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ASUS Ups the Ante with ROG Xbox Ally X20: OLED Upgrade, Refined Design and Premium Bundle
17 hours ago•Source: Windows Central
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13.335 min•3 days ago
Gleaming Green Xbox X25 Likely Priced at $900
Kotaku reports that the translucent green Anniversary Xbox Series X25 is rumored to cost around $900 in the U.S. (€899.99 in Europe), with the controller shipping in October and the console in November, and no Black Friday deal expected. The price is about $100 more than the current $800 1TB Series X with a disc drive and roughly matches PS5 Pro pricing, though storage details aren’t confirmed. Microsoft has been raising hardware prices amid broader AI/data-center investments, and this model isn’t confirmed to include a storage bump. For collectors, the original Halo Edition Xbox still fetches around $750 on eBay.
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MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ reimagines handheld gaming with top-tier Intel Arc power
MSI’s Claw 8 EX AI+ is a premium 8-inch handheld gaming PC powered by Intel’s Arc G3 Extreme, delivering a 1920×1200, 120 Hz VRR display, Xbox-style ergonomic grips, upgraded Hall‑Effect controls, and an 80 Wh battery with dual Thunderbolt 4 ports. It uses MSI Center M to manage AI Engine and manual tuning, and XeSS upscaling pushes frame rates well past native limits (e.g., 130+ FPS in some titles) while keeping thermals in check. The SSD is user-upgradeable, RAM is fixed at up to 32 GB, and Wi‑Fi 7 keeps downloads snappy. However, the device carries a steep $1,799 price and lacks an OLED display option, making it a watershed but niche choice for serious portable gamers. If you can swing the cost, it currently represents the best portable gaming performance on Earth in 2026.
Microsoft adds 8GB RAM Surface Pro 12 and Laptop 13 to curb price hikes
Microsoft is rolling out 8GB RAM configurations for the Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) to bring prices down, with entry points at $849 and $949 and 256GB of storage. The unchanged models still use Snapdragon X Plus, and the 8GB variants don’t include Copilot+ AI features that require 16GB RAM. Windows 11 is being optimized to run on less memory, while higher-end 16GB RAM versions remain available at higher prices (about $1,499). A 60-day return window is offered for buyers testing the new configurations amid ongoing RAM/price pressures.
Prime Day Deals Spotlight: Top Windows Laptops, PC Upgrades, and Xbox Gear
Windows Central's Prime Day deals roundup flags the best early sales on Windows laptops, PC components, and Xbox gear, including the Dell XPS 13 9345 (Snapdragon X Elite) for $999.99, Samsung 990 PRO 2TB NVMe for $369.99, iBUYPOWER Element 9 gaming PC for $1,649.99, Elgato 4K Capture Card for $129.99, ASUS ROG Azoth X 75% keyboard for $198.98, Seagate 2TB Expansion Card for $259.99, Samsung Odyssey G55C monitor for $189.99, and SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X headset for $89.99, among other deals. Prime Day runs June 23–26, 2026, with rivals like Best Buy, Newegg, and Walmart running promos as well; Windows Central will compare prices across retailers and remind readers that Prime membership is usually required to access Prime Day benefits.
Xbox Handheld badge on game pages sparks handheld speculation
Microsoft started displaying an 'Xbox Handheld' badge on major game pages (including Gears of War: E‑Day and Halo: Campaign Evolved) to clarify which platforms a game supports, a move many see as a nod to Microsoft's handheld ambitions (like the Xbox Ally family) and possibly a future dedicated device; while it provides clearer placement for portable play, it's unclear if this signals a real product or a branding/UI update, and the piece muses about hardware costs and market readiness.
MSI Claw 8 EX AI Plus Lands at $1,800, Reshaping the Handheld PC Market
MSI revealed the Claw 8 EX AI Plus PC gaming handheld at $1,800, packing an Intel Arc G3 Extreme, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. With memory and storage costs rising, MSI hints at potential further price hikes, signaling a tough year for both makers and gamers as the device aims to compete with higher-priced handhelds like Steam Deck equivalents.
M-VAVE FM-1: Budget DX-7‑style FM Desktop Synth with Built-in FX
M-VAVE’s FM-1 is a budget-friendly, battery-powered desktop DX-7‑style polyphonic FM synth with six operators, 32 classic algorithms, six tweakable built‑in effects, a 7‑mode arpeggiator and 16‑step sequencer, plus USB‑C power/MIDI, Bluetooth MIDI, and 3.5mm TRS MIDI in. It can import DX‑7 SYSEX banks, is class‑compliant with macOS/Windows/iOS/Android, and is expected to arrive soon with price TBA.
Microsoft and NVIDIA tease a PC revolution around the N1X rumors
Microsoft and NVIDIA dropped teasers hinting at a “new era of PC” ahead of Computex/Build 2026, fueling talk that NVIDIA’s rumored N1X ARM-based processor paired with RTX graphics could shake up PC architecture and challenge x86 dominance, with clues pointing to Taipei’s Computex venue and a June keynote.
Windows budget laptops edge closer to MacBook Neo with double RAM and storage
Honor’s Notebook X14 2026, ASUS Fearless 14SE 2026, and HP OmniBook (powered by Intel Core i5-320 Wildcat Lake) are listed at roughly MacBook Neo pricing while delivering 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, double the base Neo specs; benchmarks show solid multi‑core performance, underscoring budget Windows laptops as viable alternatives in 2026.
Xbox Ally expands Default Game Profiles with two dozen new titles to boost performance and battery life
Xbox is expanding Default Game Profiles for the Xbox Ally and Ally X, adding over two dozen titles that apply per-game tweaks (power use, TDP, and frame-rate targets) to improve performance and extend battery life when games run through the Xbox app; notable additions include Forza Horizon 6 and Halo: Spartan Assault, though not all games support both devices yet (e.g., Invincible VS and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II), and the feature remains limited to Xbox app titles on handhelds with more titles expected to follow.
Surface Laptop 13 Price Hike Dampens Appeal Versus MacBook Neo
Windows Central pits the Surface Laptop 13-inch against the MacBook Neo after Microsoft's price hike: Surface offers longer battery life, 16GB RAM, and more ports, but starts at $1,149, making it a tougher sell next to the significantly cheaper Neo, which has a higher-resolution, brighter display and stronger single-core CPU/GPU but 8GB RAM in base configuration and fewer ports. For OS-agnostic or budget buyers, Neo is the clearer value, while Windows enthusiasts may still prefer Surface for its features despite the price.