The Windows 11 gaming user interface is set to become more console-like, taking inspiration from Xbox and simplifying controls
New design looks to become a more substantial rival to SteamOS and optimize usability
There will be a focus on enhancing controllers and handheld-specific features for seamless gaming
It looks like Microsoft has finally acknowledged that handheld gaming PCs could be better, primarily when it comes to running Windows 11 on them, and it wants to improve this experience.
Right now, Windows 11 simply isn’t great on these devices; it feels clunky and complicated, probably because Windows 11 is largely designed for desktops and larger devices in general, not compact handhelds without keyboards. This is all the more apparent when compared to the smooth interfaces of Xbox consoles or Valve’s SteamOS, which were specifically designed for their respective devices.
Now, Microsoft wants to bring the Xbox experience to Windows PCs, combining the two systems and elevating the handheld gaming Windows experience. This was hinted at during a roundtable discussion at the recent AMD and Lenovo “The Future of Gaming Handhelds” event by Microsoft VP of “Next Generation” (presumably the Next Generation of Windows handheld gaming PCs) Jason Ronald, which was held during the CES 2025 event in Las Vegas.
Microsoft’s goal appears to be to take the user-friendly, console-like features of Xbox like quick access to games and simple navigation, and integrate them into Windows for handhelds. This would make it easier to use Windows gaming handheld devices more intuitively, allowing you to pick up your device and play without fiddling with complicated settings or dealing with desktop-style menus.
Microsoft’s VP of “Next Generation,” Jason Ronald, hinted that they’re actively working on this and that we’ll see some big improvements this year. It’s not about building a brand-new Xbox operating system for PCs but rather improving Windows 11 itself to feel more like an Xbox when you’re gaming. The big idea? To make handheld Windows gaming as easy and enjoyable as playing on an Xbox, while still allowing you to tap into the flexibility of Windows if you need it.
When speaking to The Verge, Ronald elaborated on this by explaining that this will go beyond the current state of things where there are compact modes for Xbox apps in Windows 11, becoming a simplified experience similar to what you’d use on a games console. This includes tackling aspects like making Windows 11 work better with gaming controllers and designing Windows 11 to make better use of handheld gaming hardware.
(Image credit: Steam Deck)
Could a game-changing update take on SteamOS?
This news is very welcome, as I know many people are very vocal about the fact that Windows 11 is the weakest part many gaming handheld PCs, including the Lenovo Legion Go, Asus ROG Ally X, and MSI Claw 8. The PC gaming handhelds that run Windows 11 will often use a proxy user interface to manage and run your games, but this can make for a slower and less-than-ideal experience overall. Furthermore, Windows 11 has SteamOS (a Linux-based operating system) to contend with, as we are beginning to see devices come in a version running SteamOS as well as Windows 11, like the Lenovo Legion S.
SteamOS is an operating system specifically designed to run games, has an easy-to-use dedicated user interface, and none of the baggage and bloat of Windows 11.
The roundtable conversation didn’t clarify if this will mean a special version of Windows for gaming handhelds or if Windows 11 will have additions made to it that make gaming on handheld PCs better. Ronald says his team is working on ‘fundamental interaction models’ that work regardless of what operating system is used by a device, and ensure that users get a solid gaming experience regardless.
It sounds like Ronald and his team perhaps have more in store, however, than just layering software on top of Windows 11 for gaming handhelds. We’ll have to see how this new system looks, performs, and feels, but it sounds pretty promising, especially as handheld gaming PC devices appear to be a booming market.
Microsoft has been accused of using an underhand trick to drive Bing traffic
In certain situations, searching for ‘Google’ in Bing will produce a results page that looks a lot like Google's home page
Critics argue this might lead to people searching via Bing rather than Google without knowing
Microsoft’s been accused of using underhand tricks that push the use of the Bing search engine at the expense of Google – and the outcry has prompted a senior Google employee to speak out.
According to Windows Latest, people who searched for Google using either Edge or Chrome web browsers with Bing set as their default search engine would get a results page that looked a lot like Google's home page, rather than the usual Bing results page.
When Bing returns the search results, Microsoft has apparently made a change so that the Bing search bar – normally found at the top of the list of results – has had an image added to it, rather like a Google doodle.
This has led to some on the internet accusing Microsoft of making it look like the Google home page has loaded, and even suggesting that the web page is loaded in such a way that the ‘Microsoft Bing’ logo and bar at the very top are hidden away.
This could make users go ahead and run a search, using the Bing bar, while thinking they are using Google.
The backlash has been swift and vocal, with even a senior employee at Google weighing in.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Microsoft spoofing the Google homepage is another tactic in its long history of tricks to confuse users & limit choice. New year; new low @Microsoft https://t.co/LKSNNKB7HyJanuary 6, 2025
This is a major intervention – and a surprising one at that. Parisa Tabriz is VP of Chrome at Google, and she's making some bold accusations, even going as far as to tag Microsoft. We don't often see such senior employees getting involved in accusations that (as far as we can tell) are far from substantiated.
The fact that Tabriz has commented on this, likely with senior Google staff knowing about it, suggests that Google is not happy about this. However, we shouldn't rush to judgment, and Google should be careful about amplifying accusations against a major rival (and one that Google frequently collaborates with).
There's no denying this looks like the Google home page.(Image credit: Future / Microsoft)
Analysis: An unedifying spat
Neither Google nor Microsoft come out of this particularly well. There's no denying that the results page for 'Google' using Bing does look a lot like Google's home page (we've tried it here ourselves), and the usual Bing branding is indeed obscured as the page loads slightly scrolled down. Perhaps the most damning aspect is that this only happens when you search for 'Google'. Other searches (we tried 'hats') gives you the default Bing page.
Microsoft's past attempts to get people to use its services means many people are reluctant to give it the benefit of the doubt – but regardless of your opinion of the company, we have to bear in mind that there's no evidence that this is a deliberate ploy to trick users into using Bing over Google.
This makes Tabriz's comment all the more risky, especially as due to her position in the company, many people might assume her comments reflect the views of Google – and that opens it up to accusations of hypocrisy.
Google's rise to the top of the search engine and browser markets has led to accusations of limiting choice for users with tactics that some describe as unfair.
So, while Microsoft's motivations should definitely be interrogated, Google should also be careful about throwing too many stones from its own glass house. We've reached out to both Microsoft and Google for their responses to these accusations and we'll update this story when we hear back.
As for users who just want to search the internet in peace – this is a reminder that like most things you do on the internet, you should always make sure you're using the website or service that you trust by double-checking before you enter in any information.
TechRadar will be extensively covering this year'sCES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to ourCES 2025 newspage for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.
CES 2025 doesn't officially kick off until tomorrow (January 7), but with the world's biggest tech show now open to the media there's already been a wave of big announcements – and we've rounded up the best so far below.
Whether you're calling today 'day zero' or 'day one' of CES 2025, the most important thing is that we're already seeing some major announcements that'll shape the tech world this year.
As always, TVs are a major theme of the show, with both Samsung and LG duking it out with their flagship OLED TV lineups. But we've also seen some exciting arrivals in the world of wearables, with the Garmin Instinct 3 breaking cover and some intriguing new eyewear called the Halliday Smart Glasses.
Naturally, there's some weirder stuff on show too, from robot vacuums with retractible arms to strange, furry robots that may well haunt our nightmares. For a first look at some of the most intriguing tech we've found so far, read on for all of our highlights from day one (or day zero) of CES 2024.
1. Halliday Smart Glasses
Best feature: Digi Window microdisplay for cheating in meetings
(Image credit: Halliday)
Smart glasses that don't look like smart glasses are going to be one of the big trends of CES 2025 – and the most intriguing ones we've tried so far are Halliday's attempt at "proactive AI eyewear".
You can't tell by looking at these classic-looking spectacles, but the Hallidays pack in a lot of tech – most notably, a tiny Digi Window microdisplay. To the wearer's eye, that screen looks like a 3.5-inch monochrome display, and it means the glasses can act like an all-knowing AI sidekick.
For example, Halliday's AI agent can (with your permission, of course) listen to conversations and answer questions during meetings, or do live translation when you're traveling. There's also turn-by-turn navigation, a teleprompter mode and voice control on board – with the smart glasses due to land in the first few months of 2025.
Best feature: 24-day battery life plus solar charging
(Image credit: Garmin)
The biggest sports watch news of CES 2025 may have already landed in the form of Garmin's new Instinct 3, which looks like being ideal for extreme adventurers.
The Instinct series are Garmin's range of super-tough sports watches and this third model has a new AMOLED display. That screen will apparently give you up to 24 days of battery life, which should last you for most trips – including those where you get hopelessly lost.
With solar charging and an enormous list of health-monitoring features, including advanced sleep monitoring, the Instinct 3 is highly tempting new timepiece for outdoorsy types – and you can order one from January 10.
We named the Samsung S95D as our 'TV of the year' in 2024 and the tech giant has just announced its successor at CES 2025 – with some impressive new Glare Free 2.0 tech.
The Samsung S95F has lots of AI-powered features including Upscaling Pro, but the one we've been most impressed with in person is its ability to overcome screen reflections from lamps and other light sources.
Previously, this mode came with a slightly annoying side effect, namely blacks that looked more like dark gray when viewed in bright rooms. But Glare Free 2.0 on the S95F appears to have fixed that, and the mode is also coming to Samsung's flagship 8K and 4K mini-LED TVs for 2025, too.
Best feature: A genuinely affordable price tag for a hi-res audio player
(Image credit: FiiO)
If you recently rediscovered your old iPod in a drawer and wistfully longed for the simple charms of portable audio players, the new FiiO JM21 could be for you.
Not only is his pocketable, hi-res audio player a fine-looking musical sidekick, it's also impressively priced at $149 / £139 (around AU$277), considering its specs. You get 32GB of internal storage (expandable to 2TB via microSD card) and it has a 4.7-inch display.
Because it's aimed at audiophiles who'd rather stick hot pins in their ears than listen to 16-bit files, you can also use it as a DAC with Mac or Windows computers, with support for sampling rates up to 384kHz/32-bit. Ah, that's better.
Firstly, it uses an app to calculate your ring size, which should spell an end for those clunky plastic sizing kits. In another first, the smart ring also has an Atrial Fibrillation detection algorithm that's been approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
The Circular Ring 2 will launch in a crowdfunding campaign later this month, with the price expected to be $380 (around £300 / AU$600) and shipping tipped to start in March.
Best feature: A retractible mechanical arm for sock tidying
(Image credit: Future)
Robot vacuums have learned a number of new tricks over the years, but the Roborock Saros Z70 has our favorite one for a while – a robo-arm that can tidy your space before it commences cleaning.
We got a preview of its OmniGrip 1.0 arm, which hides beneath a mysterious hatch, and branded it "absolutely mesmerizing". Your cat needn't worry, because you can specify the objects that the S70 can clear away with its arm and pincer.
Once you've decided those, it'll pick them up and move them to a new location (with a disappointed sigh, we like to think). You'll be able to buy Roborock's helpful robo-vac sometime before the end of June, with pricing yet to be announced.
Best feature: Turns your iPhone into a point-and-shoot camera
(Image credit: Belkin)
Buying a MagSafe power bank for your iPhone is a perfectly sensible investment, but if you want one that does more than just top up your juice, then the Stage PowerGrip could be for you.
This charming little accessory packs both a 10,000mAh battery (enough to charge an iPhone at least one-and-a-half times) and also gives you a much better grip for taking landscape photos, which you can do with its built-in shutter button.
With the ability to act as a stand for holding your iPhone in landscape or portrait orientation, the PowerGrip could be one of our favorite accessories from CES 2025. It's landing in May for an undisclosed price.
Best feature: AI-powered system that adapts workouts in real-time
(Image credit: AMP)
Yes, it's January, which means our thoughts are reluctantly turning towards ways we can restore our pre-Christmas fitness. We could just go running, but that's not quite as exciting as shelling out for Amp, a smart strength machine that genuinely looks like it could be the next Peloton.
A highly adjustable cable machine with a camera and a companion app, the Amp attached to a wall in your house and adapts workouts in real-time – for example, becoming more resistant as you reach the peak of your movement, like resistance bands.
With workouts, challenges and leaderboards to tap your competitive side, we're looking forward (in some ways) to being put through our paces by the Amp Fitness machine. It's available for pre-order now for $1,795 (or round £1,450 / AU$2,900).
Best feature: Tank-like tracks to help it traverse tough inclines
(Image credit: Lymow)
Not everyone has small, neat lawns that are easy for the average lawnbot to get around. If you have a big yard that's packed with obstacles and slopes, you may be relieved to see the arrival of the Lymow One.
Launching at CES 2025 following a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Lymow looks a bit like a gardening-mad ED-209, only it's far more adaptable on tricky terrain.
It can apparently cover up to five times as much lawn as rival models (up to 1.73 acres each day), while clearing two-inch high obstacles and making light work or 45-degree inclines. The Lymow One is expected to be delivered to gardens from April for $2,999 (around £2,400 / AU$4,800).
Best feature: It doubles as a mood lamp and Bluetooth speaker
(Image credit: LG)
At last year's CES 2024 show, we saw XGIMI cleverly hide a projector in a ceiling light – and this year LG has taken the baton and launched a 3-in-1 combo of a projector, standing lamp and speaker.
The LG PF600U's pole design means it can serve as your light source and Bluetooth speaker, but it has decent projector chops too. It can manage 1080p Full HD resolution images with 300 ANSI lumens of brightness, and can project from 30 to 120 inches.
If you want to use it with streaming services, there's also LG's built-in webOS interface to help with that. We don't yet have pricing or a release date, but we're looking forward to auditioning it at CES 2025.
Best feature: It's a compelling glimpse of where health tech is going
(Image credit: Withings)
Okay, we haven't actually seen the Withings Omnia smart mirror in-person at CES 2025, because it's currently just a concept. But we wanted to include it here anyway as it's a compelling vision of where health tech is going.
Because this smart, AI-powered mirror is connected to other Withings gadgets, it promises to give you a full health assessment (as well as showing you how haggard you look in the mornings).
In theory, the Omnia should be able to give you feedback on almost anything to do with your heart health, and will display stats on-screen alongside feedback from an AI assistant. There's no price or release date yet, but given Withings' track record we're hopeful that it'll become reality in the not-too-distant future.
Best feature: Come on, it's a furry robot with a motorized head
(Image credit: Yukai Engineering)
No CES is complete without a strange, furry robot – and CES 2025 has duly obliged with the Yukai Engineering Mirumi, which we've called the "strangest thing" we've ever seen at the tech show.
This "mascot robot" attaches to your bag and, for some reason, "spontaneously turns its head to steal a glance at a nearby person". For something so innocent-looking, it has a surprising amount of tech inside, including sensors to notice people and a motorized head.
Why would you want it? We're still not quite sure, but we're expecting one to be clinging to our luggage as we try to leave Las Vegas at the end of the show.
Projectors are making a comeback in tablets and smartphones
Oukitel WP100 Titan appears to be an upgrade of the 8849 Tank3 Pro we reviewed
33Ah battery is bigger than any smartphone or tablet on the market
If you’re looking for a rugged Android phone at an affordable price, Oukitel has you covered, with a host of new devices coming at CES 2025.
One of the most notable rugged phone launches is the WP100 Titan, which boasts a variety of features that help it stand out from the competition, including a giant 33,000mAh battery, ensuring you won’t have to worry about running out of juice while on the go, even if you’re away for several days.
The battery promises up to six months of standby time and includes 66W fast charging.
Camping light and projector
The device also comes with a 1,200-lumen camping light, which can illuminate your path at night, and an adjustable-focus 100-lumen, 120Hz DLP projector suitable for presentations or movie viewing - indoors or outdoors.
There's not much additional information available about the WP100 Titan at the moment, but it appears to be an upgrade of the rugged 8849 Tank3 Pro we reported on previously which also included a camping light and a 100-lumen projector. That device sported a massive 23,900mAh battery - impressive at the time but now seemingly modest compared to Oukitel’s upcoming device.
Further details about the WP100 Titan should be revealed in the coming days at CES 2025, and Oukitel has informed us that the new phone will be available for backing in a Kickstarter campaign launching sometime in February.
The launch is the latest in a series of Oukitel devices, and we've been impressed by many of them to date.
We rated the 5G Oukitel WP30 Pro as one of the best rugged phones you can buy right now. It’s lighter than most, which is great if you don’t want to lug around a heavy device, and features an 11,000mAh battery and is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 CPU, backed by 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It also offers dual nano-SIM support. We also really liked the Oukitel WP10 and WP15 - check out our full reviews for more details.
Over the last year or so we've heard plenty about Apple Intelligence and how it's going to transform the way we use our Apple devices – and it seems the AI tech is also going to take up more internal storage on those devices too.
As spotted by 9to5Mac, the recently launched iOS 18.2 update needs 7GB of free local storage to install Apple Intelligence, according to Apple's website. When the AI features started appearing in iOS 18.1, the requirement was 4GB.
It's no surprise that the iOS 18.2 update requires so much more space on your device: it includes a wealth of new AI tricks, including the integration of ChatGPT with the Siri smart assistant, Genmoji, and Visual Intelligence.
The first batch of Apple Intelligence features that showed up with iOS 18.1 back in October included Writing Tools and Notification Summaries. These upgrades are going to continue to show up gradually as we make our way towards iOS 19 next year.
More to come
Apple Intelligence is an optional extra(Image credit: Apple)
Apple likes as much of its AI to run locally as possible: not relying on the cloud means faster response times and improved user privacy. As we're now seeing though, there is a cost in terms of storage space.
You can turn off Apple Intelligence if you want to: the setting is under Apple Intelligence & Siri on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. You can also choose to not install it in the first place, because it's not enabled by default on these devices.
However, you can't pick and choose the AI features you want: It's all or nothing. If you're running low on storage space on your device, then you may have to think twice about having Apple Intelligence enabled (or buy some more iCloud storage space, of course).
And it's likely that Apple Intelligence will demand even more storage space as we go through 2025: it's expected that iOS 18.4 will bring with it a host of new AI updates, including smarter features for Siri.
Pandora is a 'mini AI hardware' stuck in a mini PC form factor
It uses Nvidia's Jetson Orin NX Super platform
Comes with 128GB SSD and a Ubuntu OS, in a chassis under 500g
Nvidia’s largest add-in-board partner, Palit, has been a key supplier in the global video card market for over 30 years. Best known for its range of Nvidia GeForce graphics cards, the company is now branching into AI with Pandora, a compact mini PC device built for edge AI computing.
Pandora (announced in a YouTube video spotted by Videocardz) measures just 121mm x 145mm x 66mm and weighs 470g. Although it resembles a mini PC, the new device is described as "mini AI hardware" and is designed specifically for tasks like AI inference, machine learning acceleration, and robotics.
Powered by the Nvidia Jetson Orin NX Super platform, Pandora is available in two versions with 8GB or 16GB of RAM, delivering 117 and 157 AI TOPS respectively. The device comes pre-installed with a 128GB SSD, Ubuntu Linux, and JetPack SDK 6.1.1, and features an active cooling system to maintain performance under load.
Good selection of ports
Pandora sports two USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C/OTC port, and two USB 2.0 Type-A ports for peripherals and legacy devices. It also includes dual Ethernet ports (2 x RJ45, 1G) and an HDMI 2.0 port. For audio, there are both Line Out/Line In options via a 3.5mm jack or pin header.
Through its M.2 slots, users can add SSDs, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 5G/LTE modules. One of Pandora’s standout features is its support for 3D-printed expansions via customizable casing shells, allowing users to extend the device’s capabilities - a handy option for developers in need of adaptable hardware.
(Image credit: Palit)
Palit suggests several use cases for Pandora. In smart retail, the device can analyze customer demographics to deliver real-time personalized advertisements through digital signage.
In education, it supports interactive teaching tools using object recognition and text-to-speech technology, and for robotics and automation, it provides extensive I/O options and compatibility with Nvidia Isaac and ROS2. It can also handle demanding generative AI tasks such as natural language processing and content creation.
Pricing and release details for Pandora have yet to be announced, but we should know more soon.
Huawei has won a number of court rulings in its legal wrangles with Netgear
The patents involved are crucial to WiFi 6 technology used in Netgear's wireless routers
Netgear produces the popular Nighthawk and Orbi family of products
Huawei has won a series of legal victories against Netgear in its ongoing patent disputes over WiFi 6 technology, with the latest development potentially having far-reaching implications for Netgear’s operations across Europe.
As reported by intellectual property activist Florian Mueller, the Unified Patent Court (UPC) recently granted Huawei a multi-country injunction against Netgear, following a ruling in its Munich Local Division.
This decision, centered on a WiFi 6 standard-essential patent (SEP), applies to seven countries, including Germany, France, and Italy. Mueller says it marks one of the most commercially impactful rulings in the UPC's history regarding SEPs.
Netgear facing a tough choice
Netgear, a major US router brand best known for its Nighthawk and Orbi products, has been defending itself against Huawei’s claims, but faces mounting challenges. A new ruling from the Munich I Regional Court, expected on January 9, 2025, could further complicate matters. In this case, Huawei is asserting another WiFi 6 SEP, which appears likely to be deemed valid and infringed, based on court proceedings.
Netgear’s defenses hinge on arguments related to FRAND (Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory) licensing obligations and patent exhaustion. However, Mueller says the court has historically been skeptical of such defenses unless supported by strong evidence. Patent exhaustion, which Netgear hoped would protect devices using Qualcomm chips, has limited applicability. According to the UPC ruling, the exhaustion defense only applies if Qualcomm chips were first sold within the European Union, creating logistical and manufacturing hurdles for Netgear.
The ramifications extend beyond Netgear, as the decision reinforces the UPC's stance on SEPs and FRAND obligations. The court has emphasized that implementers must engage constructively in licensing negotiations and, in some cases, accept pool license offers. Netgear’s rejection of a pool license, combined with its litigation strategies, has not helped its position.
With enforcement of the injunction imminent, Mueller says Netgear faces a tough choice: negotiate a license or risk further legal and operational setbacks. This case not only highlights the complexities of SEP enforcement in Europe it also sets a precedent for similar disputes in the future.
It got tested by TweakTown against a number of enterprise SSDs including Solidigm's 61.44TB
This Gen4 SSD is read-biased and is available in 2.5-inch U2FF
This is a common strategy amongst SSD vendors to optimize their models to certain workloads
It was always only going to be a matter of time, but Solidigm's 61.44TB SSD is finally beginning to get a number of competitors that can match it for size.
The company’s South Korean parent company, SK Hynix, has launched a 61.44TB model (developed with Solidigm's expertise), and TweakTown has just reviewed the DapuStor J5060 61.44TB U.2 Enterprise SSD and come away massively impressed.
DapuStor is a Chinese technology company specializing in the development and manufacturing of enterprise-grade SSDs. Its 61.44TB J5060 SSD (a 122.88TB version is planned for release in 2025) is designed specifically for read-intensive applications, targeting growing storage demands in sectors such as AI, cloud storage, IT, finance, telecom, big data, and intelligent manufacturing.
Superior read performance
The J5060 is marketed as cost-effective, reliable, and scalable solution for enterprises seeking efficient data management within tight budgets. It’s the second 61.44TB SSD TweakTown has tested, with the first of course being Solidigm’s drive which it reviewed in August 2023.
The standout feature of the J5060 is unquestionably its superior read performance. Testing shows the drive achieves up to 1.7 million 4K random IOPS, a 70% improvement over Intel’s P5336. It also boasts sequential read throughput exceeding 7,500 MB/s, making it an exceptional option for read-heavy workloads.
The SSD features a PCIe Gen4 x4 interface, a U.2 form factor, sequential bandwidth of up to 7,400 MB/s, and random IOPS of up to 1.5 million. While its read performance is unmatched, the drive did lag behind competitors like Solidigm when write operations were considered.
The site sums up its findings, saying, “DapuStor's J5060 61.44TB is, without a doubt, the most read-centric SSD we've ever encountered. This is not surprising in the least, considering the drive is meant to write infrequently and read frequently. We are of the opinion that for heavily read-centric applications, it is likely the most efficient SSD of its capacity point currently in circulation.”
It further adds, “You can't do any better than DapuStor's J5060 61.44TB when it comes to TCO for read-intensive applications.”
