The Bing Wallpaper app is one of the few items under the Bing brand that's praised. The app provides beautiful images that can be set to rotate as your desktop background. But the app is in the headlines for the wrong reasons this week.

Some unlucky users have had their desktop background swapped to a fullscreen ad for a collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films.

People have taken to Reddit to complain about the ad-filled wallpaper. A Microsoft Learn post shares similar complaints.

There's often debate about what counts as an ad on Windows 11. For example, prompts to use OneDrive are called ads by some but are viewed simply as optional features by others.

Promotional content isn't entirely new to Bing Wallpaper. The app frequently cycles through images tied to popular movies or Xbox games. Perhaps I'm splitting hairs, but I view the new Harry Potter wallpaper differently than a normal background image.

Bing Wallpaper features a gorgeous clean image of David Corenswet's Superman. It's a well-framed shot with dynamic lighting that captures the hopeful tone of Corenswet's rendition of the character. While the image is from Superman (2025), it is not a promotional poster with text about how to buy the movie.

In contrast, the Harry Potter wallpaper is specifically about the 11-film collection. The lower-right corner of the image says "AVAILABLE NOW" in all caps.

If the image were simply of Hogwarts and the surrounding area, it would be different. People are passionate about Harry Potter and other franchises. It's completely natural to enjoy a wallpaper showing off a favorite character or iconic setting.

I'd be just as bothered if the Superman image featured prominent text telling me the movie is available on Amazon. If Microsoft needs to monetize the Bing Wallpaper app, that needs to happen without crowding the images. Clicking to learn more about an image from a movie and being told about the film is fine. A big promo on my desktop is not.

Bing Wallpaper is an optional app, so it's not as if Microsoft is pushing more ads through Windows 11's settings. But as mentioned earlier, Bing Wallpaper is one of the only parts of the Bing brand that's well received. Tarnishing it with ads is penny wise, pound foolish.

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Windows 11 will soon feature a Battery Status widget that you can pin to the Widget Board or your PC's lock screen. The feature is still in the works at the moment, but you don't have to wait for it to be finished. Third-party app "Battery Flyout" already supports a Battery Status widget and is available right now.

Just like Microsoft's widget that's in progress, Battery Flyout's widget shows the battery status of your PC and connected devices. It's a quick way to check if your keyboard, mouse, or other accessories are charged.

The Widget Board has been underutilized since it launched in 2021. There are fewer than 100 widgets available, many of which are tremendously niche. I hope the existence of the Battery Status widget indicates that Microsoft is going to invest the time needed to grow the library of Windows 11 widgets.

Microsoft has made some other improvements to the Widget Board lately, such as turning off the MSN feed by default. I hope this is a turning point for the feature. If not, at least we can rely on third-party developers to use the space.

If you had a previous version of Battery Flyout installed, you may need to update the app before being able to use the widget.

As a built-in feature of Windows 11, the Battery Status widget will be available for free. Battery Flyout costs $3.19 (on sale from $3.99). But some lucky Windows Central readers will be able to get Battery Flyout for free. The app's developer shared a code for a giveaway and I'll run that on the r/windowscentral subreddit. Make sure to subscribe there and keep an eye out.

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Grand Theft Auto 6 will finally launch on November 19, 2026, at midnight in your region. Technically, that means New Zealand gets it earliest, as 00:00 NZDT (New Zealand Daylight Time) aligns with 06:00 EST (Eastern Standard Time) on November 18, while the rest of us wait for our own clocks to tick over. Dedicated fans at GTAVice.net spotted the regional launch plans, but there's a catch.

The timestamps come from Sony's PlayStation Store listings, which is actually better news for Xbox fans. PS5 users can't change their console's region so easily to trick the system, while Xbox Series X|S gamers can still head to their Settings menu and change their Language & location settings to match New Zealand's kickoff of the rolling midnight launch.

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PlayStation 5 owners can put extra effort into making a new account, but that also means finding a way to buy the game in the local NZ$ currency. If you already pre-ordered on Xbox in your own country, switching to a region on the furthest edge of the time zones should be a relatively simple trick for eager Xbox gamers looking to play GTA 6 early.

How to change your region on Xbox Series X|S

1. From your Xbox dashboard, enter Settings (the cogwheel)
2. On the left menu, scroll to System
3. Move to the right side and select Language & location
4. Choose your new region, e.g., New Zealand
5. Select Restart now to apply the changes

Is this trick guaranteed to work for GTA6?

In theory, I can't think of any compelling reasons this shouldn't work on an Xbox Series X|S, as it has in the past for digital games with rolling midnight launches. However, that doesn't mean Rockstar Games and its publisher, Take-Two, don't have a trick up their sleeve to prevent GTA 6 from being playable a day earlier with the same region tweak we used on titles like Call of Duty.

Even though Grand Theft Auto VI doesn't have any multiplayer components planned for its launch, that doesn't mean it's a strictly offline experience. It's reasonable to assume that stat tracking will apply during the single-player campaign, presumably shared among players when their console is connected to the internet.

Otherwise, if the game verifies your previous purchase and confirms your new region is a valid location (and the game doesn't require a day-one patch to launch), we might be able to play the story of GTA 6 entirely offline. Personally, I'm not feeling the same level of excitement as many others, so I'm willing to wait, but I don't see why this wouldn't work for anyone who already pre-ordered in their local currency.

In XBOX's official messaging, the brand warns of regional caveats. For example, any local currency tied to your account will not transfer over, and Microsoft can't help with that. If you were planning to buy any GTA 6 "Ultimate Edition" add-ons, you'll need to do it before changing your region. Still, it's easy to revert your Xbox console to its original region, so it's certainly tempting.

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Last week at IFA 2026, Microsoft announced Project Zenith, the codename of a new class of devices aimed squarely at developers looking to build apps and local AI experiences on top of Windows 11. The announcement came out of the blue, which naturally caused a bit of confusion online.

So, what is it? Well, Zenith is an effort to formalize a baseline for "developer-ready" hardware: devices that meet a minimum bar for performance and are ready out of box to begin coding and compiling. This means the configuration of Windows 11 that ships on these devices is different from normal PCs, with different default settings and pre-installed apps.

To be clear: This isn't a new or different version of Windows 11. Zenith devices will almost definitely still ship with either Windows 11 Home or Pro, depending on the OEM. It's simply how Windows 11 is configured out of box that differentiates these developer-class devices from normal Windows 11 PCs.

There's seemingly also a hardware component at play, too. Microsoft says Zenith devices must ship with at least 64GB of unified memory and be capable of 250GB/s of memory bandwidth if they want to ship with this specially preconfigured version of Windows 11 for developers. All other hardware will ship with the normal configurations of Windows 11.

In recent years, there has been an uptick in developers making the switch from Windows to Mac for a variety of reasons, including OS quality issues or lack of capable hardware in the wake of Apple Silicon. Developers have also complained that it just takes too long to set up a Windows PC for development, sometimes taking hours or even days from the first power-up.

Zenith removes this friction. These devices are certified high-end and ship from the factory in a state that is ready to code, with apps like Visual Studio and GitHub Copilot already installed and ready to go as soon as you reach the desktop. They also ship with Windows 11 in a configuration that already dials back the annoyances that developers have complained about.

Out of box, "File Explorer shows file extensions, hidden files, the full path in the title bar, and the details pane, with long-path support enabled. Recently used files and folders and sync provider tips are turned off for a cleaner workspace. In Search and Start, Command Palette is enabled, while Start menu tips and account notifications are turned off to reduce distractions."

These are small but meaningful changes to the default Windows configuration, one that can save minutes of setup time. If you're managing a fleet of developer devices, this will save you hours of configuration time. The good news is these settings aren't unique to Zenith PCs.

If you don't fancy spending the money on a new Zenith device, you can manually configure your existing Windows 11 PC to match the configuration that comes preloaded on Zenith PCs. Of course, it'll take longer to do, but you'll save yourself the cost of a new PC in the process.

Ultimately, the goal of Zenith is to signal to developers that Microsoft is listening and wants to position Windows as the preferred platform for on-device AI and app development. The first Zenith devices to ship will be ones powered by AMD's Ryzen AI Halo chips, with other chipmakers such as the RTX Spark expected to follow.

No word on which OEMs will build Zenith hardware, or when the first Zenith devices will begin shipping just yet. We'll keep you posted when we know more!

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Over the last few days, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance has released a slew of new weapon trailers showing off the new Boost Bracer mechanic's enhancements for the Hammer, Light Bowgun, Charge Blade, and Sword & Shield weapon types.

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Additionally, these trailers hint that some of these weapon types are receiving balance changes or even new mechanics unique to them (and not tied to this DLC expansion's Boost Bracer gimmick). Here's what we can gather from these trailers for one of my most anticipated Xbox games of 2027.

Hammer

First off, we have a new trailer for the Hammer, a simple yet effective weapon for cracking monsters' skulls open. In Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, the Boost Bracer will allow you to jump across the battlefield or lift off into the air to perform rocket-powered spinning attacks with the Hammer.

Additionally, the Hammer's attacks will become faster and gain new combo paths once the Boost Gauge is activated.

Next up, we have the Light Bowgun, which has been given some drastic enhancements thanks to the Boost Bracer and possibly a balance change to one of its ammo types.

With the Boost Bracer, the Light Bowgun can fire bullets like an automatic machine gun via the Boost Driver attacks and phase through enemy attacks while the Boost Gauge is activated.

Additionally, while your Boost Gauge is active, you can jump on monsters to perform aerial shot attacks, you can side-step much farther after each shot, and even perform an Offset counter where you fire a grenade onto a monster.

On a side note, the trailer hints that we may be getting new Recoil mods for Bowguns. This is because the player is seen using Spread ammo (think of it like Shotgun ammo) at one point, and the recoil on it in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance is very light compared to how it is currently in the base game, where using Spread ammo on bowguns will send you flying backward.

Next trailer on the chopping block is the Charge Blade, a complex weapon type that transforms from a sword and shield into a two-handed battle axe that explodes with every hit.

Charge Blade's main game plan revolves around building Phial energy by hitting enemies in sword and shield mode and unleashing that pent-up energy in axe mode. This normally slow playstyle is getting a massive speed boost in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, as the new Boost Bracer's attacks will let you build energy for axe mode in mere seconds.

Plus, the Booster Bracer will grant the Charge Blade a new Offset counterattack in axe mode, new combo paths, and an enhanced version of the weapon's ultimate attack, where it discharges all of its Phial energy into one massive yet swift explosion.

Finally, we have today's trailer, which covers the classic Sword & Shield weapon type, and it's the one I'm most excited for. The Sword & Shield is another simple yet effective weapon that slices enemies, blocks attacks with a shield, and bashes monsters' faces in with said shield.

This agile weapon is now even faster thanks to Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance's Boost Bracer mechanic. With it, Sword & Shield can dash across the battlefield to smack monsters in the face, open up new combo attack paths, and grapple hook onto a monster's wounds to pop them just like the Clutch Claw mechanic from Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.

However, the most exciting change Sword & Shield is getting isn't related to the Boost Bracer; it's a brand-new attack called "Bladecoating Slash". This attack has you destroy one of your items with the weapon and coat its properties onto the blade to give it unique effects; for example, smashing a healing potion will give Sword & Shield the ability to restore a player's health with every hit.

Windows Central's Take

Out of all the changes I've seen from these trailers, the Sword & Shield trailer has got me the most hyped because its new "Bladecoating Slash" attack marks the return of the Oil Coating mechanic from 2015's Monster Hunter Generations.

It was an exclusive Sword & Shield mechanic where you coat the blade in oils to boost its attack, crit rate, or even grant it the ability to exhaust and stun monsters, kind of like The Witcher series.

It was so well received that fans have been begging Capcom to bring this mechanic back for Sword & Shield for nearly a decade because it was used in 2017's Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, and now their wish is finally being granted.

Sword & Shield was one of my most used weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds' base game, so I can't wait to see how this new "Bladecoating Slash" will drastically alter its playstyle (like potentially coating my Sword & Shield in Gunpowder to give it explosion attacks with every swing) when Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

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Nobody can accuse Lenovo of lacking imagination.

Over the last several years, the company has become the PC industry's unofficial concept lab, routinely showing off hardware that seems pulled from science fiction. We've seen rollable displays that grow taller, gaming laptops that transform into ultrawide displays, foldable PCs, attachable screens, rotating displays, and enough unusual form factors to make even the most adventurous laptop enthusiast pause for a moment.

Some of those ideas have remained concepts. Others have eventually become real products. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable (yes, they actually ship some of these!) is perhaps the best example, evolving from an eye-catching prototype into an actual shipping device. But even as Lenovo's concepts have become increasingly impressive from an engineering perspective, I've often found myself wondering how many of them actually solve a problem that regular laptop buyers have. Making a display expand is certainly cool. Convincing people they need it is the harder challenge.

That's why Project Swan immediately stood out to me.

Officially, it's another Lenovo proof-of-concept device, but after spending time with it in person, I came away thinking this may be the company's most practical display concept yet. Not because it's the most ambitious, but because it's arguably the least ambitious.

And that's exactly why it works.

Lenovo finally found a sensible use for a rollable display?

The Lenovo ThinkBook Project Swan begins life as a fairly normal-looking 14-inch laptop.

At 17.9mm thick and weighing 1.6kg (3.5lbs), it isn't trying to break weight records or compete with ultra-premium featherweight notebooks (like Lenovo's new AeroBlade concept). Instead, the focus is on creating a laptop that's comfortable to carry throughout the day while offering something extra when users return to their desk, settle into a hotel room, or need more space for serious work.

That "something extra" is a rollable display that expands horizontally into a 17-inch 16:9 workspace.

Unlike Lenovo's previous rollable designs, which generally expanded vertically, Project Swan widens itself by extending the display out to the sides. It's all done with a touch of a button (see my video below), and it only takes a few seconds.

The result feels much more like using a traditional external monitor than using an experimental form factor. You suddenly have enough room for side-by-side documents, large spreadsheets, dashboards, presentations, browser windows, Teams chats, and everything else that tends to compete for space on a 14-inch screen.

The transformation is dramatic enough to get attention, but conservative enough to feel practical. During my hands-on session, that was the first thing that struck me about the device.

Many of Lenovo's earlier concepts felt designed to answer the question, "Can we do this?"

Project Swan feels far more interested in answering the question, "Would people actually want this?"

That's a subtle distinction, but it's an important one.

This feels like the next step in Lenovo's display experiments

Project Swan didn't emerge in a vacuum. In many ways, it feels like the natural evolution of everything Lenovo has been experimenting with over the last few years.

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable demonstrated that expandable OLED displays could successfully transition from concept to commercial product. Lenovo's Legion rollable gaming laptop concept showed how flexible displays could create an ultrawide experience without requiring users to carry an enormous machine. Other projects explored foldable displays, secondary screens, and entirely new ways of interacting with PCs.

As impressive as many of those concepts were, some occasionally felt like technology showcases first and products second.

Project Swan reverses that equation.

Rather than dramatically changing how people interact with a laptop, it simply gives them more screen real estate when they need it and gets out of the way when they don't. That's a much easier benefit for consumers to understand and, perhaps more importantly, a much easier benefit to justify paying for.

After all, most people already know the dilemma.

A 14-inch laptop is ideal for travel. A larger display is ideal for work.

Project Swan attempts to deliver both.

The idea makes sense. The challenges are obvious.

That isn't to say there aren't trade-offs.

The first thing I noticed when using the expanded display was that the system becomes somewhat top-heavy. That's hardly surprising given the additional display hardware housed in the lid, but it was noticeable enough that I'd expect Lenovo's engineers to still be looking at ways to refine the balance.

Pricing is another obvious concern.

Rollable OLED displays aren't cheap (it's $3,499 for the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable), and if Project Swan ever becomes a commercial product, it's almost certainly going to carry a premium compared to a traditional clamshell laptop. The value proposition may be easier to understand than some other concept devices, but consumers still need to be convinced that expandable screen space is worth the additional cost.

Then there's the question everyone asks whenever a company unveils a rollable or foldable display.

How durable is it?

Flexible OLED technology has improved dramatically over the last few years, but long-term reliability remains an important consideration. How will the mechanism hold up after years of daily use? What happens after thousands of expansion cycles? Will buyers trust a laptop that contains moving display components?

The technology may be ready, but consumer confidence isn't something that can be engineered overnight.

The bigger question is whether people want these new form factors

That's really the challenge facing every laptop manufacturer right now.

The industry has spent years experimenting with alternatives to the traditional clamshell design. Foldable PCs promised tablet-sized displays that fit inside a laptop footprint. Dual-screen systems like the Lenovo Yoga 9i attempted to replace physical keyboards with additional displays. Rollable devices have explored several different directions entirely.

Some enthusiasts love these ideas, but many consumers remain perfectly happy with the laptops they already own.

That's what makes Project Swan so interesting to me. It isn't asking users to learn a new workflow or completely rethink how they use a PC. Instead, it's enhancing something people already understand: bigger screens are often better, but bigger laptops are harder to carry.

Whether that argument ultimately resonates with buyers remains an open question, but it's certainly the clearest pitch Lenovo has made for a rollable display so far.

Lenovo deserves credit for keeping the experimentation alive

Even if Project Swan never reaches store shelves, I appreciate what Lenovo is doing here.

The PC industry can sometimes become obsessed with processor upgrades, AI features, and specification sheets while overlooking more fundamental questions about how people actually use their devices. Lenovo's concepts consistently ask those questions, even when the answers occasionally seem, well, strange.

What's refreshing about Project Swan is that it feels grounded in reality. The company isn't trying to reinvent personal computing or create an entirely new category. Instead, it's exploring a straightforward idea that almost everyone who has worked on a laptop can relate to.

Sometimes you want a compact machine for travel.

Sometimes you wish that same machine had a much larger screen.

Project Swan is the most convincing attempt I've seen yet to bridge that gap.

I still have concerns about durability, balance, pricing, and whether consumers are truly interested in another alternative laptop design. But after trying it for myself, I'm more optimistic about this concept than many of Lenovo's previous experiments.

Ironically, that's because it feels less ambitious. Rather than trying to change how we work, Project Swan simply gives us a little more room to do it.

And that may be exactly what makes it one of Lenovo's most promising concepts yet.

Let me know in the comments what you think about Project Swan. Should Lenovo continue to push this concept of an expanding display, or focus more on other ideas (and if so, which ones)?

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A "ready-to-code distraction-free Windows experience" is on the way for developers. Microsoft just detailed how Windows 11 will be optimized for people with developer-class devices.

The idea behind Project Zenith is to save developers time by preinstalling apps and having Settings pre-enabled that are optimized for development. For example, File Explorer will show file extensions, hidden files, and the full path in the title bar.

Those options are not new, but they can take a while to set up when you also have to install a bunch of apps and tweak other settings.

We already knew about some of these experiences because of announcements made at Build 2026, but we now know a name for the project and more information about how Windows 11 will be optimized for developer-class devices.

Those devices will be able to run 30B+ parameter models locally and unmetered and use a variety of tools out of the box. Windows Terminal and Visual Studio Code are pinned to the Taskbar by default. GitHub Copilot, PowerToys, WinAppCLI, and Windows Dev Skills will also be preinstalled, according to The Verge.

Project Zenith will launch first on AMD's Ryzen AI Halo devices, but it will make its way to other systems over the coming months.

To classify as a developer-class device, a system will need at least 64 GB of unified memory and at least 250 GB/s memory bandwidth.

The best version of Windows 11

A natural response to Microsoft's blog post is to ask, "don't we all want a distraction-free Windows experience?" I don't know anyone clamoring for more distractions on their PC. But I believe Project Zenith is specific to developers for a good reason.

Many developers have a similar workflow or rely on a set of tools. What would be considered a useful preinstalled app for developers would be viewed as bloat for general users.

Similarly, the enabled settings viewed as useful by developers would make Windows 11 feel crowded for everyday computing.

A better approach would be to tailor Windows 11 to different use cases. We're starting to see that with Xbox Mode on Windows 11 and now Project Zenith for developers.

Of course, Project Zenith devices, PCs running Xbox Mode, and all other Windows 11 devices benefit from the general improvements to Windows 11, such as reducing memory usage and improving Search and File Explorer. Many of those changes can be seen in the latest major update to Windows 11.

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After releasing an epic trailer showing off its story and original monsters, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance has returned to uploading daily trailers showing off how this action-hunting game's 14 weapon types will be enhanced by the new Boost Bracer mechanic.

The third trailer in this series focuses on the improvements for Dual Blades, the fastest melee weapon type in the game, where you rip and tear monsters to shreds with a pair of daggers.

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The Dual Blades is one of the best weapon types in the game as they're extremely, do a lot of damage in short bursts, and can make the player briefly invincible if you dodge enemy attacks at the last second while using the weapon's unique "Demon Mode".

However, when paired with this DLC expansion's Boost Bracer mechanic, Dual Blades can the player into a monster. This is because the Boost Bracer grants Dual Blades, with what we can tell from this trailer:

• A new Boost Driver attack where you spin towards an enemy and knock them off their feet while they're attacking, as it counts as an Offset attack.
• The Boost Driver also fills up your Archdemon Mode gauge.
• Once you fill the Boost Gauge by hitting enemies with Boost Driver attacks, you can activiate it to double the attack speed of Dual Blades, have each strike deal multiple hits with increased range, and unlock new combo attacks that end in a nasty finisher where you hold both blades in one hand to deliver a savage uppercut.
• Additionally, activating the Boost Gauge will allow you to jump in the air during a Perfect Dodge so you can perform aerial attacks when you spin across a monster's body to rip them up with Dual Blades, without needing to use Focus Mode attacks or jumping off ledges and hills.

Windows Central's take

Dual Blades ended up being my main weapon of choice when I tackled the endgame content of Monster Hunter Wilds' base game, as its insane attack speed proved invaluable against tough monsters like Omega and Gogmazios.

After watching this trailer, I think I'm going to stick with Dual Blades in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance because it looks amazing and brutal to use with the Boost Bracer's enhancements.

I like how the Dual Blade's normally graceful movements are replaced with berserker-style claw swipes while the Boost Gauge is activated. It kind of makes you feel like the Marvel superhero Wolverine, which I wouldn't be surprised if that was intentional, considering Capcom spent decades making Marvel fighting games like the Marvel Vs. Capcom series.

Plus, considering we aren't getting Insomniac's Wolverine game on Xbox Series X|S and PC anytime soon, I'll take these newly improved Dual Blades as a suitable substitute when Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

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For a few years now, rumors have been spreading that Blizzard Entertainment's iconic StarCraft series is being revived with a new shooter action game, and very soon, those rumors may finally turn into reality.

This is because StarCraft's official legacy website has been 'glitching' out recently, with certain bits of the UI warping and turning into static in a very artistic way that doesn't look like real glitches.

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Curious to know what's going on, a Reddit user with the username u/RaiausderDose started digging into the StarCraft website via console commands to figure out what's wrong, and what they found was quite intriguing.

u/RaiausderDose discovered a lot of cryptic messages that resemble medical reports, cargo manifestos, and reports of a group plotting something illegal and nefarious.

Plus, the messages state that they were written in August 2575. Eagle-eyed StarCraft fans have noticed that this date is roughly 69 years after the events of StarCraft II's last expansion, Legacy of the Void, which was released over a decade ago on November 10, 2015.

With BlizzCon 2026 just over a week away, StarCraft's website glitching and hiding secret lore messages cannot be a coincidence. Blizzard Entertainment is definitely planning to announce some StarCraft news at the event.

But what could this announcement be? Is it the aforementioned rumored shooter, a new real-time strategy game, a StarCraft movie, or maybe Blizzard Entertainment is restarting development on the cancelled stealth shooter from the early 2000s, StarCraft: Ghost?

Either way, we won't have to wait much longer to find out when BlizzCon 2026 kicks off on September 12, 2026.

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Not content with just posting daily videos showcasing Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance's new Boost Bracer mechanic, Capcom decided to kick things up a notch at the PlayStation State of Play (September 2026) with a new trailer for this DLC expansion.

The trailer gives players a glimpse at some of the locales they will be hunting in, the storyline that will immerse them in the rich setting of the Monster Hunter universe, and the monsters they will be hunting.

Capcom then provided fans with more written details on the storyline and monsters previewed in this trailer through the PlayStation State of Play Blog, and we will recount the most important details for you right now.

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First off, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascension's story takes place several years after the events of the base game. Our heroes have spent that time building a fortress to prepare for the return of Lao Shan-Lung, a colossal Elder Dragon that almost destroyed them years prior.

As the fortress is nearing completion, the player is tasked with investigating mysterious changes in the Forbidden Land's ecosystem and exploring a new region of floating islands known as the Skybound Eyrie to uncover what is causing it to defy gravity.

As for the monsters the players will encounter, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascension will have the player go up against Elder Dragons from previous games like Kushala Daora and Lao Shan-Lung, and Monster Hunter Wilds' artificially made Guardian Monsters that are now spreading out across the base game's regions.

Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascension will also have brand new, original monsters to hunt like the Bird Wyvern, Araketa, which can soar through the air like a jet plane, and the serpentine Elder Dragon, Gundoraja, which can control storm clouds.

There's also a mysterious, unnamed new lizard monster feasting on other monsters from the inside out, and able to shapeshift its body into giant, gaping, horrifying mouths to swallow prey whole.

Windows Central's take

The more footage I see of Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, the more my bad memories of its base game's miserable launch in 2025 are being cleansed away with glee.

The new monsters look stunning, the new storyline is actually somewhat intriguing (which is rare for a Monster Hunter game), and the new Skyboard Eyrie hunting locale looks so much fun to get lost in (though that's probably due to my bias love towards floating island locales in video games since 1994's Sonic 3 & Knuckles).

If the DLC expansion can fix the problems I had with the base game of Monster Hunter Wilds and make sure its monsters are tough enough to warrant their Master Rank status, then we're in for one heck of a hunting adventure when Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

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Jumping into the deep end of a multiplayer survival game can be a recipe for disaster, as I found it in my first-ever taste of the State of Decay series. My last encounter was with State of Decay 2, where I was unceremoniously dropped into a friend's game. It was complete with fully built settlements and swarms of zombies banging down the doors while I was still fumbling with the mechanics. I felt very much out of my depth and never really revisited the game.

Heading into our closed-doors look at State of Decay 3 at Gamescom, I was a little worried I wouldn’t enjoy it and would be going through the motions. I knew I wanted to love it, and I had already planned to play it on release just to support the studio following its ceremonious dumping (aka divesting) by Xbox. In fact, I have implored the Xbox community to buy it, whether it hits Game Pass or not.

As it turns out, not only is the relationship with Xbox not completely severed (it’s now officially confirmed to be launching straight onto Xbox Game Pass alongside its 2027 release window), but the demo proved to be an absolute blast in the time I had with it. The world of State of Decay 3 is pretty fascinating to navigate even amidst incoming waves of the dead.

Alpha playtests are smoothing out the road ahead for closed beta by end of 2026

Before jumping into the demo, the developers shared some roadmap news: the current build is being pulled apart by alpha playtesters, who are providing early technical feedback before us normies jump in. Undead Labs told us that a closed beta will launch by the end of this year, with player access and platform support continuing to ramp up toward the 2027 launch.

When you strip it back, State of Decay 3 remains a community management survival game set deep within the zombie apocalypse. You control a single character at a time in an open-world third-person environment, acting as the caretaker for a fragile community. You are forced to make survival decisions such as where to live, whom to trust, and whether to let newcomers in or grow your own food.

Procedural survivors and evolving traits

One of the unique hallmarks of the franchise is its character generation, and State of Decay 3 takes it further. Survivors are procedurally assembled from a vast pool of names, cultural backgrounds, voice actors, visuals, and traits, meaning you can play for hundreds of hours and never see the same person twice.

Take Pat, for instance, a daredevil with high health and stamina who unfortunately makes a ton of noise. Pat is a rocket scientist with expertise in mechanics and demolition, but he is also easily overwhelmed (same Pat, same). New to State of Decay 3 are evolving traits. If Pat were to kill 100 zombies, that negative trait would evolve into something better, though the developers deliberately retain minor flaws to keep characters nuanced.

Then there is Queenie, a lone wolf with fatigue resistance and sniper training boosting headshot damage, but burdened with a “sketchy vibe” that makes her a bad choice for diplomacy missions. Overall, the trait names were pretty funny and add a much-needed injection of humor into what is a bleak backdrop.

Surviving the plague war

The demo picked up at Green Heart, a newly established northern settlement. The team had recently been chased out of their previous base at the fire training center due to the Plague War, a new territory-control system.

Plague nests act as large-scale dungeons and epicenters for an expanding network of infestations that organically grow and actively surround player settlements. Because the current team had fled in a panic, they had prioritized offensive firepower over food and water and needed to establish a new settlement.

To tackle their food shortage and lack of beds, the developers headed into the nearby town of Carolina to clear an infested hunting store and claim it as a second settlement. This location offered a professional-grade animal press capable of crafting far more effective ammunition than standard scavenged garage setups.

Luckily, State of Decay 3 introduces the ability to manage up to three settlements simultaneously, allowing players to expand their territory as they push back this plague network.

Now, when on the offensive, whether you go straight for the heart of the Plague is up to you, but you can approach more strategically by taking out surrounding weaker infestation sites first.

Make the game as difficult (or as easy) as you like with friends or solo

Combat in State of Decay 3 feels incredibly satisfying, and Undead Labs have worked hard to make guns feel more impactful.

Limb damage is a necessity when trying to slow down the onslaught. You can target specific appendages, blow a zombie's legs off with a shotgun blast, and gleefully watch them topple over. Players can also lean into creative environmental puzzles. The team showed us how to use stealth, or splash fuel across the streets. In one example, they placed a tape deck to attract zombies, luring hordes into a trap before clearing out the weak points of the plague heart.

I was also really happy to hear that even if you play cooperatively with three other players, you can tune sliders for combat, plague aggression, and resource management so the game matches your preferred challenge level. Want to make the higher-level zombies a rarer occurrence or make scavenging supplies a little more rewarding? You can do that and more. I’ll be tuning mine down to scaredy-cat mode, thanks. The true sickos can play on ultra hard lethal mode.

When we asked what constitutes a fail state for your game, it turns out that morale is everything. If your community morale tanks due to poor management, characters will lose faith in you as their caretaker and disband, running off into the hills. Lose enough of your community, and you fail your playthrough.

Looking ahead to 2027

Customization in general has been vastly expanded from the previous franchise entries. Players can transform standard vehicles into heavy, tank-like variants outfitted with specialized gear like gas filters, cargo expansions, extra fuel tanks, or spike wheels.

Whether you are customizing vehicle paint jobs or strapping gas tanks to your ride, State of Decay 3 is shaping up to be quite the evolutionary leap for the series.

Whether you are completely new to State of Decay or jumping in enthusiastically from its predecessor, the developers seem to be doing a great job with balancing system depth with better onboarding for new players. I’m pretty confident this is going to be exactly the multiplayer smash that Xbox needs on Game Pass.

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The end of Final Fantasy VII's Remake trilogy draws near as Square Enix announced on Sony's State of Play (September 2026) that Final Fantasy VII: Revelation will launch on April 8, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere support), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam.

Additionally, Square Enix has released a ten-minute gameplay deep dive showcasing the game's combat and exploration systems, with some quality-of-life features.

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In this deep dive, it shows that the player will now be able to travel across the entire world by riding the massive airship known as the Highwind.

When exploring the open world on land, you will be able to ride a Chocobo mount named Piko, who can help you traverse the environment and aid you in combat, and use a grappling hook to scale tall buildings like the ones in the new town, Wutai.

Speaking of combat, the deep dive also gives a players a closer look at Final Fantasy VII: Revelation FITS system. This system bestows your party members with the abilities of Job classes from previous Final Fantasy games to lay waste to your opponents, as demonstrated by Cid who is using the Knight FIT to protect allies while Vincent is using the Summoner FIT to burn enemies to ashes by summoning the fire demon Ifrit.

Additionally, Final Fantasy VII: Revelation will feature quality of life improvements like being able to choose who is the player-controlled character out of combat and choosing which party members take on certain side quests (which can alter the story outcomes of certain events and scenarios).

Square Enix announces that Final Fantasy VII: Revelation is now available for pre-order across all platforms, with several editions and pre-order bonuses that will net you Summon Materia of Mecha-Chocobo and Moogle up for grabs.

The editions are as follows (as taken from the official Final Fantasy VII: Revelation press release):

• Physical - PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2
  • Standard ($69.99)
    • Day 1 Editions available at several retailers include Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY Final Showdown Promo Card*
    • Amazon Day 1 Edition includes folded poster
  • Deluxe ($99.99)
    • Mini-Soundtrack
    • Artbook
    • Day 1 Editions available at several retailers include Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY Final Showdown Promo Card
    • Steelbook case
  • Collector’s Edition ($349.99) - SQUARE ENIX Store Exclusive
    • All “Deluxe Edition” contents, plus…
      • Premium statue (featuring Cloud, Zack and Sephiroth)
      • Story Expansion Pass**, granting access to two story-centered DLCs planned for later release***
        • Includes in-game accessory Reclaimant Choker
        • Includes Survival Set of useful in-game consumable items
      • In-game equipment Armor: Nymphwing Bracelet
      • In-game equipment Accessory: Risk Taker’s Choker
      • In-game item: Summon Materia: Mecha-Chocobo & Moogle
      • In-game item: Summoning Materia: Polydroid Alexander
  • Digital - PlayStation 5, PC, XBOX Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2
    • Pre-order incentive (all editions): Summon Materia: Mecha-Chocobo & Moogle
    • Standard ($69.99)
    • Premium ($99.99)
      • Story Expansion Pass*, granting access to two story-centered DLCs planned for later release**
        • Includes in-game item Accessory: Reclaimant Choker
        • Includes Survival Set of useful in-game consumable items
      • Early Access, which allows for access to the game 24 hours before release
    • Premium Plus ($109.99)
      • All “Premium Edition” contents, plus…
        • Digital Mini Soundtrack
        • Digital Artbook
        • Summoning Materia: Polydroid Alexander
        • In-game equipment Armor: Nymphwing Bracelet
        • In-game equipment Accessory: Risk Taker’s Choker

On top of that, players can digitally pre-order the Final Fantasy VII Remake Series Trilogy Edition ($84.99) so they can gain access to all games in the trilogy and the pre-order bonuses.

Lastly, Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy VII: Revelation will receive two DLC storylines between the Winter of 2027 and the Spring of 2028. The first DLC will focus on Sephiroth, while the second DLC will focus on Vincent and the Turks.

So, if you have been waiting years for the entire Final Fantasy VII Remake series to be completed to marathon it, then April 8, 2028 will be the best time for you to finally give it a go. I know I certainly will.

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It was probably inevitable eventually, but Xbox Cloud Gaming is joining NVIDIA and other platforms in putting hourly limits on its streaming service.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is a platform tied to Xbox Game Pass right now, giving you unlimited access to stream games from Game Pass as well as hundreds upon hundreds of digital games you own. In fact, thanks to Xbox's disc-to-digital program, you can now even play disc-based Xbox games you own if they're included in Xbox Cloud Gaming.

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Many users use Xbox Cloud Gaming on Xbox One to play current-gen Xbox Series X|S games that aren't available natively on older systems. It's also great for running games on laptops, tablets, and other devices that aren't powerful enough to run said titles natively.

Up until now, Xbox Cloud Gaming was unlimited, but Microsoft just announced that it will begin introducing limits.

The new hourly cloud gaming limits via Xbox Game Pass

"We recognize that introducing limits is a meaningful change, particularly for players who regularly spend more time gaming through the cloud," Microsoft said on Xbox Wire. "We expect this upcoming change to impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers. Once subscribers use their included hours, they will be able to purchase additional cloud playtime through the XBOX Store."

I'm told that the "additional cloud playtime" bundles will not have a "use by" expiry window once purchased, although Microsoft hasn't listed exactly how much these passes will cost as of yet.

Indeed, you will not need an Xbox Game Pass subscription to use these cloud playtime hours, which will grant you access to your own library of compatible Xbox Play Anywhere cloud games even if you don't fancy owning the Game Pass subscription.

"We’re introducing this model because the cost of providing cloud gaming grows as more people use it and play for longer," Microsoft explained. "Moving to monthly limits allows us to keep offering the service while continuing to invest in its reliability and performance."

"We understand that for some players the practical result is a higher cost. In November, we’ll provide more information about pricing, purchasing additional hours, eligible games, market availability, and how players can check their remaining time. We’ll listen closely to player feedback before and after the change takes effect and share any adjustments we make."

The RAMpocalypse is coming for cloud gaming, too

Microsoft has been long-rumored to be exploring an ad-based tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Game Pass in general. It's also true that the video ads business is incredibly tough, making me wonder if Microsoft decided to opt for this approach instead of trying to compete with Google / YouTube for video ad slots.

Indeed, many recent reports suggest that Twitch, despite being absolutely rammed with ads, is nowhere near profitable. What prayer would an ad-based Xbox Cloud Gaming tier have, given the monstrous amount of bandwidth required for Xbox Cloud Gaming video encoding?

The RAMpocalypse is impacting consumer electronics prices, but also cloud server prices too. Microsoft has reportedly joined NVIDIA and Google in earmarking 70% of Samsung's total DRAM output through to 2031. Unfortunately, I don't think a significant chunk of that memory is going towards gaming.

One advantage Xbox Cloud Gaming probably does have (at least in terms of Microsoft corporate politics) is that it does help keep cloud inference up — which in turn helps Microsoft justify infrastructure capital expenditure to shareholders. Xbox Cloud Gaming servers, while idle (at night, for example), can be used for training AI models potentially, which helps anchor Xbox's future in a corporation dominated by AI hype.

I suspect that introducing these limits now revolves around a plan to begin marketing Xbox Cloud Gaming more aggressively. If Microsoft ever did manage to find some form of mainstream breakthrough with Xbox Cloud Gaming, creating huge server queues (which we've seen in the past) wouldn't exactly represent a positive first-time experience for new players.

If Microsoft's goal is to form habits around Xbox Cloud Gaming in regions where console availability and affordability are low, ensuring a stable experience is obviously within their interests.

It remains to be seen if Xbox Cloud Gaming will ever be anything more than a niche kind of thing. It's useful for testing out games without installing them, but in most scenarios where you might want to use it, i.e., on a plane, on hotel Wi-Fi, or on a long-distance commute ... you're probably not going to have good enough internet speeds.

The laws of physics and the speed of light preclude Xbox Cloud Gaming from seeing any significant improvements from here, probably, but the upcoming direct-to-Wi-Fi Xbox controllers should offer a meaningful latency boost — if they ever actually come out.

It's a hot topic right now. With Xbox Helix and the PS6 threatening to be the most expensive consoles ever, perhaps even cloud gaming will end up too expensive to be worth it.

I'm tired of this AI stuff, mannnnnnnn.

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Competition for Apple's MacBook Neo is heating up.

Just days after Dell unveiled a new 14-inch laptop designed to take on Apple's latest mainstream notebook, Lenovo is entering the fight with something considerably more interesting: a laptop that lets you express your personality instead of forcing you to settle for silver, gray, or slightly darker gray.

I recently got to see Lenovo's new IdeaPad Vibe lineup in person in New York City, and while the company talked plenty about AI, processors, and battery life, the thing that immediately stood out to me was how different these laptops look compared to almost everything else on the market.

Most PC makers treat color options as an afterthought. Lenovo is making them the product.

The new IdeaPad Vibe will be available in seven Pantone-developed colors, including Chill Blue, Zen Green, Spicy Gold, Radiant Coral, Dreamy Violet, Lowkey Grey, and Moody Blue. Lenovo says the colors were developed alongside the Pantone Color Institute and are designed to reflect different moods, personalities, and lifestyles.

And that's just the beginning.

As shown in Lenovo's custom configurator (below), users will be able to mix and match chassis colors and keyboard colors to create something uniquely theirs. The company is also offering swappable custom keycaps, adding another layer of personalization that is virtually unheard of in the mainstream laptop space.

The configurator demo I saw almost felt like building a custom character in a video game rather than buying a laptop, and reminded me of the XBOX Design Lab for custom controllers.

In fact, my biggest complaint about the IdeaPad Vibe is that there might be too much choice.

That's obviously a good problem to have, but after looking through the various color combinations, shell finishes, and processor options, I could already imagine spending far too much time trying to decide which configuration to order (I know because I tried).

That's not a sentence I ever expected to write about a Windows laptop.

Of course, a laptop can't survive on colors alone, and thankfully Lenovo seems to have put together a genuinely compelling package underneath all that personality.

The IdeaPad Vibe comes in both 14-inch and 15-inch sizes and starts at just 1.3kg (2.87 pounds) for the smaller model. OLED display options are available with up to 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, while IPS models can offer refresh rates up to 120Hz.

Lenovo is also packing in practical features including dual SSD slots, Wi-Fi 7, USB-A and USB-C ports, HDMI, a MicroSD card reader, and a 5MP IR webcam with a privacy shutter.

AMD, Qualcomm or Intel (eventually)

Then there's the processor selection.

For launch, buyers can choose between AMD Ryzen AI 400 series configurations and Qualcomm Snapdragon X models (we're not clear on exactly which Snapdragon X chip, or even if it's X2), while Intel-based versions will arrive later. AMD models support up to 32GB of upgradeable memory and up to 1TB of SSD storage, while Snapdragon versions offer up to 24GB of memory and the same dual-slot storage flexibility.

Personally, I'd go Qualcomm.

We've reached a point where Snapdragon X PCs consistently deliver excellent everyday performance while also offering some of the best battery life available in the Windows ecosystem. The combination of a lightweight chassis, Copilot+ PC capabilities on supported configurations, and Qualcomm's efficiency makes the Snapdragon version particularly appealing to me.

That isn't to say AMD isn't tempting. AMD's advantage here is flexibility. The Ryzen AI configurations support memory upgrades up to 32GB and offer optional 50Wh or 65Wh battery configurations, making them attractive for enthusiasts who want more control over their hardware.

What impressed me most during my hands-on time wasn't any single specification. It was how cohesive the overall package felt.

The laptops looked premium, felt solid in the hand, and didn't come across as budget systems despite their surprisingly aggressive pricing. That's important because Lenovo isn't positioning the IdeaPad Vibe as a niche fashion accessory. This is meant to be a mainstream Windows laptop that happens to have far more personality than its competitors.

And right now, that may be enough to help it stand out.

Final thoughts

Apple's MacBook Neo has clearly encouraged PC makers to rethink the mainstream laptop category. Dell has already responded with its own fresh take on the formula with its just-announced Dell 14S, and now Lenovo is bringing something completely different to the table: customization.

Instead of asking buyers which shade of gray they prefer, Lenovo is asking what their "vibe" is.

That's a much more interesting question, even if a bit on the nose and a tad cringey.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe with AMD processors launches in October 2026 starting at $699.99, while Qualcomm Snapdragon X models will follow in November 2026 with the same $699.99 starting price. Intel is only listed as coming later.

And after seeing them in person, I think Lenovo may have stumbled onto something other PC makers have forgotten: technology can be personal, but it can also be fun.

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I've seen a lot of concept PCs over the years.

Most are fascinating engineering exercises that are never destined for store shelves. They're designed to spark conversation, generate headlines, and give us a glimpse into what might be possible someday. Some do come to market, like rollable display PCs.

Lenovo's new Project AeroBlade concept feels different.

Officially, it's one of the company's latest proof-of-concept devices, unveiled as part of its annual wave of experimental hardware at IFA 2026. Unofficially? I think there's a very good chance we're looking at Lenovo's next big premium laptop platform.

After getting hands-on with AeroBlade, I walked away convinced this isn't some far-future moonshot. If you told me a shipping version appears within the next year, I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest.

And it can't happen soon enough.

Project AeroBlade is a 14-inch laptop that measures under 10 mm thin and weighs less than 830 grams (1.8lbs). That's lighter than many tablets with keyboard covers attached, yet Lenovo claims performance remains comparable to today's ThinkPad X1 Carbon class of Intel-powered laptops. According to Lenovo, the system achieves this through a completely reimagined thermal design built around its Active Flow cooling architecture developed alongside Frore Systems.

Those numbers don't really hit you until you pick it up.

The first thing that struck me wasn't the thickness. It was the weight. Or rather, the lack of it.

The AeroBlade almost feels unfinished when you lift it because your brain expects more mass. Premium laptops have gotten thinner over the last decade, but reducing weight has become increasingly difficult without introducing compromises. AeroBlade somehow manages to feel substantial and premium while remaining almost shockingly light.

Lenovo says the chassis uses a magnesium-aluminum construction paired with a high screen-to-body OLED display, Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, and Wi-Fi 7. On paper, it sounds like a modern flagship ultrabook. In person, it feels like somebody accidentally removed half the laptop. That's a compliment.

What makes AeroBlade truly interesting, however, isn't how thin it is; it's how Lenovo got there.

The fan is dead. Long live AirJet.

For decades, laptop cooling has largely followed the same formula.

A processor generates heat. Heat pipes move that heat toward a heatsink. One or more fans blow air through the system and out of vents.

The design has evolved, but the fundamentals haven't changed much.

Frore Systems wants to change that.

AirJet is a solid-state active cooling solution that replaces traditional laptop fans with tiny cooling chips that use vibrating membranes to generate airflow. Instead of spinning fan blades, AirJet creates high-velocity pulsating air jets that remove heat while operating at extremely low noise levels. Frore describes it as the world's first solid-state active cooling chip.

One AirJet Mini Slim module is only 2.65mm thick, consumes up to 1 watt of power, removes up to 5.25 watts of heat, and generates significantly higher back pressure than traditional fans. The technology was specifically designed for ultra-thin devices where conventional cooling becomes difficult or impossible.

The clever part is that these modules don't need the large internal spaces required by traditional fans.

Instead of designing a laptop around cooling hardware, manufacturers can distribute AirJet modules throughout the chassis in different locations.

That flexibility is both the technology's greatest strength and its biggest challenge.

During conversations at the event, it became clear why we've seen AirJet demonstrations for a few years but haven't yet seen a flood of mainstream laptops using it.

This isn't a simple parts swap.

OEMs have spent decades designing motherboards, thermal layouts, and internal structures around conventional fans. AirJet requires engineers to rethink much of that architecture. The cooling solution may be smaller, but integrating it properly involves substantial redesign work throughout the entire system.

That's a lot of engineering investment.

But judging by AeroBlade, the payoff might be worth it.

A laptop with almost no compromises

The most impressive thing about AeroBlade is that Lenovo doesn't appear to be treating fanless computing as a compromise.

Traditionally, when manufacturers build ultra-thin fanless systems, performance becomes the sacrifice. The device is quiet and portable, but sustained workloads eventually cause thermal throttling.

Lenovo's pitch is essentially the opposite.

The company believes Active Flow can deliver sustained AI and productivity performance without the compromises typically associated with fanless PCs. The only noise I noticed during my brief hands-on came under heavier workloads, where there was a faint whooshing sound from moving air. It was subtle enough that I had to actively listen for it.

What I didn't notice were intake vents covering the bottom of the chassis. Hooray!

That's because the cooling system works differently than traditional laptop designs. Air management has largely been pushed toward the rear of the system, creating a cleaner and more minimalist design.

The result is a device that feels almost impossibly refined, and that's why I think AeroBlade is a big deal.

Most laptop innovation over the last few years has focused on AI accelerators, NPUs, display tech, and silicon improvements. Those things are important, but they're largely invisible to users (well, maybe not displays, but still).

Cooling isn't.

Cooling defines thickness, weight, acoustics, sustained performance, battery behavior, and overall design flexibility.

In many ways, cooling technology determines what kind of laptop manufacturers can build.

Lenovo could make impossibly thin and light (compared to what we are used to), or use that extra space for a larger battery for absurd laptop longevity. It opens a bunch of engineering doors and options.

The concept that doesn't feel like a concept

Lenovo loves showing proof-of-concept devices, and many never become products.

But the company's track record also shows that some of its most interesting concepts eventually make the jump to production after enough refinement (I'm hoping Lenovo's Legion handheld foldable concept is one of those).

AeroBlade feels like one of those projects. Indeed, this was my first question to Lenovo, as proof-of-concept is often wacky designs, rolling displays, dual displays ... things that look weird but could be useful.

Super thin and light laptop with no vents? Who wouldn't want this? I don't think we really need a focus group to see if it's a good idea!

The hardware already looks polished. The underlying technology exists. The user benefits are immediately obvious. And perhaps most importantly, the industry is constantly searching for ways to make laptops thinner, lighter, quieter, and more efficient.

AirJet checks every one of those boxes.

Will this technology replace fans in gaming laptops with RTX-class graphics anytime soon? Probably not.

But for premium ultraportables, enterprise notebooks, all-in-one desktops, handheld gaming PCs, and productivity-focused systems, I think we're looking at one of the most significant advances in PC design we've seen in years. (We've already openly wondered about Aerojet in a Steam Deck 2).

So, yeah, ironically, the biggest innovation at Lenovo's event wasn't AI.

It was airflow.

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