Gaming

This year’s ASUS ROG laptops are here

Also featuring TUF Gaming and new gaming desktops

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For a brief moment this month, the new ASUS Gaming lineup took over the brand’s spotlight for gamers. Of course, though the brand-new lineup has successfully carved a niche for itself, it’s a prelude to the main event: the launch of this year’s ROG and TUF notebooks.

This week, ASUS has officially announced new ROG and TUF laptops and desktops with the RTX 5000 series.

The next evolution of ROG Strix

A lot of gaming notebooks these days are going for subdued designs. Rather than the sharp and edgy form factors of yesteryear, today’s zeitgeist involves designs that can fit comfortably in more professional settings. All that goes out the window with the new ROG Strix SCAR and Strix G lineups.

Loud and proud to be a gamer, the lineup boasts the brand’s AniMe Vision, a strip of dot-matrix lights that can be customized to show off any message or graphic you program it to do. It also comes with a full-surround RGB lighting to give the illusion that the notebook is floating.

In front, the family comes with a ROG Nebula HDR display. The screen has a dual-layer ACR film that can reduce reflections by 55 percent and boost contrast by 4.5 times.

Under the hood, all the different models in the series can ship with up to the GeForce RTX 5090 GPU. Meanwhile, most variants can come with the next-gen Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX. As an exception, the AMD-built Strix G16 features the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX processor.

The Strix SCAR 16 and 18 can wield up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage. Meanwhile, the Strix G16 and G18 comes with up to 32GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage.

Further, the new lineup comes with the brand’s first tool-less bottom panel, allowing for easy tinkering and upgrading.

The ROG Zephyrus is back with more improvements

If you’re a fan of the more subdued designs, the new ROG Zephyrus duo exudes both its gaming DNA and a sense of elegance. It has a premium CNC-machined aluminum chassis and a Slash Lighting array.

Though the new series is designed to be thin for portability, it still made improvements to its cooling system. With an improved heat pipe design and new Arc Flow fans, the laptops can last longer even under intense loads.

Both models come with the ROG Nebula Display. However, the Zephyrus G14 puts out 3K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, while the G16 comes with 2.5K resolution and 240Hz refresh rate.

Inside, the Zephyrus G14 wields a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor and up to an RTX 5070 GPU. The Zephyrus G16 comes with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor and a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU.

TUF Gaming gets a modest upgrade

Once again, the TUF Gaming lineup brings out ASUS’s capabilities in bringing premium gaming performance and robust durability into one package. The TUF Gaming F16 comes with up to the Intel Core i7-14650HX, 16GB RAM, up to 1TB of SSD storage, and up to the GeForce RTX 5070.

It also comes with a 16-inch WQXGA 165Hz display. It’s only 1.79cm thin and 2.2kg light. Finally, it has a sizable 90Whr battery.

New gaming desktops in the market

Besides notebooks, ASUS also launched new gaming desktops for more robust gamers. The new ROG G700 comes with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF chipset and up to a GeForce RTX 5080 GPU.

It’s built with the ASUS B860 motherboard for better durability. Additionally, much like the ROG notebooks, the ROG G700 has tool-less upgradeability so you can keep gaming for years to come.

Meanwhile, the TUF Gaming T500 is a gaming beast hiding in a tiny package. It comes with an Intel Core i7-13620H, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD storage, and the GeForce RTX 5060 or 5060 Ti.

Price, availability

The ROG Strix SCAR 18 costs PhP 359,995. It comes bundled with an ROG Gladius III Mouse, an ROG backpack, 3 months of Game Pass, and a warranty package.

The Strix SCAR 16, which comes with the same bundle, will sell for PhP 259,995.

Meanwhile, the Strix G16 starts at PhP 134,995. The Strix G18 sells for PhP 209,995.

At a slightly lower price, the Zephyrus G14 starts at PhP 159,995, while the Zephyrus G16 starts at PhP 199,995.

The new TUF Gaming F16 starts at PhP 99,995.

For desktops, the ROG G700 starts at PhP 179,995, and the TUF Gaming T500 will reveal more information later in June.

Gaming

Valve unveils price of the Steam Frame

The VR headset starts at US$ 1,059.

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The trifecta is complete. Almost a year after announcing their new hardware, Valve has finally unveiled the price tag of the Steam Frame, complementing the Steam Machine and Steam Controller revealed a few months ago.

Whereas the Steam Machine is a console of its own, the Steam Frame is a traditional VR headset with a pair of controllers for both hands. Unfortunately, despite being in a different segment, the headset is not immune to the rising prices of technology. The Steam Frame will start at US$ 1,059 for a 256GB model and can go up to US$ 1,299 for the 1TB model. On the plus side, each box will come Half-Life: Alyx packaged along with the headset.

Here’s a more detailed rundown of what you’re getting. The Steam Frame will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM. Each eye comes with a 2160 x 2160 LCD screen, putting out images at up t0 a 144Hz experimental refresh rate. As mentioned above, the headset will start with 256GB of storage but can go up to 2TB. It will come packaged with SteamOS 3 and a rechargeable 21.6Wh battery.

This might be a hard buy for some. The industry currently has more affordable options, for one. Also, virtual reality isn’t the most thriving segment of gaming today.

If you’re still decided on buying one, however, Valve is using its lottery system. Interested customers can sign up from now until September 17. The company will then randomize the purchasing order. Those who draw the first ones in the lottery can get a purchase email as soon as September 18. Meanwhile, anyone who registers after September 17 will automatically be put at the back of the queue.

SEE ALSO: Valve announces its own console called the Steam Machine

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Gaming

BlizzCon 2026 announces World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V

StarCraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and more also get news

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Blizzard Entertainment kicked off BlizzCon 2026 with a packed Opening Ceremony featuring new games, major expansions, updates, and other announcements across its biggest franchises.

Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries opened the event at the Anaheim Convention Center, celebrating the community behind the company’s games and the teams that bring its worlds to life.

World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V

The biggest announcement was World of Warcraft: Forever, a new World of Warcraft experience launching November 5 AEDT, with its beta beginning September 18 AEST. The new experience will feature three zones, more than 1,000 quests, nine dungeons, two raids, and a new Skyborne race.

Blizzard also officially announced Diablo V, marking the next era of the franchise. The game is set to launch in North America in Spring 2029, with Sanctuary having fallen and Diablo having won.

StarCraft is also returning with a new story-driven, open-world shooter. The game is currently planned for a Spring 2030 release in North America.

Beyond games, Blizzard revealed that an animated series set in the Diablo universe is in development with Netflix. The company says this is only the beginning of its plans to expand its universes beyond gaming.

For Warcraft III Reforged, the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign is available today. It marks the Warcraft RTS series’ first new storyline in more than 23 years and explores the fall of Lordaeron and the origins of the Undercity. The accompanying 3.0 update also brings graphical improvements and a revamped World Editor.

Heroes of the Storm is adding Xal’atath as its newest Hero. She arrives in the Nexus on September 29 AEST, with her PTR release scheduled for September 15 AEST.

Existing games updates

Meanwhile, Diablo IV is preparing for its next major content drop. Season of Hell’s Legacy begins September 16 AEST and celebrates the franchise’s 30-year history with the return of the Prime Evils and Deckard Cain, alongside themed rewards and gear.

The legendary Amazon class will also arrive in the first half of 2027 as part of Diablo IV’s first class pack. The Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection is additionally coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on September 16 AEST with cross-platform play and cross-progression.

For World of Warcraft, Blizzard teased the next major update for Midnight. Eclipse (12.2) will see Xal’atath move closer to her goal of claiming Azeroth’s Worldsoul. Blizzard also offered another look at The Last Titan, the next expansion in the Worldsoul Saga and a major culmination of more than two decades of Warcraft storytelling. More information is coming early next year.

Overwatch is getting a major update with Season 5. The season introduces new Support Hero Doctrine, reworks for Sombra and Roadhog, and the new Watchpoint: Grimsvötn map. It will also conclude The Reign of Talon, Overwatch’s first year-long narrative arc.

LE SSERAFIM & YOASABI

BlizzCon also featured performances from YOASOBI and LE SSERAFIM. YOASOBI will perform during the first-ever esports halftime show at BlizzCon, while LE SSERAFIM will return to the Main Stage to close the weekend. A new LE SSERAFIM in-game collaboration is available now, with another Overwatch Spotlight scheduled for February 2027.

Finally, Hearthstone is getting its first new class in more than six years. The Monk arrives in 2027, while the upcoming Reign of the Black Empire expansion takes players back to the earliest age of Azeroth. It introduces the Assemble keyword, which combines two cards into a new one. Battlegrounds is also adding Aberrations as a new minion type.

BlizzCon 2026 is now underway, with Blizzard promising more announcements and details throughout the weekend.

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Gaming

Just Dance: Decades of Hits to launch on October 13

All-new Just Dance experience that brings every generation together

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Just Dance: Decades of Hits will launch on modern consoles on October 13, Ubisoft has announced.

This will offer fans of the franchise a new experience across eras of music. The game will be available on PlayStation5 , Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on the launch date.

Nintendo Switch 2 users, meanwhile, will be able to enjoy the title by November 10, 2026.

Just Dance: Decades of Hits brings together every generation to one dance floor with 25 iconic songs across six different decades:

  • Mamma Mia by ABBA
  • Uptown Girl by Billy Joel
  • It’s Tricky by Run-DMC
  • No Scrubs by TLC
  • Wannabe by Spice Girls
  • Bye Bye Bye by *NSYNC
  • Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz
  • Turn Down for What by DJ Snake and Lil Jon
  • Danza Kuduro by Don Omar feat. Lucenzo
  • Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter
  • NUEVAYoL by Bad Bunny
  • And more!

Bringing every generation together

Songs, visuals, and an all-new Adventure Mode are all designed to immerse players in the spirit that made each decade unforgettable.

From the funky ’70s disco floors and the electrifying ’80s rock scene to the glossy 2000s pop and beyond, travel through time and share the joy of rediscovering iconic moments with friends and family.

In Adventure Mode, follow Lyra, Dr. Gigavolt’s daughter, in a playful journey through time to rescue her father.

Explore the decades through six themed worlds, enjoy fun mini activities, and unlock exclusive rewards.

For unpredictable, chaotic fun where the rules change every round, players can jump into Party Mode. Or they can get moving with the Workout Mode, which tracks calories burned with each dance.

Up to six players can dance locally in the game, with no extra accessories needed.

In addition those who own Just Dance: Decades of Hits as well as Just Dance 2023-2026 editions will be able access all their songs in one place on the same console without having to switch games or separate menus.

This also includes songs from purchased Music Packs and songs available through an active Just Dance+ subscription.

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