Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix GL702VM Review: Portable gaming powerhouse
ASUS’ ROG line of gaming laptops has an updated entry to the fast-growing gaming market. Let’s a take a look at the ROG Strix GL702VM with its NVIDIA GTX 1060 graphics unit.
We recently reviewed the ROG Zephyrus, and it set the bar for a true portable gaming laptop. It doesn’t cut corners with its high-end specs, but it has a ridiculously high price tag at the same time. The laptop we have now wants to set the right balance.
At first glance, the laptop already shows its gaming characteristics. Let’s first have a tour of the laptop’s body.
It’s no doubt an ROG laptop with its design and colors

The lid lights up!
Like most gaming laptops, it has striking red accents

It’s gray overall with red accents
We have red backlit chiclet keys with a relatively small trackpad

No mechanical keys here
There is a plethora of I/O ports for your convenience

USB 3.0, USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, Ethernet, SD card reader, and DisplayPort
Even its bottom bestows its gaming characteristics

Modern patterns on the bottom plate
Great gaming performance on the go
The 17.3-inch display of the ROG Strix GL702VM doesn’t make it a portable PC, but by gaming laptop standards, its size packs in a lot of power. For one, the display is a 4K anti-glare panel which has great saturation levels and wide viewing angles. It makes all kinds of content pop, from high-resolution videos to colorful gaming titles. The processor inside is a quad-core Intel Core i7-7700HQ with 16GB of DDR4 memory. As for storage, it gets a combo drive: 1TB HDD and 128GB SSD.

To pump up its gaming prowess, ASUS put in an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 chip with 6GB memory as its dedicated graphics processing unit — the lightweight member of the NVIDIA 10-series graphics card. Both the latest and future titles will be playable on the laptop, plus it has support for virtual reality. During the course of our time with it, we were able to enjoy Grand Theft Auto V with smooth frame rates of around 80fps on high settings and 1080p resolution. Bumping things to 4K consumed a lot of power and memory, but it’s still manageable when you tone down some of the graphics settings like shadows and anti-aliasing.
It also doubles as an everyday multimedia laptop
Gaming aside, the laptop is a beast for everyday tasks. It would be overkill to turn it into an everyday work laptop, but it can handle processing really well, thanks to its compelling specs. Multimedia consumption is also something you can enjoy with its 4K display and powerful speakers.

Without mechanical keys, hitting the keyboard (whether for typing or gaming) didn’t feel as tactile as I’d want. ASUS promotes 1.6mm travel on the laptop, which I found a bit mushy during actual usage. What I enjoyed about the keyboard is the space between each key. The trackpad is a different story, as it’s kinda small but very responsive.
Not exactly super portable, but it’s not that bulky
The king of portable gaming laptops is still the ROG Zephyrus, but the ROG Strix GL702VM could be a good runner-up. It may not have the slim waistline of an Ultrabook (thin but definitely not for gaming) or the average size of an everyday 14-inch laptop, yet it has the power of a dedicated gaming machine. The term “laptop” is still applicable.

Keep in mind that it doesn’t have an optical disc drive. That shouldn’t pose a problem, since we download our games online nowadays. Too bad, though, since you’ll need to find a spare external DVD drive if you want to play the classic games you already purchased.
Is this your GadgetMatch?
It won’t be an easy choice to go for a 17.3-inch laptop when you’re just looking for a laptop that can do more. The ROG Strix GL702VM is targeted at those who want a gaming laptop that isn’t ridiculously heavy. For wallets, however, it’s quite hefty.

This gaming machine retails in the Philippines for PhP 119,995 (US$ 2,335) with the configuration we reviewed. With this amount of cash, you can already build a good desktop rig with even more power, but it won’t give the portability a laptop like this can offer. The 4K display is also a good selling point; however, it’s not necessary for gaming, since we stick to 1080p most of the time.
SEE ALSO: ASUS ROG Zephyrus Review: So thin, so powerful
[irp posts=”16053″ name=”ASUS ROG Zephyrus Review: So thin, so powerful”]
Gaming
Horizon Hunters Gathering is an upcoming co-op roguelite spinoff
If you liked Nightreign, you might like this.
Like Valve, the PlayStation’s tentpole franchises are allergic to the number 3. The Last of Us, the ongoing God of War arc, Spider-Man, and Horizon all don’t have a third game yet. These franchises, however, have all gotten rumors of spinoffs. Now, Horizon is getting more than just a rumor; an official co-op spinoff is happening. Say hello to Horizon Hunters Gathering!
Today, Guerilla unveiled Horizon Hunters Gathering, an official co-op roguelite set in the Horizon universe. The game will feature multiple players working to take down difficult enemies, bosses, and dungeons.
The title shares similarities with Elden Ring Nightreign. For one, players can choose between six characters with different roles. The main mode, called Machine Incursion, takes players to a wide map with powerups and roaming monsters. The map then has a shrinking ring that… well, you know what a shrinking ring does.
Horizon Hunters Gathering also has a different game mode called Cauldron Descent. Compared to the Nightreign type of gameplay, Cauldron Descent is a more traditional roguelite mode. Players enter a dangerous dungeon and choose alternate paths that vary in challenges.
Both game modes will be available through an upcoming closed playtest through the PlayStation Beta Program.
Because this is from Guerilla themselves, this is an official game. But it’s far from the only spinoff for the universe. Previously, NCSoft, a South Korean gaming studio, announced Horizon Steel Frontiers, an MMO set in the Horizon universe. Like Horizon Hunters Gathering, Steel Frontiers has an unknown launch date.
SEE ALSO: Horizon Steel Frontiers is an MMO set in the Horizon universe
Gaming
Valve is delaying the launch of the Steam Machine
But it’s still scheduled for the first half of 2026.
Overshadowed only by the Nintendo Switch 2, the upcoming Steam Machine was one of the most exciting gaming devices announced last year. Unfortunately, especially if you were waiting intently for the console’s launch, Valve is delaying the device by an undisclosed amount of time.
Initially, Valve anticipated a launch for the Steam Machine sometime in the first half of 2026. However, as the calendar rolls on into the second month of the year, the company has yet to announce either a price or a launch date for the console. Valve says that both should be out by now.
In a recent update, the company confirms that ongoing chip shortages have forced a reevaluation of the Steam Machine’s price and shipping date. This also goes for the Steam Controller and the Steam Frame. Valve is going back to the drawing board to figure out what is feasible for the console market.
On the bright side, Valve is still aiming to launch all three devices in the first half of the year. It’s just a matter of determining when that is.
The Steam Machine is just the latest in a growing line of devices affected by the chip shortage. Today, chipmakers are funneling their supplies to the supposed demand for AI servers. Naturally, more infrastructure means less chips reserved for regular consumers.
Also recently, NVIDIA was rumored to skip this year for a new GPU launch because of the AI “boom”. It’s the first time that this has happened in thirty years.
SEE ALSO: Valve announces its own console called the Steam Machine
Yesterday, AMD made the bold claim that the next-generation Xbox is coming next year. In a world drowning in manufactured hype for AI, hearing about GPUs going back to gaming is refreshing. NVIDIA, however, still has its pipelines clogged with artificial intelligence. According to reports, the company will not release new graphics cards this year.
This is unprecedented. A new graphics card is often a highlight for gamers every year. Even in recent times when prices beggar belief, a newly launched chip still generates hype.
Now, for the first time in thirty years, NVIDIA will not launch a new card in a calendar year (via The Information). Like a lot of things happening this year, AI is the culprit.
Buoyed by the dreams of billionaires, GPU companies are busy dedicating their stock of chips for AI servers. Because these servers artificially blew up the demand for GPUs, everything else that needs such a chip is projected to see a price hike this year. This includes smartphones, gaming consoles, and cars. Regular consumers have been left to deal with the aftermath of the imaginary AI boom.
According to The Information, NVIDIA’s current lineup is only partially composed of chips meant for gaming. Only around 8 percent of its revenue came from that segment in the first nine months of last year. In its defense, AI chips are much more profitable right now, but it’s still a big blow against consumers who just want to play games.
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