vegas

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Trifold gets me excited about foldables again

Phone and tablet, together.

After launching its double-folding smartphone in Korea, Samsung is giving its newest foldable the press tour at CES 2026 and, despite reservations, it’s slick. The key difference between the Z Trifold and the Z Fold series is a second fold-out wing, turning it from a traditional smartphone into a more tablet-like form factor, closer to what we’re used to. Farewell square-ish screens.

This is what we were promised when foldables first appeared: a larger screen that offers greater utility than traditional smartphones, without compromise. Sam Rutherford tested one out. Read on for his impressions.

Continue reading.

Samsung’s giant 130-inch TV is here to make you want Micro RGB TVs

In more wall-friendly sizes.

The big reveal at Samsung’s First Look CES press conference was literally big: a flagship 130-inch Micro RGB TV framed by a giant metal easel with embedded speakers. It’s much more in the realm of concept than reality — no price, no release date. It works as a halo product for more realistic TV sets using Samsung’s new preferred display technology. This year it’ll be offering TVs in 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes. And if you’re curious, we explain what Micro RGB TVs are.

Continue reading.

LG’s approach to TVs at CES 2026? Variety.

Oh, and scale.

CES 2026 marks the return of LG’s ultra-thin Wallpaper TV. The latest version sports a gorgeous OLED screen and wireless connectivity, and it’s about as thin as a pencil. We checked out the new Wallpaper TV during a CES preview event, along with LG’s Gallery and Micro RGB sets. If money were no object, I’d want a 100-inch LG Wallpaper TV. According to Devindra Hardawar, it looks “shockingly thin” in person.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-ces-2026-press-day-174444560.html?src=rss