Latest news with #Asus
Tom's Guide
4 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Xbox tipped to open ROG Ally and Ally X pre-orders at Gamescom — here's what we know
The ability to pick up the Xbox-branded Asus ROG Ally or Ally X may be closer than we thought with a new report claiming you'll be able to pre-order the handheld consoles during Gamescom 2025. According to the French blog, Dealabs, preorders will go live starting on August 20 during an Xbox showcase at the Cologne gaming conference. Gamescom starts on August 20 and runs through the 24th. Microsoft will have a big presence there with the opportunity for people to go hands-on with the consoles, including with a playable demo of the long-awaited 'Hollow Knight: Silksong.' The Xbox broadcast starts at 6am PT / 9am EDT / 2pm BST on Wednesday, August 20. According to Xbox, that broadcast will feature the "ROG Xbox Ally handheld, 'Ground 2,' 'Keeper,' 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' and more." Xbox and Asus revealed the handheld consoles at the end of June, but did not provide pricing or release date details. Dealabs reaffirmed an earlier leak from the Spanish Asus store that the devices will be priced at €599 (about $690) for the Xbox Ally and €899 (about $1040) for the Xbox Ally X. Of course, pricing is adjusted depending on the region, and tariffs may raise those numbers higher in the United States. Either way, these consoles will feature a premium-price. Current rumors place the Xbox Ally and Ally X launching in October, and Xbox has said the consoles would be available this "holiday" period. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Both the ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X will be powered by Windows 11 with a custom Xbox "experience" integrated, an aggregated gaming library and access to the full range of PC game stores including GOG and Steam. Of course, they will support Xbox Play Anywhere titles too. The Ally features an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor and a 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The Ally X gets boosted with an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip, 24GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. The Ally X also features a slightly larger 80Wh, and a couple of extra ports including USB-C with Thunderbolt 4. Stay tuned to the latest from Tom's Guide as we're quite eager to get the ROG Ally and Ally X for testing as soon as they become available. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Gizmodo
6 hours ago
- Gizmodo
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 Could Be the Best Laptop to Replace Your Desktop Yet
The first thing you notice about the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is the AniMe lights. The pixelated LEDs (also found on devices like the ROG Phone 9), flowing in a rhythm from a back strip like a scar streaked dashingly across a warrior's eye, let you know what you're in for before you even crack open the lid. The Strix Scar 18 is a fine gaming laptop with plenty of enticing qualities and one major flaw. But what makes it so appealing isn't the dancing lights that are only attractive to moths or gamers; it's what's underneath the chassis that makes this 18-inch laptop so damn accessible. Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 It will distract you with all the gamer lights, but the Strix Scar 18 has some great thermals and repairabilty features that puts it over the top. Pros Cons The $3,400 laptop model Asus sent me for review included the top-end Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 laptop GPU. With 32GB of DDR5 5600 RAM, I didn't encounter an application this desktop replacement-sized mobile PC couldn't handle at the max resolution of 2,560 x 1,600. Performance was exactly what I expected from the CPU and GPU combo with the device plugged in. At its suggested retail price, it's a little more expensive than the HP Omen Max 16 I recently reviewed, which has the same screen resolution in its slightly smaller frame. The refreshed Strix Scar 18 is also more expensive than the last-gen model, a change that likely came after Trump slapped his tariffs on imported goods earlier this year. I saw the refreshed ROG Strix Scar 18 when Asus showed it off at CES earlier this year. More than that, I've felt it with the ROG Strix 17 laptop with an Nvidia RTX 3070 that I use at home. Each key is familiar. The chiclet keyboard doesn't have the feel anywhere close to a mechanical typing machine, but there's enough travel to make each press substantial. Even the palm rest has that same satin, smudge-prone texture that's neither uncomfortable nor particularly pleasant to lean on. If I had one big complaint, it's the amount of keyboard flex I could feel toward the center of the device, especially nearest to the trackpad. It makes the device feel far more brittle than it actually is. Thankfully, the rest of the chassis makes up for that flaw through smart engineering. What's most impressive about the laptop is its ability to stay cool under pressure. The Strix Scar 18 makes use of three fans and an end-to-end vapor chamber. The air gets pulled in from the bottom and sides and is expelled out the rear of the chassis. The keyboard remained at a perfectly reasonable temperature even when running multiple games for hours on end. The only area of the device that could get warm was closest to the screen, where no reasonable gamer would stick their fingers. Under load, the Strix Scar 18 will sound like a box fan running on high speed next to your ear. It's not loud enough to totally eclipse the laptop's speakers, but the hum will be noticeable enough without a good pair of noise-canceling headphones at the ready. The placement of the I/O ports also meant my mouse hand never felt toasty. The device comes with just enough I/O to save you from immediately jumping for a port dock. There are three USB-A 3.2, a LAN port, and two Thunderbolt 5 ports that support DisplayPort to accompany the single HDMI 2.1. The only thing missing is an SD card slot for all the creative types who—for some reason—want dancing LEDs on the back of their laptop lid. See Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 at Amazon Most gaming laptops of this size demand to be plugged in constantly, and the Strix Scar 18 is no exception. Even while on silent mode doing casual work, I only got a little less than four hours before the laptop was begging me for more juice. Off power, running the machine on performance mode for the sake of gaming, you'd be lucky to get two hours of battery life, or closer to one hour for games that demand higher power draw. The 90Wh battery proved it wasn't enough for a beast of this size, and you'll need to lug around the 380W power brick if you plan to take the device from room to room. Asus spent most of its engineering time developing the Strix Scar 18 refresh, focusing on what was happening underneath the big keyboard. Asus secretly made the Strix Scar 18 one of the more easily customizable gaming laptops available today. The bottom panel comes off with a single switch to reveal the battery, RAM, and SSD. The motherboard and other components are still concealed with a plastic frame that is held on by screws. My model had an easily accessible second slot that would only require me to plug in another solid-state drive to potentially double my storage. I've had to open up previous ROG Strix laptops after I encountered a fault that wouldn't boot the laptop, and that proved an hour-long chore just to unseat and reattach the battery. The quick-release switch will make it easier to clean out dust and keep your device running better for longer. Sure, it's not as customizable as a Framework laptop that lets you replace the entire motherboard if you so choose. But compared to most other gaming laptops, this design is so enticing; I wish all other laptops would go this route. That won't necessarily mean you'll be able to replace other CPU components sometime in the future, but with the specs on my review unit, I wouldn't imagine needing any kind of CPU or GPU upgrade for a long while. I ran my usual benchmarks across the usual gamut of synthetic tests, games, and rendering tasks. The laptop performed exactly as expected. It was worse than the Omen Max 16 when using that laptop in its overclocked mode, but the Strix Scar 18 will grant you more than playable frame rates in demanding games from Cyberpunk 2077 to Alan Wake II with a bevy of ray tracing options enabled. You won't get the absolute peak of performance without an RTX 5090 installed, but considering those prices, I still believe the RTX 5080 is the GPU gamers really want. The rest of the specs are exactly what you expect from a modern $3,400 gaming laptop. The mini-LED display is plenty bright and colorful. The display has a special layer that keeps reflections and glare to a minimum, even in direct sunlight. Even with Dolby Vision for HDR support, for the amount you're paying, I still miss the inky depths of an OLED display. The display can support up to a 240Hz refresh rate, which means that your games playing at up to 240 fps will look their best, though it lacks variable refresh rate, or VRR, to ensure there won't be screen tearing issues or other visual glitches in games running far below that. I'll admit, the ROG Strix Scar 18's overt lighting and huge, empty keyboard didn't leave the best first impression. Once I dug into it—literally—I discovered this may be one of my favorite laptops of the year and a contender for your best choice of an 18-inch desktop replacement device. It's got the screen, sound quality, and feel you need to contain your gaming all-in-one. More than that, it shows Asus is pushing repairability a little further through small innovations to the rear panel. Let's keep pushing in that direction, and maybe we'll come to a point where we can buy a single laptop and not have to spend another $3,400 a few years down the line. See Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 at Amazon
Express Tribune
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Hatsune Miku and Persona 5 Royal collaboration confirmed for August in Colorful Stage event
Sega has confirmed an official crossover between Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage and Persona 5 Royal, set to run from August 4 to 13 2025. The limited-time event will bring a range of new content to the mobile rhythm game, including cosmetics based on characters from Persona 5 Royal. The collaboration was announced on the official Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage X account on July 28, shortly after a leaked video appeared online showing Hatsune Miku performing a cover of Persona 5's battle theme, 'Life Will Change.' Sega has now formally confirmed the track as part of the event. During the crossover, players will be able to obtain special gacha items, including limited avatar costumes inspired by Persona 5's Joker and Violet. Two free items will also be distributed to players who log in during the event period: the 'Morgana Dress-up Costume' and the 'Leblanc Curry Set.' While this is the first collaboration between Colorful Stage and the Persona series, Hatsune Miku has previously appeared in several other gaming titles, including Persona 4: Dancing All Night, Fortnite, and Monster Hunter. She has also been featured in non-gaming projects such as official Magic: The Gathering cards and Asus hardware promotions. Full event details have yet to be released, but Sega has stated that more information will be made available ahead of the launch.
Tom's Guide
12 hours ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Huge back-to-school laptop sales at Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart — 15 deals I'd shop now with up to $400 off
Back-to-school season is approaching, and if it's time for an upgrade, a ton of the best laptops we've tested are seeing price cuts across the web. Whether you're on a strict budget or looking to splash out, I've found some amazing options. For example, right now the MacBook Air 13' (M4/256GB) is on sale for $799 at Amazon. Not only is this our choice for the best laptop you can buy, it's now on sale for $200 off, its lowest price ever. This one could sell out fast, so don't hang around! You can also get the Acer Aspire Go 15 on sale for $314 at Amazon ($35 off). We rank this one as the best value laptop, and it's perfect for schoolwork thanks to its decent performance and productivity-friendly keyboard. Keep scrolling to see all my favorite laptop deals. For more savings, see our Amazon promo codes and see the Adidas back-to-school deals I'd shop from $11. Looking for an inexpensive work laptop? This laptop has a 14-inch display, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. It's lightweight, too, weighing just 3.1 pounds. You'll easily be able to take it with you wherever you go. The Asus Vivobook Go is a good choice if you want a cheap, portable Windows laptop. It features an Intel Celeron N4500 processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD. The 15.6-inch display FHD has a 60Hz refresh rate. It's also very portable, weighing 3.46 pounds and measuring 0.71 inches thick. If you just need something for basic productivity by day and watching YouTube by night, the IdeaPad 1 will do the job at a super low price. The Intel Celeron processor is enough for your basic typing and spreadsheet work, and multitasking is handled by 4GB of RAM. Plus, for the binge watching, the 15.6-inch HD display is decent. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is one of the best Chromebooks around, and with this price cut, it now presents more value than ever. Expect a sharp 11-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS display, commendable MediaTek Kompanio 838 CPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Mainly, this excels at all online tasks, and for most, that's exactly why it's a steal at this price. The Acer Aspire Go 15 made our list of the best laptops as the best value pick, and it's even better value now that it's on sale for a discount! You get a roomy 15.6-inch display, 10 hours of battery life and plenty of ports. We also like its comfortable keyboard, and its Intel Core i3 processor is enough to handle everyday tasks. The webcam and speakers aren't great, but that's not too bad for the price. This Vivobook laptop from Asus is a bargain at this price. It offers a little more horsepower than your typical notebook at this price range, featuring a 16-inch 1920 x 1200 display, Core i7-1355U CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Don't let that 0.9-inch thinness deceive you — the MSI Thin is powerful with AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of super fast DDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD. Pair that with a 15-inch 1080p 144Hz display for fluid gaming and you've got a stellar system. Get onboard with AI for less thanks to this HP Omnibook 5 deal, which brings the perks of Copilot+ with it. It sports a 16-inch 2K (1920 x 1200) touchscreen, along with an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Not bad for a laptop that can more than handle it's share of multitasking. Apple's M4 chipset powers this MacBook Air. It upgrades the camera from 1080p to 12MP with Center Stage support. The M4 chipset also supports dual external monitors, even when you have the laptop's lid open. It packs a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (2560 x 1664), Apple's M4 CPU with a 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. In our MacBook Air M4 review, we said the Editor's Choice laptop is irresistible thanks to its speedy performance, sharper camera and lower starting price. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is the best Copilot+ PC we've seen, and it's thanks to its incredible specs under the hood. With a Snapdragon X Elite CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, it will blast through multiple tasks at once. Better yet, it boasts a 14.5-inch 3K (2944 x 1840) OLED touchscreen display. Despite its more budget appeal, we were impressed by what the Acer Nitro V 15 could manage when we tested it out, especially for entry-level gaming. This model comes with an RTX 4060 and an Intel Core i7 13620H CPU, along with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, and it's sure to handle many of those essential PC games. Oh, and its 15.6-inch (1920 x 1080) 144Hz display is great for those competitive FPS titles. This svelte PC packs enough style to make Mac fans jealous. Under the hood you'll find an Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. We especially like the 14-inch 2880 x 1800 OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. The HP Omen Transcend 14 delivers the goods thanks to its great gaming performance, classy design, vibrant OLED display and RGB-lit keyboard. While its battery life disappoints and it only has effective USB-C charging via one port, its strengths outweigh its deficiencies. If you're looking for raw horsepower, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro chip is for you. It offers blistering performance and will likely speed through most of your daily tasks without so much as a hiccup. The base model features a 14.2-inch 3024 x 1964 Retina display, Apple M4 Pro CPU, 24GB of RAM and a 512GB check: $1,799 @ Best Buy | $1,959 @ B&H This is a well-specced edition of one of the best 14-inch gaming laptops you can buy. It features a 14-inch 3K 120Hz OLED display with an AMD Ryzen 9 CPU, an Nvidia GeForce 5070 Ti laptop GPU, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD to store all your favorite games.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Raj Shamani named Asus ExpertBook brand ambassador
Technology brand Asus India has announced Raj Shamani , founder and host, 'Figuring Out With Raj Shamani' podcast , becomes official brand ambassador for the Asus ExpertBook Series : Built for Worry-Free Business. Dinesh Sharma , vice president, commercial PC and smartphone, Asus India, Sri Lanka and Nepal says both Shamani and the ExpertBook Series are focused on empowering ambition, enabling progress, and supporting the new generation of Indian professionals. Sharing views Shamani said, 'This partnership is personal. I've always believed that ambition should never be limited by the tools you use and Asus ExpertBook is built for people who are building something bigger than themselves. This brand shares my belief in dreams, ambition, hustle and making bold ideas real through technology that's worry-free. ' The collaboration shared vision for India's future, where it extends this philosophy by giving Indian professionals and entrepreneurs the tools to act on that Asus ExpertBook series of business PCs are available on Flipkart , combining excellent capabilities of the brand and the ecommerce platform. This collaboration also aims to take Indian thought leadership global. As Shamani continues to expand his podcast across international borders, this partnership positions Asus as a key enabler of India's voice in global innovation, entrepreneurship, and productivity, rewriting the rules of ambition for modern India.
