Gaming headsets today are no longer just about audio alone. They have become part of the overall gaming setup and experience itself, especially for users who spend long hours gaming, streaming, watching content, or constantly switching between devices. The HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 Wireless feels designed exactly around that idea, combining endurance, comfort, immersive sound, and a more customizable setup into a single package.

The first thing that stood out to me was actually the presentation. HyperX has clearly paid attention to the unboxing experience. From the neatly arranged accessories to the premium placement of the headset and cables inside the box, the overall packaging immediately gives the feeling that this is positioned as a more serious premium gaming headset rather than just another accessory.

                                                   Reviewed By Srijith KN

COMFORT & DESIGN

Once I started using the headset, the biggest thing I noticed was comfort. Despite packing a large battery and multiple connectivity features, the Cloud Alpha 2 Wireless never really felt overly heavy during use. The microfiber ear cushions and memory foam padding make a noticeable difference during longer sessions, especially compared to headsets that begin feeling warm or uncomfortable after extended use.

The stainless-steel frame and aluminum forks also help give the headset a reassuring sense of durability without making it feel bulky. The earcups rotate smoothly, while the adjustable headband makes it easy to settle into a comfortable fit. It definitely feels designed for users who spend serious amounts of time wearing a headset.

BATTERY LIFE THAT STANDS OUT

Then comes what is probably the biggest talking point here: battery life.

HyperX claims up to 250 hours of battery life in 2.4GHz wireless mode, which honestly sounds almost unbelievable at first glance. But after using it, it quickly became obvious that battery anxiety simply is not something you think about here anymore. For gamers who spend long hours online or constantly forget charging schedules, this alone becomes a major advantage.

AUDIO EXPERIENCE

Audio performance itself feels immersive and energetic. The 53mm dual chamber drivers deliver strong bass response while still maintaining decent clarity across games, music, and entertainment. Explosions, cinematic effects, environmental sounds, and gameplay details all come through with a noticeable sense of depth, while the spatial audio support adds another layer of immersion during gaming sessions.

THE RGB BASE STATION

One of the more interesting additions here is the RGB Base Station. Initially, it looked like something that might unnecessarily complicate the setup, but it actually turned out to be one of the easiest and most enjoyable parts of the experience.

The central dial handles volume adjustments smoothly, lighting indicators make controls intuitive, and the touch mute functionality becomes useful surprisingly quickly during gameplay or calls. The programmable controls and seamless device switching also help separate the headset from more conventional gaming setups.

CONNECTIVITY & SOFTWARE

Connectivity is another area where the headset feels modern. The simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity allows users to stay connected to a gaming system while still managing calls or media playback from another device. It is one of those features that sounds small initially but becomes genuinely convenient once used regularly.

The detachable boom microphone also performs well for standard gaming communication and calls, with clear enough voice pickup and a useful LED mute indicator that prevents confusion while chatting.

HyperX’s NGENUITY software is another area that offers deeper customization options, especially for users interested in EQ adjustments, RGB lighting controls, and audio tuning. While the software side may still require some exploration to fully understand and optimize, the hardware experience itself already feels polished enough straight out of the box.

The RGB Base Station and dual wireless connectivity also help the headset stand apart from more traditional gaming audio setups, giving it a more modern and customizable feel overall.

At the same time, audio preferences are always subjective, and users who enjoy diving deeply into customization will likely spend more time exploring the HyperX NGENUITY software ecosystem to fully tailor the experience to their own preferences.

But from a broader lifestyle and gaming perspective, the Cloud Alpha 2 Wireless feels like a solid, feature-packed headset that clearly understands the audience it is built for.

The BRAVIA XR A90J, A80J and X90J models offers ultra-smooth transitions between gaming scenes, quick responsiveness and HDMI 2.1 compatibility to deliver responsive gameplay and maximum performance in shooting, sports, and high-performance games with instant on-screen action.

With the new models, gaming enthusiasts can enjoy a vast array of real-world colors and deep contrast that brings out the finest details in all gaming action on screen. The TVs have wide viewing angles, so users can enjoy the same breathtaking scenes from the sides as from the center. Fast-moving content – such as in sports and action games – looks sharp, bright, and clear.

The launch of the new models comes amidst surging gaming trends worldwide, making it the most profitable form of entertainment. The industry is worth $148.8 billion globally, while the market in the Middle East and Africa is valued at about $4.8bn, accounting for just 3 per cent of the worldwide total, according to a study by market research firm Newzoo

Shintaro Hayatani, Head of Marketing, Sony Middle East & Africa, said: “The Middle East is one of the fastest-growing gaming markets in the world, offering a huge opportunity for software designers and equipment manufacturers. Sony’s new BRAVIA XR TV series caters to this burgeoning market, offering ultra-smooth gaming experience with a dedicated game mode and built-in features aligned to match the future demands of the gaming industry. With its Cognitive Processor XR – a world’s first, users can now enjoy a complete immersive gaming experience that thrills and moves you and feels just like the world around us.”

The ingenious Cognitive Processor XR in BRAVIA XR TV, which thinks like a human brain, offers a complete immersion in an experience that thrills and moves users and feels just like the world around them. The TVs use a new processing method that goes beyond conventional Artificial Intelligence and is designed to replicate the ways humans see and hear.

In the sound department, the A80J, A90J and X90J are equipped with the XR Sound Position which offers the reality of sound behind the picture. As the screen is the speaker on this BRAVIA XR TVs, the sound matches precisely with what’s on the screen for a truly immersive experience. The sound-from-picture reality technology makes the screen the speaker. Moreover, the XR Surround creates surround sound from the sides and vertically to enjoy the gaming experience.

The series features Android TV with Google Play Store and Chromecast built-in, which offers users easy access to content, services and devices via its extensive platform.

• ZBOX MINI PC

The ZBOX CI660 nano with new passive cooling chassis design inspired by the honeycomb, nature’s most recognized and strongest structures. The first Mini PC to be equipped with an 8th Gen Intel Core  i7 processor it can handle up to a 25W TDP processor and delivers efficient performance from a ZBOX C Series Mini PC in complete silence.

Second is the VR GO 2.0, a Backpack PC designed to be worn. The system features a smaller and lighter design, but more power as it’s paired with the 8th Gen Intel Core processor. It improves the level of VR immersion with its ergonomics design with more a comfortable backpack strap that adds separation for improved ventilation. And is one of the first ZOTAC products to feature SPECTRA Lighting with Addressable RGB (ARGB) providing more powerful lighting features.

MAGNUS Gaming Mini PC reveals its latest model; the first ZBOX tapping into the advanced Killer Wireless and Killer Ethernet technology, prioritizing game or video stream to ensure fast access and lower latency while gaming or streaming. And with ZOTAC GeForce GTX desktop graphics and a 8th Gen Intel processor, MAGNUS gives you a better gaming and multimedia experience in the smallest form.

The ZBOX MA551 was showcases with new specifications including AMD Ryzen 5 processor with an integrated Radeon graphics, it’s still the world’s only next-gen AMD Ryzen powered Mini PC.

• NEW GAMING DESKTOP FAMILY FROM ZOTAC GAMING

Following in the footstep of their previous gaming desktop MEK1, ZOTAC GAMING introduces two newcomers of the gaming PC series – MEK MINI and MEK ULTRA. At half the size and lighter in weight than the MEK1 gaming desktop, MEK MINI brings better gaming performance. Its ultra-compact design makes the mini desktop portable gaming system for eSports and intense gaming. The 8th Gen Intel processor and the discrete ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card inside it are in isolated zones to keep a low temperature for optimized performance. The desktop is equipped with gaming-grade Killer networking hardware, a 32GB Intel Optane memory and SPECTRA with ARGB Lighting. MEK ULTRA houses optimum hardware that can run today’s and future’s games at their highest possible performance. MEK ULTRA also features the next gen SPECTRA Lighting with ARGB.

Although the overall PCs/Laptops volume has stabilized in last two years owing to macroeconomic fluctuations and growing popularity of smartphones and tablets, but this year, the revival of PC market growth is expected. As per Industry Estimates, 2016 will witness a rebound of the PC market in the Middle East with demand coming from both- the first time buyers and also those consumers who seek to upgrade their existing machines. However, Gaming is going to be a serious driver for this PC market growth revival.

In a hypothetical estimate, if we take into consideration the specific market of hardcore gamers which demand extremely high technical specifications with a MSRP above AED 8000, then we can roughly calculate a sale of 300-400 units per month across the Middle East region. This shows a great market demand for gaming based PCs.

Mahiuddin Khasru, Sub Regional Head, ASUS expressed his views and said, “Looking at the bigger picture, there is a definite greater demand for those consumers who seek products with relatively mainstream specifications which also include gaming features or gaming grade graphics. The sale of these products which ranges above AED 4000 is easily 20 times bigger or even more. Further with the average selling price (ASP) of gaming devices coming down, they are becoming more affordable and accessible to users who want power and performance for applications other than gaming.”

Khasru also added, “The year on year growth of these gaming PC/Laptops which are definitely reaching double digits, is the precise reason why brands believe in and are thus investing heavily in this segment.”

Vineeth Sebastien, Regional Sales Director –MEA at AOC commented, “The gaming market in this region is evolving very fast. With the renewed interest in gaming in the region fueled by Increasing broadband penetration and the connectivity of more Arab youth to the internet, coupled with latest technology advancements in PC gaming and the availability in local and international game titles in Arabic language is expected to take the market to next level soon. Looking at all these positives, we certainly believe the outlook is quite bright.”

Omar Fakhri, Head of Sales Middle East & Africa, AMD, “Industry is showing huge change Indeed the consumers in the Middle East region are showing great interest in the gaming domain. In the region we are also expecting a great upsurge of PC Gaming to become a popular source of entertainment among people of all ages.”

Key Drivers  

PC Upgrades: Depending on their needs and requirements users are going in for either replacement or up gradation of their machines that is translating in increasing the demand in the gaming segment.

“Consumers are getting more and more hungry for new, faster and latest technologies that enhance their gaming experience to a complete new level,” believes AOC’s Sebastian, he further added, “We are experiencing an increased appetite of users for higher refresh rates, curved monitors and bigger screen sizes.”

Curved Display and Monitor Size: Commenting on a visible consumer demand, Sebastian said, “Increased screen size is always a demand. As the price gap narrows down between screen sizes, higher screen sizes become the standard. Curved display also has generated lot of traction in the market.”

The Professional Gaming: While professional gaming in Middle East hasn’t yet reached the levels of East Asia, Europe or North Africa, one cannot deny the indefinite growth observed in the region. While believing in the potential of professional gaming, Khasru of Asus stated, “The recent ESL ELSEA’S Counter Strike event which offered the top prize of $100,000 is a prime example of that. The event which was hosted in Dubai last year attracted a large target audience and millions of viewers. In an effort to contribute to this growth of professional gaming, we at ASUS are sponsoring numerous tournaments in the Middle East region.”

“For 2016, we have forecasted a figure of around 4.6M million units for the ‘’in- country’’ consumption of branded NB/DT/AIO PC all across Gulf countries including UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, KSA and Qatar.” Khasru of Asus also said, “With a greater volume of trade business occurring in the Gulf region, which is challenging to monitor and record, it can potentially drive the total volume up by another 50%.”

Online gaming or e-sports is latest buzz word among gaming enthusiasts. “We witness e-sports as a next big opportunity in the MEA region. More and more people in developed countries are showing interest in e-Sports, this interest in visible in gaming cafes and gaming parlors. We expect this trend to soon enter into UAE region as well,” says Fakhri of AMD.

Channel Engagement

While elaborating about the channel engagement activities of AOC, Sebastian said, “The objective of our partner programme is to support channel partners and provide them the extra edge that makes a difference between bidding and winning a deal. Our channel partner programme is extremely easy to join and easy to follow. All the parameters are kept simple, which helps channel partners to adhere to the programme and utilise the benefits of our programme easily. Moreover, we keep flexibility to incorporate the feedback from our partners to improvise the channel partner programme if need be. The programme should update the partner regularly and provide one stop solutions to its requirements, be it product updates, marketing collateral, training, technical, and so on.”

Khasru of ASUS elaborated the channel activity of his organization and said, “Our primary focus over the past two years has been greatly in the UAE, KSA and Qatar. We have developed and implemented a plan that engages us more with key resellers accounts and power retailers. In 2016, we intend to further enhance this plan by expanding to even more Gulf countries and try to set up in-country engagements with established local partners. With this strategic plan in place, we are hopeful that by the end of 2016, ASUS will have marked definite impact and reach across the entire GCC region. Keeping this expansion in mind, we have estimated a 20% growth in sales from the other GCC countries apart from the UAE and KSA.”

While elaborating the difference between conventional channel and gaming oriented channels, “We acknowledge the fact that those consumers who are looking for gaming PCs rely or seek guidance from specific reputed retailers/channels/media/social groups and forums. These “influencers’’ have established themselves an expertise which they use to sell their credible recommendations. The platforms also provide in depth analysis and guidelines on the extensive gaming product and portfolio. Having a direct access to these channels, the gaming consumers enjoy the advantage to have an independent comparison, do a survey and enjoy a real demonstration,” Khasru of Asus commented, “ASUS recognizes the potential opportunity for this growing market and this is why we collaborate with these platforms to ensure that our products especially our ASUS ROG line have the optimized reach in the market.”

While informing about AMD’s vision towards channels specially around gaming industry segment, Fakhri said, “Gaming is an important vertical for our business. We have specialised channels for gaming and we continue to enable them with best in class products. We are committed towards gaming market and are set to introduce new products in the segment. In addition, we also experience virtual reality as a major trend which can transform the entire gaming market. We are keen on taking such opportunities closer to channels so that they can leverage these big market opportunities.”

New Products

AOC’s AGON

AOCs new premium gaming product series is named “AGON” and the AGON monitors are expected to be available starting July/Aug time frame. All future AOC gaming product releases will be under the AGON name. AGON will also encompass AOC’s future gaming-related activities and social media voice. “Some of AOC’s existing gaming displays, previously grouped together with other products, will be rebranded under AGON. We do expect the AGON gaming series of monitors will be well received by the users in the region,” informed Sebastian of AOC.

While giving a glimpse about the new product announcements, Sebastian also said, “We will soon have the “QHD 144Hz” monitor with sizes 23.8 & 27 inch, also for the curved 144Hz monitors we have amazing models such as (AG 242FC 23.6”), (AC 272FC 27”) and (AG 342UC 34”), and for the Large monitors we have the V Line with size 40 inch’s such as (C4008VH8) & (C400VU8).”

AMD’s GPU & Polaris Architecture

According to Mercury Research’s latest GPU market report, revealing that in Q1 2016 where overall graphics unit volumes declined by 10.2 per cent sequentially, AMD gained discrete GPU market share (29.4 per cent, +3.2 share points q-to-q).

According to Mercury Research, factors in this surge are the strength of the latest RadeonR9 Series GPUs as well as AMD’s revitalized driver development strategy, helping the company gain 1.8 share points in desktop discrete graphics (22.7 per cent, +1.8 share points q-to-q) and an impressive 7.3 share point jump in notebook discrete, moving to 38.7 per cent share of this important market.

“With AMD’s next generation Polaris Architecture-based 14nm discrete graphics products expected this quarter, AMD believes it clearly has solid momentum in discrete graphics.” Khasru of AMD stated.

ASUS ROG Series:

ASUS take great pride in our line of ROG products which spans from DIY gaming components such as graphic cards, motherboard, RAM, storage units, as well as an extensive collection of gaming desktops, gaming accessories and gaming laptops. “Basically we provide solutions to anything related to PC Gaming. Describing the ROG range of products, Khasru also said, “Depending on the product specifics, the price varies from AED 3999 to AED 19,999. ASUS ROG is constantly striving to break through the gaming market to deliver products which fulfill the growing demands of our gaming consumers.” However, the latest ROG product offerings include:

ROG GX700, the world’s first liquid-cooled gaming laptop. It is designed to give you the hardcore gamers with the overclocking potential to push the limits with extreme gaming desktops. GX700 features Windows 10 Home, an overclockable Intel Mobile K-SKU processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX980  a desktop graphics card, and upto 64 GB DDR4 RAM to give gaming fans desktop-like power at home, and ultra-performance on-the-go.

ROG STRIX GL502, that stands out for being conveniently compact and incredibly potent. It allows the gaming users to experience unmatched performance with 6th-generation Intel Corei7 quad-core processor combined with a discrete NVIDIA GeForce GTX970M graphics with full Microsoft DirectX 12 support. The latest hardware offers efficient, powerful performance for heavy gaming or productive multitasking such as live streaming and video editing. With a profile measuring just 23.5mm and tipping the scales at a lightweight 2.2kg, ROG Strix GL502 has an ultra-portable design that makes it remarkably portable.

While PC gaming is a growth segment, it is still only a small percentage of the overall PC market. However, due to the higher ASP of high-end gaming PCs,the sell out profitability is better than the entry or mid-level PCs and is therefore a segment that the channel can benefit from.

GIGABYTE’s Ultra Gaming Motherboards were designed to redefine the gaming experience, incorporating technologies that gamers from around the world have desired to see on a desktop system. Also among the Ultra Gaming Motherboards, GIGABYTE is displaying a solution set built for Content Creators, Designers, and Artists, namely the Designare Motherboards. To witness what GIGABYTE has to offer this year, at the largest Asian ICT tradeshow, attendees can visit the Taipei World Trade Center, booth D0002 from May 31^st until June 4^th.

GIGABYTE’s new X99 Ultra Gaming and Designare motherboards are built to support these enhancements and features of the new Intel Extreme Edition Processor that has been unveiled. The new Intel processor is a 10-Core Desktop CPU which features improved compatibility and features such as Turbo Boost Max 3.0. Being one of the first CPU’s to support 10-Cores and 20 Threads in the consumer market, this marks a new era for desktop computing.

GIGABYTE Ultra Gaming Motherboards are built with gamers in mind. With the future of gaming moving more towards Ultra High-Definition (UHD) content and Virtual Reality (VR), high-end components are essential to providing the best experience to the user. GIGABYTE has incorporated many features to help enhance the users experience such as: Ambient Surround LED, Hybrid Fan Control, and M.2 & U.2 support.

With Gamers valuing control over the aesthetics of their Gaming PC, GIGABYTE has included Ambient Surround LED so gamers can now leverage these onboard LEDs as well as the LED Strip Pin Headers, found on the Ultra Gaming Motherboards, to help immerse gamers in the center of the action. Not only can users control the color of the LED’s but also the lighting method such as beat mode, which illuminates to the sound of your music, or pulse mode that phases on and off imitating a heartbeat or breath.

Gamers are always trying to squeeze the most performance out of their system whether with more fans or with different types of cooling. GIGABYTE has made this process easier, with Hybrid Fan Control, for those users that want to customize their gaming desktop. Hybrid Fan Control allows users to use aftermarket fans that suit their needs whether the fan or pump operates under Voltage Calibration or Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) Modes. This solution enables a broader range of parts and integration support into a GIGABYTE Ultra Gaming PC.

As game developers begin to trend towards ultra high-definition content it is important that the PC can keep up. By implementing M.2 & U.2 onboard GIGABYTE Motherboards, Gamers now have the technology in arms length to take advantage of newer NVMe PCIe SSDs, like Intel’s 750 NVMe. With transfer speeds almost four times that of traditional SSDs the possibilities seem endless.

Often time’s users do not have the luxury to be troubled with which type of motherboard is suitable for their application. GIGABYTE has made this decision easier for Content Creators, Designers, and Artists. By making a motherboard that is focused for these users, GIGABYTE has simplified the process in searching for the right solution for creative artists. The Designare Motherboard is the perfect solution base for any user looking for a high performance computer able to withstand any application or job.

To help designers succeed in their studio and out on the job, GIGABYTE has included USB3.1 on the Designare Motherboards. This protocol is twice as fast as its predecessor, USB3.0, allowing users to transfer large files in half the time.

“Graphic artists and videographers need these tools to complete their task in a timely manner. Often times corporations do not realize how out-of-date these desktops are, causing delays and loss of valuable production time”, said Henry Kao, GIGABYTE Vice President of Motherboard Business Unit. “This solution is GIGABYTE’s answer to the common question of how companies and independent professionals can use new technologies to enhance and increase their productivity.”

As graphics and video projects grow larger and larger in size, rendering these files become tedious as Designers wait for the system to load. With the Z170X-Designare Motherboard the capability to operate three (3) Intel NVMe 750 SSDs in RAID 0 is now possible. Thus, eliminating load times that one often experienced with older desktop workstations.

GIGABYTE is also debuting some additional products from their BRIX Lineup, the BRIX Gaming UHD as well as the GIGABYTE PC. These two gaming systems are an impeccable example of the fact that you do not need to sacrifice size for performance. The BRIX Gaming UHD weighs in at less than two thousand grams, taking up less than 2.6 liters in space. This barebone comes in both Intel Core i5 and i7 processors for the user to select from. The GIGABYTE PC is a larger system but still compact taking up only 10 liters of space with the capabilities to be upgradeable with a standard desktop graphics cards. All of these will be on display during Computex 2016 for all to see.

GIGABYTE is showcasing its new technologies at its booth in the TWTC, Booth D0002 during Computex 2016.

MSI’s Vortex gaming desktop  powers HTC Vive and theBlu: Luminous Abyss, taking visitos on a venture into the deepest region of the ocean to discover the iridescent abyss. In a truly immersive VR world where the real world seems to vanish, audiences get to experience a close encounter with various types of luminous marine creatures. Soaking their ears in the ocean’s roar, audiences are free to move around, picture themselves diving underwater and enjoy the sheer audio-visual sensation brought on by the ocean.

More highlights at the VR expreience zones include MSI’s high-end gaming laptops and desktops that pack unprecedented gaming power and innovative design. Visitors get a chance to see COMPUTEX Best Choice Golden Award 2016 winner MSI GS63 Stealth Pro gaming laptop, super high-end MSI GT83/GT73 Titan SLI gaming laptops, COMPUTEX d&i awards 2016 winner GS73 gaming laptop and more. Among the most revolutionary products of MSI, the Backpack PC delivers more than enough power to run The Lab: Xortex. Come experience the immersive thrills of navigating and avoiding incoming fire while shooting at a multitude of different spacecraft!

Gaming and entertainment aside, Virtual Reality is taking on a bigger role in commercial and industrial applications, such as architecture and construction, production, automobile, healthcare, education, etc. To meet the demands, MSI rolls out the world’s first NVIDIA® VR Ready professional mobile workstation WT72. Right at MSI’s VR experience zones, visitors have a chance to create a visually appealing VR experience using MSI WT72 and Autodesk Stingray Game Engine.