CNET reporters have been inside CES 2026 all week, getting a glimpse into the future with the most interesting, innovative and cutting-edge tech available. If you want to see the tech we can't stop talking about, check out our Best of CES awards in 22 categories (plus our Best Overall award), our CES hub and our live blog.
Walking the floors this year felt like both peering ahead and stepping sideways into a parallel present. The usual cast was there -- robots, electronic toys, phones, screens -- but the real story wasn't novelty. It was a mood. It was almost as if it were a collective experiment in how strange everyday life has become. Technology is no longer something we just use. It's something that watches, listens, adapts and tries to read us in mysterious and awkward ways.
Katie Collins/CNET Cambridge Consultants Ouroboros watch concept Timely sustainability I'm a big fan of the right-to-repair movement, but I always bought into the idea that it wasn't practical for small digital devices. Thankfully, Cambridge Consultants thought otherwise, creating a concept watch that used a Garmin Fenix 7 as a reference, featuring a replaceable battery. Read more: An Easily Repairable Smartwatch Could Be in Your Future. This Concept Proves It
Samsung Samsung Music Studio 5 (LS50H) Simple sound Wi-Fi speakers designed by Erwan Bouroullec, the LS50H have a simple, lovely look that really appeals to me, and that don't look like they're from a tech company. A good match for your huge, frameless TV. Read more: I Can't Stop Gawking at Samsung's New Wi-Fi Speaker
Scott Stein/CNET Asus ROG R1 gaming display glasses Refresh rate matters, even on your face Many people want to connect display glasses to their Nintendo Switch or other handheld consoles for lean-back (or hunched-over) gaming. But, like on standard displays, a slow screen can result in a jumpy, jittery experience. Asus and Xreal have partnered for a pair of glasses similar to the Xreal One Pro, but with a fast 240Hz screen. Read more: Xreal and Asus Have Partnered for Display Glasses, and Showed Me 240Hz Speed
Watch this: Asus and Xreal Just Made ROG Gaming Glasses, and They're Smooth 02:46
Lenovo/CNET Lenovo Legion Pro rollable concept An elegant solution to the small-screen problem Lenovo's been experimenting with various alternative laptop screen mechanisms for years, like the auto-twist and the rollable ThinkBook Plus. Many of them rolled or slid the screen vertically. The new Legion Pro rollable concept goes the other way: The sides slide out to turn an 18-inch gaming laptop screen into a 24-inch widescreen display. For gaming -- that's what the Legion brand is for -- wider is a lot more useful than taller. If it can be crammed into a 16-inch laptop, I'm there. The Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable Concept has been selected as the winner in the Best Gaming category for the Official Best of CES 2026 Awards.
Joseph Maldonado/CNET Razer Project Ava A holographic backseat driver for your gaming and life Razer's always good for a couple of neat concepts at every CES, though they don't necessarily work well as eventual products. The first one is Project Ava, a hologram-in-a-tube avatar that works with AI software, essentially giving your chatbot a face (and body, too). The hardware's remarkably similar to a shipping product, Lepro Ami. On one hand, it's definitely cool-looking (if you can get past the mental cringe visual of clones in tanks), and the fact that it's holographic. On the other hand, I find things that move (or flicker) in my peripheral vision to be distracting. I would also just prefer my AI respond in bullet points. As I have been frequently told, however, I am not typical. Read more: Razer Project Ava
Scott Stein/CNET Razer Project Motoko Smart glasses for your ears "It's not as weird as you'd think. Or maybe it is." That's how Scott Stein summarizes his impression of Razer's headphones with cameras, intended as a kind of, well, alternative to smart glasses. One way to use them is while you game to offer real-time advice. Scott suggested they'd be good for people who have extreme prescriptions for their eyeglasses, which a lot of smart versions don't support, and he should know. Read more: I Wore Razer's Project Motoko at CES 2026: Like Smart Glasses, but in Headphone Form
#smartglasses #projectmotoko #arglasses #ar ♬ original sound - CNET @cnetdotcom Razer’s Project Motoko takes the concept of camera smartglasses and puts them on headphones, bypassing the need for prescriptions or getting used to glasses in the first place. While what @scottstein89 saw was a prototype, Razer did say a finished version will be coming to consumers in the next year. #razer
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