When Busted travelled to the year 3000, they were too busy chatting up their own great-granddaughters to take a sneaky peek at the tech available. Except of course, the boyband maker, but nobody wants one of those. However, I am convinced that some of the world’s tech giants must have tagged along for the ride, because some releases so far in 2021 have been seriously futuristic. From wireless charging to neural interfaces for gaming mice, we truly are living through some revolutionary developments. Let’s embrace our inner geekiness – today is the day for it, after all – and take a look at what gaming tech 2021 has brought us so far.
You Won’t Believe Your Eyes
Immersion is a key factor and driving point of our gaming experience. Get the best headset for realistic soundscapes. Arm your gaming PC with dynamic and reactive RGB lighting. Secure the latest in graphic rendering technology for hyperrealistic images. But what about your monitor?
So far, a number of monitors have been released, all with innovative technology designed to bring you the best and brightest images. From smart TVs to curved monitors, all types of monitors have received a 2021 make-over. Innovating curved monitors, we have the Samsung Odyssey G9.
An Odyssey
At a whopping 49”, this curved monitor will fully envelop your peripheral vision, if taking immersive gaming literally is your thing. The Samsung Odyssey G9 comes with 1ms response time, G-Sync, and every inch is fitted with QLEDs. Rather than your standard LED, these are Quantum Light Emitting Diodes which supercharge their colour and brightness with nanoparticles. Now, if that is not a line from your favourite sci-fi show, then I am something equally ridiculous.
Joking aside, these nanoparticles, called quantum dots, glow when a light is shone on them, allowing the creation of such vivid pictures. As a result, the Samsung Odyssey G9 has phenomenal resolution, with incredible depth and detail in every frame. Plus, the curve of this monitor matches the natural curvature of the eye for unmatched realism. You want more? With the latest in HDR100 and HDR10+, you can guarantee your lights and darks are properly contrasted for the crispest image. Your games have never looked so glorious.
Wires? Where We’re Going We Don’t Need Wires
Now, wireless devices have been around for plenty long enough. In fact, we have a full range of wireless gaming tech in the form of headsets, gaming mice, and keyboards available right now at Overclockers UK. With RGB lighting, Bluetooth or 2.4GHz connectivity, and more, wireless devices are a much more practical option. I recently ditched my wired mouse in favour of a wireless one for my home office because, gosh darn it, the wire was just so annoying.
However, the wireless technology which has caught my attention and brought a sparkle to my eye this year is wireless charging. Again, not exactly new-new, but Qi charging has really gained traction. HyperX has released this year, a wireless gaming bundle featuring a Qi charging dock that can support multiple devices. Your phone, your mouse, your headset, any two devices can be charged simultaneously.
If that wasn’t enough for you, have you seen Mi Air Charge Technology?! Utilising what they say is space transitioning and energy transmission, but I swear is just straight-up magic, this is contactless charging. Excuse me whilst I pick up my jaw, which just cartoonishly dropped to the ground. Honestly, words fail me – and words are what I do. Let this video do what I clearly cannot.
Of course, we are still quite a way off having these Mi Air chargers in every home. But still! Here we are plodding on in 2021, and these guys are clearly zooming off to 3021.
I’ll Take One of Each Please
With so much new and shiny gaming tech having dropped this year, it is nice to see a familiar face crop up from time to time. You know, a name and product you can trust. Take the Logitech G915 wireless keyboard for instance. Taking advantage of Logitech’s Lightspeed wireless technology, a pro-grade connection operating at a blindingly fast 1ms, this is a sleek and stylish keyboard with floating keys and stunning RGB. Now, it comes in a TKL format too! Oh, you do spoil us, Logitech G.
Naturally, gaming on your PC is more than just playing the game now. Streaming and creating content from the comfort of your own home is very much the thing to do right now. As such, microphone technology has streamlined to support this endeavour.
Trust has established a strong range of streaming microphones and this year dropped their 4-in-1 GXT 258 Fyru. (Any guesses on how that’s said?!) What sets this microphone apart is how it records. Choose from one of four recording methods to suit the content you are making! See the below image to check out how nifty this feature is!
Some tech released this year does puzzle the mind, and not for the reasons you’d think. Did you know that Transparent has made a transparent speaker? Hand on heart, this is the straight-up honest truth.
I’ll let that sink in for a minute.
Certainly unique, the Transparent Speaker will, ahem, only set you back £775 and can be paired up with other speakers from their range for top-of-the-line audio perfection. Yes, these are very high-end speakers which bring together art-form and function. Mounted on the wall, they would go very nicely with the 8Pack Frame R8 or his new wall-mounted cases. You’ll just need a healthier bank account than mine for this ultra-modern aesthetic and tech.
A lass can dream, though.
At the Forefront of Gaming
Now, that is a phrase I use a lot when typing away, writing about the latest releases at Overclockers UK. Well, there is the forefront of gaming and then there is this…
That is a neural interface that eliminates the need to use the left- and right-click on your gaming mouse, saving vital milliseconds from when your brain says click and your finger actually responds. Up there with the Mi Air charger, my mind is reeling from this tech usually saved for the most farfetched Sci-Fi movies. Honestly, how does it even? I can’t, I just- I don’t understand. But then, I suppose I don’t have a degree in mechanical engineering, I just have an abundance of love for PC gaming and phenomenal technology. (Old or new, it all blows my tiny brain.)
I think I need a lie-down. If you think your brain can handle more, do check out this video on the Impulse Neuro-Controller.
Eat Your Heart Out Jetsons
Now, this last piece of kit doesn’t really have much to do with gaming – unless you count the infamous April Fool’s from Razer. Oh yeah, I am talking about a toaster. Whilst doing my research for this article, I came across Balmuda the Toaster. Now, maybe it was because I hadn’t had lunch at the time, but something really piqued my interest about this toaster. How did it make a top tech of 2021 list?
Using a clever combination of steaming technology and toasty goodness, this toaster boasts that your breakfast slice will have a crisp, crunchy exterior while retaining its fluffy, bready insides. Colour me intrigued and suddenly hungry. Just imagine the butter melting into a slice of bread so perfectly toasted.
Again, as this is at the forefront of toast technology, it comes with a hefty price tag. It’s fun to dream, though. Which gaming tech from 2021 has blown your mind? Are you still patiently waiting for it to launch? Drop a comment below, so we can get excited together!
- 7 min read
Emily Haylock
Author
Emily is a board and cosy gamer, keyboard obsessive, and content copywriter for Overclockers UK. She has been with Overclockers UK for two years, writing about everything from noblechairs to 8Pack PCs. She writes from within her desk nest with a foster pup at her feet. (What, a desk duvet is a totally normal thing!) In her downtime, she likes to play board games, farming sims, and old-school Final Fantasy. IX to be specific. It is the best, and that is a hill she will die on.
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