Welcome to the second week of new game releases in 2024 and yet another week full of minor releases. Don't let that put you off though, as there are plenty of new games launching, some of which are not quite what you'd expect. As such, you can look forward to a week of RPG titles, a game where things go boom, a lot of beer, some bonesaws and repairing computers.

Archaelund / Monday 8 January
Explore a vast open world and crawl through dungeons in first person, then fight tactical turn-based battles from a top-down perspective. Guide your adventuring party through Archaelund, mankind's last frontier, and uncover its many secrets.

Samsung Electronics has announced details of the "Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub" program that will be showcased at CES 2024. The objective of the program is to work with leading gaming accessory companies to drive the next generation of best-in-class partner products for the Samsung Gaming Hub, Samsung's game streaming platform. In addition, the company announced its partnership with gaming accessory provider PDP (Performance Designed Products LLC), the first "Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub" controller.

"Samsung recognizes the indispensable role of accessories in elevating gaming experiences," said Jiho Ha, Head of Service Partnerships Group at Samsung Electronics. "Building on our already-high level of compatibility, the 'Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub' program will see us collaborating with trusted partners to craft accessories that further enhance the premier experience of the Samsung Gaming Hub."

MSI, the globally renowned gaming brand, has collaborated with the esteemed game developer CAPCOM to mark the 20th anniversary of the Monster Hunter game series by introducing a carefully curated line of limited-edition PC products. The unveiling of these highly anticipated products will take place at CES 2024, where MSI will showcase concept prototypes at an exclusive booth. The official debut of these products is scheduled to coincide with the 20th-anniversary celebration of Monster Hunter.

Inspired by one of the series' most iconic monsters, the Rathalos, this collaboration aims to infuse the majestic aura and power of the Rathalos into a captivating range of limited-edition gaming peripherals. This includes gaming laptops, monitors, graphics cards, motherboards, cases, liquid coolers, and controllers. With these products, MSI invites gamers to embark on a journey into the captivating world of Monster Hunter, delivering a unique gaming experience that combines the superior craftsmanship of MSI with the classic gaming elements of CAPCOM.

LG Display, the world's leading innovator of display technologies, announced today that it has successfully completed the development of its 27-inch 480 Hz QHD Gaming OLED display and prepared an official showcase for CES 2024, opening a new era of OLEDs featuring ultra-high refresh rates.

LG Display's latest Gaming OLED display leverages the company's unique OLED technology, which allows each pixel to emit light independently without a backlight unit, to deliver an unprecedented 480 Hz refresh rate, immersive QHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution, and the fastest response time (0.03 ms) of any panel on the market today, combining to realize the optimal gaming experience for avid gamers.

Samsung Electronics America today announced new Odyssey OLED gaming monitors debuting at CES 2024, the world's biggest tech event owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), in Las Vegas next week. The new OLED models deliver the performance and visual clarity gamers look for in their monitors, and include the Odyssey OLED G9 (Model Name: G95SD), Odyssey OLED G8 (Model Name: G80SD), and the Odyssey OLED G6 (Model Name: G60SD).

The Odyssey OLED G9 is a 49" curved ultra-wide gaming monitor with DQHD (5,120×1,440) resolution and a 32:9 aspect ratio and other upgraded features. The Odyssey OLED G8 is the first flat 32-inch Samsung OLED gaming monitor with 4K UHD (3,840×2,160) resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. Both monitors have a 240 Hz refresh rate and 0.03 ms GTG response time. The Odyssey OLED G6 is a 27" QHD (2,560×1,440) monitor which supports a 16:9 aspect ratio, 360 Hz refresh rate and 0.03 ms GTG response time.

Airdrop Gaming is excited to announce that their innovative Audio Radar is now in production and shipping. This groundbreaking product is set to enhance gaming for everyone, especially the deaf and hard of hearing community. Experience Audio Radar at CES 2024 at booth #60704, Eureka Park, Venetian.

Audio Radar is a unique accessory that transforms game sounds into visual signals. This allows players to 'see the sound', creating an inclusive gaming experience. It's ideal for deaf and hard of hearing gamers, visualizing key sounds like footsteps and alerts. Audio Radar works with Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, making games more accessible and enjoyable for all.

Experience the ultimate gaming performance with GravaStar's Mercury M1 Pro and M2 Gaming Mice, where cutting-edge technology, ergonomic yet unique hallowed-out design, and customizable features combine to elevate your gaming experience.

GravaStar proudly unveils its newest creations - the Mercury M1 Pro and Mercury M2 Gaming Mice. More than just standard peripherals, these mice embody GravaStar's dedication to blending avant-garde design with exceptional performance, setting a new standard in the realm of gaming technology.

Welcome to the first week of new games of 2024, although the first week of the year isn't exactly starting with a bang. In fact, there are so few new releases that we couldn't even get one per day, but luckily there were enough new games being released on other days for a full roundup. We got everything from bootleggers to tiny cars and a point and click adventure to keep you busy this coming week.

Bootlegger's Mafia Racing Story / Monday 1 January
Step back in time to the roaring 1930s and immerse yourself in the high-stakes world of bootlegging during America's Prohibition era. Get ready to join John Hamerton, a retired car engineer and mechanic, as he embarks on a daring journey to save his house and pay off his tax debt.

As we enter the last week of the year, as well as the Christmas and New Years period, we also have the slowest week of new game releases of the entire year. That said, there are still some new games being released, whether they're worth your Christmas money or not, is an entirely different story. Here's looking forward to many new, great game releases in 2024.

Sealed Gate / Monday 25 December
Sealed Gate is a medieval fantasy game where players are immersed in a huge and interesting world full of dangers and mysteries. The game has various systems such as combat system, crafting, professions, magic system, resource extraction system and much more. The combat system is based on dynamic real-time battles where players can choose between different fighting styles using weapons and magic in combination with each other. Crafting allows players to create various items using resources found during the exploration of the world, such as weapons, armor and tools.

Just like LG and HP, ASUS is gearing up to launch a dual mode 4K 240 Hz / 1080p 480 Hz OLED monitor and the company has released a little teaser ahead of the official CES 2024 reveal of the monitor. The display will unsurprisingly fall under ASUS' ROG brand and will be known as the ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP and spec wise it appears to use the same OLED panel as LG's 32GS95UE and possibly HP's Omen Transcend, since all three monitors should feature the dual mode option of 4K 240 Hz or 1080p 480 Hz. ASUS claims that the PG32UCDP is "the world's first dual-mode gaming monitor" which we've already seen isn't the case, but it's still the matter of who will be first to offer their displays in the retail market.

Interestingly, ASUS announced the similar ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM at Gamescom 2023, which was said to offer a QD-OLED display with a 4K resolution and a 240 Hz refresh rate. The PG32UCDM appears to lack the 1080p 480 Hz mode though, but with only one letter difference in the model name, potential buyers are going to have to pay close attention so they don't end up with the wrong display. We're going to have to wait for a release and review of the displays before we'll know which one is the better of the two ASUS models.

China, earlier today, brought into effect new online gaming and gambling regulations, which aim to curb down the time spent by gamers online, and remove all incentives to play daily, by regulating the way games reward gamers to play daily or often, causing them to spend more time and money online. The announcement sent shockwaves through the financial markets, causing investors to drain about $80 billion in value from two the leading online gaming stocks, Tencent and NetEase. The regulations essentially set spending limits for online games, by spelling out the exact ways in which game studios can monetize their online experiences and play reward systems. Tencent lost about 16% in share price, while that of NetEase crashed by 25%. Prosus, which owns a 26% stake in Tencent, slid by 14.2% in the markets. This is expected to have an effect on Western markets that open for trading in a bit.

Today, MSI - the premium laptop brand with luxurious aesthetic, extreme performance, and innovative technology, proudly announces that its brand-new flagship gaming laptop Titan 18 HX will be the world's first laptop featuring 18" 4K/120 Hz Mini LED display, which is also the most premium laptop display right now.

The 4K/120 Hz Mini LED display on Titan 18 is powered by AmLED technology from AUO, which promises super-bright backlighting, decent HDR performance and wide-enough color gamut. The peak brightness of the display is over 1000 nits, which is 2.5 times brighter compared to regular LCD and thanks to its Adaptive Control Technology, sharper image quality with less halo effect could be expected. The stunning peak brightness also brings exceptional HDR performance with 2M:1 contrast ratio. The Titan 18 has been certified as VESA DisplayHDR 1000 and guarantees immersive HDR experience in game or streaming.

ZOWIE is pleased to announce the XL2546X and XL2586X gaming monitors featuring Fast-TN panels and exclusive DyAc 2 technology with new dual backlight design for clear motion and precision gaming. The all-new minimalist design for the 240 Hz XL2546X and 540 Hz XL2586X also provides comfortable ergonomic adjustability and convenient automatic in-game color mode selection via XL Setting to Share.

Continuing the mission to develop professional esports equipment and enhance the gaming experience for players to perform at their best, ZOWIE pays close attention to gamer feedback. Since the introduction of XL Series monitors in 2010, we have continuously upgraded our panel technology for clearer visuals, improved software control for convenient setting optimization, and enhanced the user experience for complete comfort. Our goal is to deliver features and designs that directly benefits players in competitive gaming, avoiding unnecessarily flashy designs that do not contribute to competitiveness.

As we enter the second to last week of the year, we're entering one of the slowest periods of the year when it comes to new game releases. This week's major release is an Unreal Engine 5 first person shooter, of sorts. As for what else is coming out this month, there's a truly eclectic mix of games, ranging from being an engineer to building a penguin empire (yes, you read that correctly). Then we have yet another zombie survival game, a game where you get to play dictator and finally you have the chance to dive down the abyss old school style.

Railbreak / This week's major release / Friday 22 December
How do our heroes detox after a stressful week of surviving a zombie apocalypse? The stars of Dead Drop Studios' upcoming Outbreak: Shades of Horror, Lydia and Hank, enjoy an entertaining night out to test a hot new arcade game! What's better than slaughtering zombies day in and day out? Laying waste to bright pink ones with heavy artillery, of course!

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, proudly introduces the latest evolution in gaming laptops for 2024 - the AORUS 17 and AORUS 15 - delivering cutting-edge performance in their signature sleek and portable package.

Powered by the all-new Intel Core Ultra 7 processors and equipped with full-powered NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPUs alongside expandable DDR5 memory, the AORUS 17 and AORUS 15 effortlessly handle demanding gaming and creative tasks on the go. The exclusive WINDFORCE Infinity cooling technology ensures optimal performance in a super-portable chassis, while the addition of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos technologies provides an immersive personal cinema experience.

As we enter the second full week of December, it's pretty clear that we don't have any more AAA releases to look forward to this year, but at the same time, it doesn't mean that there aren't any interesting game releases. This week's biggest release is a colony sim type game which we covered in the news a few months ago. The rest of this week's releases involves robot detectives, gates to other worlds, prisoners that can't die, mechs and a touch of paranoia.

Pioneers of Pagonia / This week's major release / Wednesday 13 December
In a world of countless islands populated with scattered tribes, you travel and lead your people as a visionary to forge alliances with the inhabitants, after helping each other and gaining their trust. Send out your pioneers to discover untouched soil, find hidden resources and explore secret places.

Acer today announced the new Nitro V 16 (ANV16-41) gaming laptop, built for casual players looking for a well-balanced device with modern features and more. The latest Nitro V laptop is powered by the new AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processors with Ryzen AI technology built in and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPUs with DLSS 3.5 to deliver versatile performance, long-lasting battery life, and AI-powered technologies. Even in the heat of battle, the Nitro V 16 stays cool through innovative thermals highlighted by a dual fan system and keeps users at the center of the action with stunningly immersive visuals.

"Acer and AMD continue to collaborate in bringing AI-backed gaming experiences with the latest Nitro laptop powered by the new AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processors," said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, Acer Inc. "Combined with fast refresh rate display options, enhanced features, and loads of improvements across the board, the Nitro V 16 brings an exciting new AI-ready gaming laptop to the table for all types of gamers."

MSI, a leading gaming hardware brand, is thrilled to announce the partnership with Ubisoft, a renowned game publisher. Excitement abounds as MSI and Ubisoft collaborate once again to present gamers with an unmatched experience in the highly anticipated game - Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - Immerse Yourself in a World of Wonders and Dangers
Unfold the epic wonders of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, a first-person action-adventure game that will allow you to journey through beautiful yet unpredictable open world regions, where lowering your guard can lead to deadly mistakes.

Logitech G, a brand of Logitech and leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, today unveiled the Logitech G ASTRO A50 X LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset and Base Station, the fifth generation of the critically acclaimed ASTRO A50 Series console gaming headset.

The new ASTRO A5O X is designed to deliver the ultimate console headset experience. With breakthrough innovations in audio and connectivity, the ASTRO A50 X LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset + Base Station features:

• New PLAYSYNC technology for easy connectivity and switching between the XBOX, PS5 and PC via a single button press
• PRO-G Graphene Audio Driver technology for high performance gaming audio
• 24-bit LIGHTSPEED Wireless technology for pro-grade performance on the console

As we enter the last month of the year, the first week of December starts with a movie based AAA title that is likely to be popular with some and loathed by others. The rest of this coming week's releases aren't quite as impressive, with one exception it seems. However, you can look forward to a mix of underworld dreams, some 4X space action, eggs, another post-apocalyptic MMO and a horror game.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora / This week's AAA title / Thursday 7 December
Abducted by the human militaristic corporation known as the RDA, you, a Na'vi, were trained and molded to serve their purpose. Fifteen years later, you are free, but find yourself a stranger in your birthplace. Reconnect with your lost heritage, discover what it truly means to be Na'vi, and join other clans to protect Pandora from the RDA.

Best-selling gaming headset and accessory maker Turtle Beach Corporation (Nasdaq: HEAR), today unveiled its eagerly anticipated first-wireless controller for Xbox and PC, the Designed for Xbox Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra Wireless Smart Game Controller. Turtle Beach's new king of wireless game controllers delivers ultra-premium performance through precision-crafted components and customization options for Xbox and PC gamers who demand the best. The Stealth Ultra features Turtle Beach's proprietary low-latency wireless connectivity to Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, and Bluetooth for gaming on supported Smart TVs and Android mobile devices. Stealth Ultra's tactile microswitches provide fast, reliable responses and are designed to last up to five times longer than standard buttons found in other controllers. AntiDrift thumbsticks eliminate drift for precise control, and adjustable short and long-pull triggers ensure a response suited to the game being played.

Turtle Beach's Stealth Ultra Controller also introduces a first-of-its-kind full-color Connected Command Display that lets gamers customize RGB lighting, game & chat audio settings, thumbstick sensitivity, mappable buttons, and more. Plus, patented Turtle Beach technology also lets gamers receive social notifications from their phone in the Connected Command Display dashboard on the controller. The Stealth Ultra also features adjustable power modes with the ability to provide up to 30-hours of battery life on a single charge, with power delivered via the included low-profile charging dock that also acts as a convenient place to store the controller when not in use. Turtle Beach's Designed for Xbox Stealth Ultra Wireless Smart Controller is available for pre-order today for $199.99 MSRP from www.turtlebeach.com and participating retailers worldwide. Stealth Ultra launches December 15, 2023.

Uptake on AMD's latest generation mobile offerings has been slow and steady to put it mildly, but today TUXEDO Computers, a specialist in Linux notebooks at a range of performance and pricing tiers, has announced pre-orders for their new Sirius 16 gaming laptop. This machine combines AMD's latest generation Ryzen 7 7840HS "Phoenix" APU with a Radeon RX 7600M XT RDNA3 GPU inside a sleek all aluminium chassis design that strives to remain understated while still providing a "sleek gamer look" via programmable RGB keys. The Sirius 16 is TUXEDO's first go at an all-AMD configuration and they've held very little back, choosing to allow the full TDP rating of the Phoenix APU at 54 W sustained (or 80 W CPU-only turbo) as well as keeping the RDNA3 GPU at its rated 120 W TGP under full CPU+GPU loads. The Sirius 16 features venting out of both sides as well as the rear of the chassis, and roughly half of the bottom panel is open intake for the dual-fan cooling system.

Powering everything is a 230 W power brick and an 80 Wh replaceable battery bolted inside the chassis. TUXEDO claims up to 10 hours of battery life at minimum display brightness with wireless disabled and without any programmable lighting enabled, or a more realistic 6 hours at medium brightness with wireless enabled and under minimal "office work" load.

As we enter the last week of November and the first day of December, we might not have any AAA releases, but this week's major release does nonetheless hold a high production value and promises something a bit different when it comes to WWII RTS games. This week's other releases involve shapes, a JRPG, a retro FPS, something to do with the Sheriff of Nottingham and finally a world of steam.

Last Train Home / This week's major release / Tuesday 28 November
Embark on a desperate mission through the depths of a war-torn wasteland. Your goal is to guide Czechoslovak soldiers back home onboard an armored train, but the path ahead is fraught with peril. Caught in the middle of a brutal civil war between Russia's Red and White Armies, your unit must remain in fighting shape, managing what little resources you have and maintaining morale at all costs. Venture through the bleak and unforgiving landscape of Siberia, where the freezing cold and the merciless environment will push you to your very limit. Resources are scarce and your crew is exhausted, but you must keep pushing forward.

AV Access, a leading provider of Pro AV and AV over IP solutions, is proud to present its latest innovation, the iDock C10 KVM switch docking station. This versatile device combines a dual monitor KVM switch and a 12-in-1 USB-C docking station, enabling users to control their desktop and laptop with two monitors and multiple peripherals, and switch between them seamlessly.

The iDock C10 4K KVM switch is designed to meet the needs of both home office and gaming enthusiasts. It features a USB-C (MST) input port for a laptop and an integrated HDMI + DisplayPort input port for a desktop computer. It also provides shared peripheral ports including 3x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB-C, 1x SD card, 1x LAN, 1x Toslink out, 1x 3.5 mm headset, and two HDMI outputs.

Precision. Focus. Endurance: qualities of every high-performance endeavor, from athletics to gaming. With the demand it places on equipment designed for maximum comfort and support, COUGAR looked to motorsports for inspiration, resulting in our latest gaming chair: the Hotrod.

Performance under pressure is king when it comes to the driver's seat, in motorsports as well as in gaming. A driver relies on their seat to keep them comfortable and supported during high-stress maneuvers, just as a gamer needs a chair that can provide the same level of support during intense gaming sessions. Drawing inspiration from the sleek, lightweight design and high-performance features of motorsports, the COUGAR Hotrod gaming chair is engineered to fit the body precisely for maximum comfort and control, delivering a fusion of style, comfort, and performance.