Cutting-Edge Gaming Units, TVs, Tablets, Smartwatches Make CES Splash

By Don Reisinger

The gaming market might change drastically soon. Nvidia’s Tegra K1 is a processor that the company says will be capable of delivering game graphics that exceed those of earlier-generation consoles. It’ll take some time before the processors make their way to the marketplace. The 32-bit option won’t come out until the first half of 2014, but it could make a splash when it appears.

Rumors have been swirling for years that Apple wants to launch a fully connected television. The trouble is, Roku already beat the iPhone maker to it. Roku, which has made a name for itself with its outstanding set-top boxes, announced at CES that it will launch a line of connected televisions running its software. Roku won’t take on the heavy load of producing televisions itself, but will partner with TV makers. The televisions will feature more than 1,200 channels already available on Roku set-top boxes. Watch out, Apple.

Sony was rumored to be working on a game-streaming service for months, but it’s finally a reality. Based on Gaikai’s cloud-based technology, PlayStation Now will stream PlayStation 3 games to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. Sony says that it’ll also work on most 2014 Bravia TV models. The service will allow users to play full games and pick up where they left off on any other Sony device compatible with PlayStation Now. It’ll launch in the U.S. this summer.

Samsung is back at it with new tablets that put the entire market on notice. The Galaxy TabPro will ship with Android 4.4 (KitKat) and come with a whopping 12.2-inch screen. Those who want smaller versions can select the 10.1-inch or 8.4-inch options. Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy NotePro, a successor to its previous Note tablets. Both devices will ship this year and come with a new Samsung-designed user interface the company’s calling Magazine UX. So far, they’re the best-looking tablets on the CES showroom floor.

Pebble, which made a name for itself on the Kickstarter.com crowd-funding site, is showing off a slick steel smartwatch. The new Pebble watches can’t match Rolex on design, but they make it far more likely that people who are concerned about fashion might opt for a smartwatch. The Pebble Steel smartwatch even comes with a leather band for those who prefer the classic look. It’s a neat device.

When LG took over WebOS after that operating system’s steady descent into obscurity in the hands of Hewlett-Packard, the company promised something special for televisions. That something special made its way to CES. LG unveiled a beautiful WebOS smart TV interface that works with both the old-school push-button remote controls and the company’s motion-enabled remote control. That option places a cursor on the screen that tracks a user’s movements, allowing the user to pick apps, select programming and more.

Speaking of LG, the Korean device maker, along with Samsung, showed off flexible OLED televisions. The idea might prove to be more novelty than a practical product at the moment, but it begs an interesting question: Can flexible televisions replace the rigid options of old? We’ll find out.

Watch out, Microsoft: Intel confirmed at CES that its processors this year will be capable of switching between Android and Windows with the press of a button. The move could encourage the introduction of more devices running both Android and Windows and could possibly hurt Microsoft’s chances of gaining ground in the mobile space. It’s an interesting development that could have a profound impact on mobile devices.

Valve’s Linux-based SteamOS will be running in potentially dozens of game set-top boxes in the coming year. At CES, Valve, along with partners Dell, Falcon Northwest, Origin PC and others, revealed several products running its gaming operating system. SteamOS will be capable of delivering PC games to the television over the Web, similar to PlayStation Now. Unlike Sony’s plan, however, Valve wants to see as many companies as possible adopt SteamOS and get their products into homes. That could cause a serious shift in gaming if that happens.

MakerBot at CES unveiled a new line of 3D printers. One of the more interesting announcements was the Replicator Mini, a 3D printer priced at $1,375, its lowest-cost printer yet. The new Replicator costs just $2,899, while the Z18, which is designed for large products, will go for $6,499. With MakerBot’s latest product line, 3D printing just became a lot more accessible to small businesses as well as the average consumer.