[Editor's note: This press release comes from the US division of Philips, so the news is more relevant to the USA.]

Envision Peripherals, Inc. (EPI), an affiliate of TPV Technology Limited (TPV) Philips' monitor license partner, announces the release of the world's first Designed for Xbox console gaming monitor. Philips Momentum Designed for Xbox console gaming monitors are built from the ground up to provide the ultimate experience for Xbox fans. These Designed for Xbox console gaming monitors set the standard for Xbox gaming. The inclusion of the new HDMI 2.1 spec now enables next-gen console gaming with 4K resolution and faster 120Hz refresh rates for ultra-clear and ultra-smooth gaming performance. Taking it the next level, TPV partnered with Xbox to tune these "Designed for Xbox" displays to deliver the optimal validated Xbox Series X performance from the moment you plug it in.

Unlike televisions, Philips Momentum gaming monitors are built for console gaming, with low latency and low lag as priorities to provide a much smoother, more realistic gaming experience. The series' low input lag is a great advantage when playing twitch-sensitive video games, allowing the input to register on the screen faster. The flagship 55" Philips Momentum (559M1RYV) will include a specially designed speaker enclosure from the engineers at Bowers & Wilkins, the British loudspeaker company globally renowned for their innovative designs and sound engineering, that completes the experience.

The upcoming NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti has already been tested in the old, tried and true Ashes of the Singularity benchmark - the first game to ever support DirectX 12. Considering the proximity of this Ashes of the SIngularity bench run with the projected announcement date for the RTX 3080 Ti itself, on June 4th, it may mean that this is a reviewers' sample that's been tested.

[Editors' note: This press release pertains to the US division of Philips, with the news contained not necessarily the case globally.]

Envision Peripherals, Inc. (EPI), an affiliate of TPV Technology Limited (TPV), today debuts a new E Line monitor, the Philips 4K Ultra HD LCD monitor 288E2E. The Philips E Line monitor features stunning visuals and stylish design for workspace. Ultra-clear 4K UHD and Ultra-Wide-Color deliver ultimate clarity and life-like visuals. Its Multiview function meets the need for usability and productivity. The Philips 288E2E is available on Amazon for $309.99 USD, starting May 18, 2021.

EIZO Corporation today announced the DuraVision MDU5501WT - a 55-inch chart table monitor with 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD) resolution with projected capacitive (PCAP) touch panel technology for modern maritime route planning and navigation. The DuraVision MDU5501WT's 55-inch 4K UHD screen provides ample space for ship operators to view crucial navigational information from one or more applications in a single location. This allows operators to view navigational charts and other applications in detail, reducing the need to switch windows or zoom.

The monitor can be laid horizontally and has a fully flat surface, allowing it to double as a table for laying out traditional paper charts when they are called for. The wide edges provide a place for the crew to conveniently set items or rest their hands without obstructing the view of the screen. The monitor features PCAP multitouch technology, allowing it to detect up to 10 simultaneous finger inputs or up to two styluses. It is also equipped with palm rejection which allows operators to rest their hand or arm directly on the screen without causing any unintended touch input. Furthermore, the monitor detects liquid spillage on the screen which causes it to automatically disable touch functionality temporarily until the spill has been cleaned. Users can easily turn touch detection on or off by pushing the button conveniently located on the monitor's outer rim.

AMD has today updated its Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition version 21.5.1 drivers, bringing many features on board as well as fixing a lot of issues that have appeared in the past. Starting with support for the Resident Evil Village PC game, AMD promises to deliver up to 13% better frame rate at 4K maximum settings, while using the Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics card. The comparison was conducted with a reference to the previous driver, 21.4.1, which didn't allow the card to reach as high FPS as it is now possible with the proper support for the game. Another game that is added to the support list is Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition. Some fixes have been implemented, as the incorrect performance metrics that may have incorrectly reported temperatures on Ryzen 5 1600 series processors. For a detailed list of bug fixes, please take a look at the list below.DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition 21.5.1

IBASE Technology Inc. (TPEx: 8050), IBASE, a leading provider of industrial motherboards and embedded systems, launches its latest 3.5" SBC IB953 powered by 11th Gen Intel Core processors (codenamed Tiger Lake). Measuring 146 x 102 mm in a compact footprint, the single board computer offers impressive I/O and computing performance, making it an ideal platform for a broad range of demanding applications in factory automation, machine vision, healthcare, as well as retail environments.

The IB953 features a 5G compatible M.2 3052 socket and the latest 11th Gen. Intel Core and Celeron processors built on 10 nm SuperFin process, delivering up to 25% faster performance and greater AI acceleration. With the Intel Core i7-1185G7 (IBASE model IB953AF-I7) comes the new Iris Xe (Xe-LP) graphics architecture supporting 96 EUs (Execution Units) which equals 768 cores and runs at 1.35 GHz, an increase of 250 MHz over the previous 11-gen graphics to provide up to twice the performance and improved power efficiency. The graphics engine's hardware acceleration can drive up to four simultaneous 4K HDR displays (via 2x DisplayPort + eDP and LVDS).

The worldwide new-gen game console sales are still booming with no indication of slowing down. However, pairing a new-gen console with a compatible high-resolution display that can push the limits of 120 Hz high refresh rates and beyond remained an unfathomable mission...until now. GIGABYTE's newly launched AORUS 4K gaming monitors have shed a new ray of hope for the long-awaited gamers. The full HDMI 2.1 compatibility that comes with the new AORUS monitors enable gamers to unlock higher frame rates and resolutions on new generation consoles, such as the PlayStation 5 and XBOX Series X.

The GIGABYTE AORUS 4K tactical gaming monitors are the ultimate two-way monitors. Not only do they promise an esports-grade display performance of up to 144Hz refresh rate and 0.5 ms response time, they also take full advantage of the HDMI 2.1 connector's bandwidth for getting the most out of the new-gen consoles, making them the ideal displays for gaming across different platforms. Through the HDMI 2.1 connectivity, gamers are able to fully enjoy extreme gaming performance powered by high-end graphics cards, such as the RTX 30 series while gaming on PC. When paired with the new-gen consoles, gamers for the first time can play their favorite AAA game titles at 120Hz for ultra-smooth gameplay at a stunning 4K resolution. In addition to the display performance supremacy, GIGABYTE has also succeeded in optimizing gaming experience with AORUS exclusive tactical features.

ASUS today announced Mini PC PB62, a durable computer that delivers powerful performance to provide flexibility, expandability and performance to suit a range of business applications, including digital signage, point-of-sales (POS) system, kiosks and intelligent vending machines. Mini PC PB62 is powered by the latest desktop-grade up to 11th Generation Intel Core processor and fast DDR4 3200 MHz memory.

Engineered for performance: 11th Gen Intel Core, DDR4 3200 MHz memory and Intel Optane
With the latest up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, Mini PC PB62 is caters for with support for either a 35- or 65-watt CPU - so it's ready to be specified for supreme efficiency or maximum performance. PB62 also has built-in support for Intel Optane H20 memory, the technology that greatly improves storage speeds, enables frequently-used documents, pictures, videos and applications to be accessed more quickly while improving overall system performance to maximize productivity and efficiency.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced the latest addition to its 7-series portfolio, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G 5G Mobile Platform. Snapdragon 780G is designed to deliver powerful AI performance and brilliant camera capture backed by the Qualcomm Spectra 570 triple ISP and 6th generation Qualcomm AI Engine, allowing users to capture, enhance, and share their favorite moments seamlessly. This platform enables a selection of premium-tier features for the first time in the 7-series, making next generation experiences more broadly accessible.

"Since introducing the Snapdragon 7-series three years ago, more than 350 devices have launched based on 7-series mobile platforms. Today, we are continuing this momentum by introducing the Snapdragon 780G 5G Mobile Platform," said Kedar Kondap, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "Snapdragon 780G was designed to bring in-demand, premium experiences to more users around the world."

Nintendo's Switch console is one of the most successful consoles ever made by the Japanese company. It has sold in millions of units and has received great feedback from the gaming community. However, as the hardware inside the console becomes outdated, the company is thinking about launching a new revision of the console, with the latest hardware and technologies. Today, we got ahold of information about the graphics side of things in Nintendo's upcoming console. Powered by NVIDIA Tegra SoC, it will incorporate unknown Arm-based CPU cores. The latest rumors suggest that the CPU will be accommodated with NVIDIA's Ada Lovelace GPU architecture. According to @kopite7kimi, a known hardware leaker, who simply replied to VideoCardz's tweet with "Ada", we are going to see the appearance of Ada Lovelace GPU architecture in the new SoC. Additionally, the new Switch SoC will have hardware accelerated NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) and 4K output.

Capcom, the Japanese video game maker, has today announced specification requirements for its upcoming Resident Evil Village PC game, needed to play the game at certain resolutions/graphics presets. Starting with the minimum settings, Capcom is thinking of 1080p 60 FPS gaming. To achieve that you need at least an Intel Core i5-7500 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 processor paired with 8 GB of RAM. The minimum specification also requires a DirectX 12 capable GPU, with 4 GB of VRAM, just like NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 560. The company notes that using this configuration, framerate may drop below 60 FPS during heavy loads. If you want to use raytracing, which is now also present in the game engine, you must switch to at least NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT.

The recommended specification of course requires much beefier hardware compared to the minimum specification. If you want to have a steady 1080p 60 FPS experience without frame drops, Capcom recommends an Intel Core i7 8700 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processor, paired with 16 GB of RAM, and a GPU like an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or AMD Radeon RX 5700. However, if you want the raytracing feature you need a better GPU. To achieve a 4K resolution with 60 FPS and raytracing turned on, the GPU needs a bump to at least an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 or AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card. You can check out the game requirements in greater detail below.

343 Industries, a game developer and maker of the Halo game series, has today released 4K screenshots of their upcoming PC title called Halo Infinite game. The company has been providing players with regular updates regarding the game development and showing a bit of how the whole process is looking like. What the developers have in their heads when developing something like this, and what are their goals to achieve. For someone interested in that, these monthly updates are very valuable reads. Today, however, we are in for a surprise. Halo Infinite PC screenshots have been revealed and we get a hint of what is to come.

Showcasing Zeta Halo, one of the seven rings in the Halo Array, located in the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way galaxy, we get to see the beautiful open world the developers are creating. The main spotlight of the graphics is centered around the day-nigh changes, which are supposed to feature raytracing technology and use the latest advancements in graphics. Below, you can take a look at the world of rings and see some game scenes for yourself. For a full 4K images, please head over to the Halo Infinite blog post update.More pictures follow.

Display specialist AOC extends its portfolio of P2 series professional displays with three new models: the 31.5" (80 cm) U32P2 with 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels), the 31.5" Q32P2 with QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) and the 28" (71.1 cm) U28P2A, also with 4K UHD resolution. For increased productivity when working at home or in the office, these monitors offer sizeable screen real estate, a height-adjustable stand with portrait orientation option, and a built-in USB hub to easily connect peripherals. Thanks to the Adaptive-Sync support to match the graphic card's framerate with the monitor's refresh rate, stuttering and tearing is eliminated. AOC's new 31.5" P2 displays are available in Europe starting February 2021, while the 28" model will be available from April.

AOC's P2 series represents the brand's offer for professional business users seeking to increase productivity in their workflow. Whether used for working remotely or in an office, these displays' features cover all of the essential requirements and much more. Offered in 22", 24", 27", 28", 32" and 34" display sizes, the majority of P2 series monitors are equipped with IPS panels, which are color accurate and support wide viewing angles. The displays also feature ergonomic stands and flexible connectivity, with some models accepting USB-C input.

Philips today via its distributor MMD announced the 288E2UAE Monitor, a cost-effective 4K monitor with a 28" diagonal. The monitor features a native 8-bit display (10-bit FRC) with a pretty run-of-the mill 60 Hz refresh rate, 300 cd/m² luminance and 1000:1 static contrast for its 4K resolution. The 4 ms response time won't earn it any accolades, but that's to be expected on a 4K resolution monitor that is expected to retail for around $300. The 119% sRGB and 106.9% NTSC coverage sit above the mainstream monitors for color reproduction, but likely won't be enough for content creators - despite the monitor's color accuracy of DeltaE < 2.

I/O wise, the Philips 288E2UAE offers a 5x USB 3.2 hub, configured at 1x upstream and 4x downstream ports, 1x HDMI and 1x DisplayPort, alongisde 1x 3.5 mm audio output and 2x 3 W integrated speakers. The display further features an anti-reflection coating, and firmware-based EasyRead, Flicker-free and LowBlue technologies.

DisplayPort 2.0 was supposed to see its implementation beginning by the end of 2020, but that time has come and gone without a single DisplayPort 2.0-touting product on sight. According to VESA, the rollout has been delayed mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented the standards body to perform its PlugTest events, where engineers and hardware developers convene to discuss, tinker, and decide on the standard's implementation. VESA held multiple of these events per year, but none in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic; thus, the delay we are now witnessing surged.

VESA plans to have their first 2021 PlugTest event in Spring of this year, however, and aims to see products on the shelves later, and likely not before 2H 2020. The standards body said that there are, indeed, DisplayPort 2.0 monitors currently in-development, but that these too have been affected by the lack of PlugTests. DisplayPort 2.0 is an update to the current 1.4 implementation, and currently, there are no launched products (monitors, graphics cards, etc) that can make use of the new version. The new standard will technically support up to 80 Gbps max, nearly three times the currently available bandwidth in the DisplayPort 1.4 spec. DisplayPort Alt Mode 2.0 also brings most of these capabilities to USB Type-C connectors via the USB 4.0 revision.

Alienware, the gaming division of Dell Technologies, has today announced a lineup refresh, meaning that all of the existing products will get upgraded to versions with the latest hardware. And to start off, the company has equipped their thin and powerful Alienware m15 R4 and m17 R4 laptops with the latest hardware we saw announced just yesterday. The laptops are equipped with 12-phase voltage regulation modules to power the newest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3000 series of mobile GPUs. To pair with a strong GPU, Alienware decided to use 10th generation Intel Comet Lake-H designs. These new laptops can be equipped with up to 4 TB of PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD storage and up to 32 GB of 2933 MHz RAM. For display, options range from FHD LCD to a 4K OLED panel and 360 Hz refresh rate for the m17 R4 model.

Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) unveiled new products and software that reimagine work so anyone can perform at their best. With a new portfolio of intelligent, collaborative and sustainable devices, Dell is transforming work experiences to give people greater flexibility to work from anywhere.

"People's expectations of their technology continue to evolve. It's why we push beyond barriers to create devices that offer better experiences and are more integrated into our lives," said Ed Ward, senior vice president, Client Product Group, Dell Technologies. "Our new intelligent PCs make it possible for us to work smarter and collaborate easier, so we can give our best selves in all that we do. Secure, sustainable and smart: that's the way forward for PCs."

The current watershed moment in graphics performance has everyone joining the Ultra HD party. The latest PC graphics cards make higher-refresh-rate 4K gaming easier than ever, and the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles finally support 4K graphics with high dynamic range (HDR) imagery and high refresh rates over the HDMI 2.1 interface. To match this new wealth of pixel-pushing power, we've created the ROG Swift PG32UQ, which we're unveiling at CES 2021.

The PG32UQ's 4K pixel array measures 32" across its diagonal, for a density of 138 PPI. That size strikes a great balance between a sharp picture and keeping text and UI elements readable without scaling. The gorgeous IPS panel has a gray-to-gray response time of just 1 ms. Those speedy pixels make for blur- and ghosting-free motion that's as clear as that of fast TN panels, but with the enhanced color reproduction and viewing angles of IPS.

LG Electronics (LG) announces a planned partnership with Google to bring Stadia to its latest webOS smart TVs in the second half of this year. After Stadia comes to Google TV, LG will be the first TV manufacturer to natively support Stadia gameplay via webOS.

LG is demonstrating its commitment to supporting premium gaming on its state-of-the-art displays, made even more compelling with support for 4k and 5.1 surround sound for Stadia Pro users. Stadia on LG TVs will allow customers to instantly play hit Stadia games such as Cyberpunk 2077, NBA 2K21, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla and Watch Dogs: Legion with just a Stadia controller and no additional hardware or game downloads required.

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of display solutions, showcases its latest display solutions ranging from monitors for gaming and work-from-home environments to projectors for entertainment and portability. Packed with the latest technology features for functionality and designed for multiple applications, these ViewSonic display solutions deliver performance that remains uncompromised.

ViewSonic will introduce its line of new display solutions, including the company's first 8K ColorPro monitor with Adobe RGB and color-sensor and -blind modes; new ViewSonic ELITE gaming monitors including a 32-inch, 4K, HDMI 2.1 monitor with FreeSync for next-generation PC/console gaming; a value-rich 4K projector for astounding entertainment and casual gaming experiences, and an upgraded LED-based, 1080p portable projector with smart connectivity.

Over three years after the launch of the HDMI Specification Version 2.1, major products are now widely available that support HDMI 2.1 features including 4K@120Hz, 8K@60Hz, Dynamic HDR and eARC. Instead of asking when HDMI 2.1-enabled products will be available, people are now asking for advice about which new HDMI 2.1-enabled products to buy.

"It's exciting to see so many new products available with these new features," said Rob Tobias, CEO and president of HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. (HDMI LA). "And with the launch of the latest gaming consoles, consumers can now enjoy a thrilling HDMI 2.1 end-to-end experience with consoles, AVR's, cables, TVs and monitors. With shipments of HDMI products reaching almost 10 billion since it launched in 2002, HDMI technology continues to be the universal interface for consumer electronics products."

In addition to the RT-AX68U router, ASUS today rolled out the TUF Gaming VG289Q1A gaming monitor. This 28-inch flatscreen monitor features 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution which it puts out using an IPS panel. The panel offers 178° viewing angles, 90% DCI-P3 coverage, HDR10, 10-bpc color (1.07 billion colors), 60 Hz refresh-rate, and 5 ms response time. Other panel specs include 350 cd/m² maximum brightness, 1000:1 static contrast ratio; and VESA Adaptive Sync. Display inputs include a DisplayPort 1.2, and two HDMI 2.0. The company didn't reveal pricing.

The dankest of memes has come out of the digital underworld to spread fear through all chickens out there in the world. KFC has announced the KFConsole, a development made in partnership with Intel, ASUS, Cooler Master, and Seagate, do deliver a console that "runs better than any other console" - which means bugs relating to chicken movement have been ironed out before release. The chassis is a KFC chicken bucket-shaped one, and is based on Intel's NUC 9 Extreme compute element paired with an unspecified ASUS graphics card - that supports ray tracing.

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking and storage solution innovator, today announced the desktop smart edge PoE Switch - QGD-3014-16PT. With sixteen 30-watt Gigabit PoE ports, two 2.5GbE host management ports, Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core 2.0 GHz processor, and four 3.5-inch SATA drive bays, the QGD-3014-16PT supports QVR Pro, HBS 3 and QuWAN SD-WAN to integrate surveillance deployment, video storage computing, and multi-site remote management to offer SMBs innovative intelligent IP surveillance infrastructure and remote backup solutions.
"Expanding multi-site surveillance networks can be costly and involve large amounts of equipment with low transmission efficiency between multiple remote devices - not to mention the complexities involved in deployment and management. " said Daniel Hsieh, QNAP Product Manager, adding, "the QGD-3014-16PT desktop Smart Edge PoE Switch integrates PoE, surveillance capabilities, and data backup management to simplify these requirements and increase the transmission and backup efficiency of surveillance videos."

AOC has announced a new addition to their AGON line of gaming monitors in the form of the AGON AG493UCX. This is a beastly monitor with a 49" diagonal and 5K resolution with a Super Ultra-Wide aspect ratio of 32:9 (with a resolution of 5120 x 1440 pixels). The panel type is VA, which promises increased contrast ratios against those typically found in IPS panels (3000:1, in this case). AOC is promising 120 Hz refresh rates with a 1 ms (MPRT) response times with MBR backlight. There is also support for VRR technologies such as FreeSync and G-Sync (compatible).

Display brightness is quoted at 550 cd/m², which is just shy of a DisplayHDR 600 certification, but comfortably achieves the VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification. The monitor isn't a slouch in terms of color display either, being better than your average VA panel: the display is factory-calibrated and ships with a guaranteed dE <2, and coverage for 16.7 millions colors across a 93% DCI-P3 gamut coverage (and 121% sRGB coverage). I/O is handled by 2x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x USB type-C, 3x USB ports and 1x an audio output. 2x 5 W speakers are built in to the screen and the stand offers tilt, height and swivel adjustments. No word on pricing as of yet.

Update December 10th 2020: AOC has just made the AGON AG493UCX available for purchase. Initial availability is pegged for Europe with a price tag set at £899 / €899.