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A little more than two years ago, Lenovo teased a concept laptop with a rollable screen that could expand and contract with the touch of a button. And now at CES 2025, the company has turned that idea into a reality with the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable. Remarkably, Lenovos new device looks incredibly similar to what the company showed off in the past. The laptop features a flexible 14-inch OLED display that can unfurl itself to become a 16.7-inch panel at the push of a button. This effectively adds an extra 50 percent of screen space to the system without the need for any additional accessories or peripherals. Alternatively, you can use gestures to expand and contract the display for a truly touch-free experience. Though in my experience, that took so much longer you might as well use the dedicated key. Thankfully, brightness is more than sufficient at 400 nits while the OLED panel delivers rich, vibrant hues. Just this functionality would be a feat on its own. However, to help maximize the potential of its rollable display, Lenovo added a custom set of multitasking features that allow you to add widgets to the expanded screen space or use it as a visual clipboard and a place to view frequently used docs. And when youre doing something like sharing your view during a video call, you can use the extra display as a virtual monitor, so you have a clean desktop for presentations. But to me, one of the most impressive things about the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable is that its not that much bigger or heavier than a traditional clamshell of a similar size. It weighs around 3.6 pounds and measures three quarters of an inch thick. Performance looks solid too, thanks to the inclusion of Intel's Core Ultra 7 CPU, up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. And while its port selection is just OK, you still get two Thunderbolt 4 jacks and 3.5mm audio along with other handy features like Wi-Fi 7 and a 5-megapixel webcam with an electronic privacy shutter. So even with Lenovos focus on the laptops futuristic screen, you still get a pretty well-rounded machine. Honestly, as someone who is always looking for more screen space while traveling (to the point where I often bring a portable monitor), I could see myself using the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 today as my primary work device. Its build quality feels a lot more solid than youd expect and lets not forget: the wow factor on something like this is hard to beat. That said, the obvious downside is its cost, because with the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 expected to start at $3,500 when it goes on sale sometime later this spring, youre paying a hefty premium to be on the very cutting edge of laptop tech. That means at least for now, systems like the Yoga Book 9i (which has gotten a couple of important updates for 2025) and ASUS Zenbook Duo are better choices for most people as they offer similar amounts of added screen space but for much less money. But if Lenovo can get the price down even a bit, it could open up another pathway for a new breed of transforming notebooks with deceptively small displays.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/the-thinkbook-plus-gen-6-rollable-is-a-crazy-concept-made-real-162813649.html?src=rss
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Lenovo is already announcing one new handheld (or two depending on how youre counting) at CES 2025. However, that isnt stopping the company from looking ahead to its next portable gaming device by teasing an early prototype of the Legion Go 2. Right off the bat its important to note that this successor to the original Legion Go is non-functioning and meant to be more of a design preview of Lenovos second-gen handheld instead of true first look. That said, the Legion Go 2 appears to share a number of features with its predecessor including detachable controllers, a large 8.8-inch display, a small touchpad on the right, a built-in kickstand and, if you look closely at the bottom, theres even a toggle that allows the right gamepad to enter FPS/vertical mouse mode. So its clear this follow-up isnt straying too far from the first models general blueprint. Instead, it seems like Lenovo is focusing on making some small tweaks regarding the handhelds ergonomics including more rounded grips and tapered sides along with a new circular D-pad as opposed to the cross-shaped component used on the previous model. Additionally, Lenovo shared some early (but still unfinalized) specs which include a new Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip from AMD, support for up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of SSD storage and a significantly larger 74Wh battery (up from 49.2Wh). This should deliver a noticeable boost in overall performance while its 8.8-inch OLED display is expected to feature very similar specs including 500 nits of brightness and a 144Hz refresh rate. However, there are two important changes to the screen. The first is a slightly lower 1,920 x 1,200 resolution (down from 2,560 x 1,600), which might seem like a weird downgrade. But on a display this size, especially when paired with a mobile APU, the Legion Go 2s new resolution should deliver a boost in terms of overall performance. The second important upgrade is the addition of VRR, so the screen can more easily adjust to match the framerate of whatever youre playing. Finally, just like before, the Legion Go 2 will be based on Windows 11, though this is one thing I think Lenovo should reconsider. Thats because after seeing the early positive reception for Legion Go S powered by SteamOS, I think it would be a wise move to offer support for Valves platform alongside the standard Windows model. Unfortunately, Lenovo has not released official pricing for the Legion Go 2 just yet, but I expect it to cost around the same as the original model at launch (around $800). As for a release date, theres nothing concrete there either, though the company said that it's preparing to bring this exciting innovation to life for gamers worldwide in 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/lenovo-is-already-teasing-the-successor-to-its-flagship-legion-go-gaming-handheld-161852837.html?src=rss
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The list of titles coming to Game Pass this month is a bit on the paltry side, aside from one massive exception. The original 1996 Diablo hits PC Game Pass on January 14, so those of us who have been living under a rock since Bill Clintons first term can finally see what all of the fuss is about. What can I say about Diablo that hasnt been said already? Its the OG action-RPG that basically defined the genre. Its a legitimate classic. Theres a reason why the franchise is still going strong deep into the 21st century. The battles are intense, the progression is satisfying and the character customization options are just as deep now as they were in the 1990s. This isnt the first time that the game has been re-released. Blizzard and GOG struck a deal back in 2019 to bring the title to the latters digital gaming marketplace. However, this is the first time its been free-ish, assuming a pre-existing PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Diablo is, by a huge margin, the most notable Game Pass release for January, but its not the only one. The post-apocalyptic farming sim My Time at Sandrock will be available on January 8 and EA Sports UFC 5 will be playable on January 14.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-original-diablo-hits-pc-game-pass-on-january-14-161519350.html?src=rss
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