Computex 2026 has been a peculiar affiar, primarily as a result of the PC market and basic international economic system is simply so shoddy proper now. In addition to a lot of the tech on present seeming extra out of attain than traditional, although, this 12 months’s computing expo has proven me simply how ephemeral the PC gaming market has develop into. Like a cloud, it actually exists and you’ll see it from afar, however rise up shut and its boundaries begin to develop into extra obscure.
Obviously quite a lot of what we have showcased right here at PC Gamer is stuff that is extra thrilling for PC players, however there’s been loads else at Computex that appears to not match neatly into that ‘only for PC players’ class. And I do know one may say that about just about something on this house as a result of most PC gaming gear can be utilized for different issues, but it surely looks as if even producer intentions and goal markets at the moment are turning into a bit of blurred.
For one, we have had definitively non-PC gaming merchandise that may really be first rate for PC gaming. Take Asus’ new ProArt monitors, for instance. These are nominally for design professionals, but I don’t think you’d find any gamer complaining about a 240 Hz QD-OLED.
Or there’s the new Dell XPS 13, which appears to be the corporate’s reply to the Apple MacBook Neo. It’s geared toward college students and professionals that use a laptop computer for mild work, very like the Neo. However, its gaming chops are anticipated to be first rate, too, because of its Wildcat Lake and earlier than lengthy its Panther Lake processor.
Even out of the merchandise we have seen which are extra particularly gaming-oriented, although, there have been some that match into the ‘not only for gaming’ mould.
PC case line-ups typically have unassuming and professional-looking choices, so I suppose it is no shock that the identical is true at this 12 months’s Computex. In specific, the Tryx Vas caught my eye, with its metallic briefcase design and big aspect fan. I may simply as simply think about this in an government’s workplace as a gamer’s den.
Then there’s Keychron’s ultra-thin magnetic change keyboard. I imply, inform me you just like the Apple Magic keyboard with out telling me you just like the Apple Magic keyboard. This factor is virtually crying out to be slapped on a Starbucks espresso desk by a contract digital nomad. But it is also magnetic, which means it should certainly profit from all of the analogue gubbins that players love, like speedy set off.
And then there’s Corsair’s new TC80 gaming chair. The firm explicitly distances itself from gaming right here: “Following our popular TC500 Luxe, we have continued the move away from traditional gaming chair style. The TC80 has more subtle branding, a muted color pallet, and a more professional vibe overall.”
It’s nonetheless a gaming chair, however shifting away from “traditional gaming chair style” means it is also form of not. Or, quite, it is one thing that will not look or really feel too misplaced in an workplace however remains to be aimed largely at PC players.
It’s a development that I’ve seen for a minimum of the final couple of years. I keep in mind, as an illustration, when SteelSeries confirmed me its Apex Pro Gen 3 keyboard. During my journey to SteelSeries HQ in Copenhagen, the corporate was eager to stress that players are now not simply utilizing their peripherals for gaming—they’re utilizing them for working, stress-free, travelling, and all the things else in-between.
So SteelSeries was going to begin catering for that a bit of, firming down the gamey-ness and making issues a bit of extra well-rounded. That appears to have been a basic path for a lot of producers over the past couple of years, although I’d most likely name it corporations cottoning on to the truth that was at all times the case: folks use their merchandise for a number of issues, not simply gaming.
The as-yet unmentioned elephant within the room, although, is in fact Nvidia’s new RTX Spark processor. The N1X-based chip was long-anticipated however solely lastly introduced at Computex a few days in the past.
The most important take-home is that it is a chip with built-in graphics that guarantees some severe gaming efficiency regardless of not having a separate, discrete GPU. If Nvidia’s RTX 5070-level claims maintain up, it ought to even blow away the chips that sit inside handheld gaming PCs relating to gaming efficiency—but it surely’s nonetheless all built-in. It’ll be very game-dependent, given it is Arm-based, however in principle it could possibly be improbable for light-weight, environment friendly gaming.
And that final half is vital: it ought to permit for light-weight and environment friendly gadgets—gadgets such because the RTX Spark-powered MSI Prestige N16 Flip AI+ that was introduced alongside it at Computex.
RTX Spark is, in fact, designed to be put inside machines you may run AI on—that is 2026 Nvidia we’re speaking about, in spite of everything—but it surely’s for gaming, too. In different phrases, RTX Spark machines are unlikely to be marketed as simply gaming laptops or simply productiveness and AI machines.
This melding of gaming and non-gaming markets is not fully new, however witnessing this 12 months’s Computex actually introduced it house. The lean into do-it-all merchandise appears one which’s right here to remain. And maybe that is a very good factor, with the market being as it’s—when issues are so costly and the price of dwelling is so excessive, I’d quite spend my cash on one system or peripheral that does all the things properly.
Best PC gaming package 2026