GPU price hikes, Wacky CES previews + more!

Duration: 08:14

Timestamps:

0:00 'tech' - he's saying 'tech'

0:06 Nvidia GPUs possible price hike

1:55 GameSir Swift Drive, OneXSugar Wallet

3:32 QUICK BITS INTRO

3:43 RX 9070 XT connector burned

4:28 GOG acquired by original co-founder

5:15 China's 50% rule for chip equipment

5:58 Florida's chargin' freakin' roadways

6:40 Wireless brain "implant"

7:08 First scalable DNA data storage

NEWS SOURCES:

MAINS

NO GOD! PLEASE NO!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The RTX 5090 is rumored to get a price hike as high 5 thousand dollars, etc - that seems a LITTLE out there, but it DOES seem like a price hike of SOME magnitude is coming

GeForce RTX 5090 prices to soar to $5000 as NVIDIA & AMD prep GPU price hikes in Q1 26

https://wccftech.com/geforce-rtx-5090-prices-to-soar-to-5000-usd-nvidia-amd-gpu-price-hikes-q1-26/

Korean source:

https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20251229_0003458273

Hard to find RTX 5090 under $3K - https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=100007709&d=rtx%205090&isdeptsrh=1

Digitimes: https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20251229VL208/gpu-2026-amd-nvidia-price.html

ASUS officially announces price hikes from January 5, right before CES 2026 (The translated letter is about halfway down the page)

https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-officially-announces-price-hikes-from-january-5-right-before-ces-2026

Digitimes(Will need translated): https://www.digitimes.com.tw/tech/dt/n/shwnws.asp?CnlID=1&Cat=10&id=0000742487_GDY5R9YI7C1BID85US626

Untranslated letter: https://cdn.videocardz.com/1/2025/12/ASUS-LETTER.jpg

RIDGE RACER RETURNS

Frame these as like a tiny taste of CES next week

GameSir put a tiny force feedback steering wheel on its new Swift Drive controller (This is literally just a modern Namco Jogcon)

https://www.theverge.com/news/851259/gamesir-switch-turbo-drive-controller-steering-wheel-wireless-force-feedback

Android Headlines: https://www.androidheadlines.com/2025/12/gamesir-swift-drive-steering-wheel-controller-gamepad-gaming.html

Launch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCGWBtrjUIY

Image of a Namco Jogcon: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Namco-Jogcon.jpg

The OneXSugar Wallet is the first gaming handheld with a folding screen (This is what would have happened if Sony and Nintendo ended up working together after all)

https://www.lowyat.net/2025/377396/company-behind-onexplayer-teaser-onexsugar-wallet-handheld-with-foldable-screen/

Alternative source: https://liliputing.com/onexsugar-wallet-is-a-gaming-handheld-with-an-8-inch-foldable-oled-display/

“Qualcomm gaming platform flagship processor”

https://www.lowyat.net/2025/377396/company-behind-onexplayer-teaser-onexsugar-wallet-handheld-with-foldable-screen/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CQualcomm%20gaming%20platform%20flagship%20processor%E2%80%9D%20(via%20Google%20Translate)

Sony and Nintendo failed collab https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/12/nintendo-left-sony-standing-at-the-altar-with-snes-disk-add-on-says-former-playstation-exec

Their previous console: https://onexplayerstore.com/products/onexsugar-sugar-1-the-world-s-first-transformable-dual-screen-handheld-console

Turn your PC into a Super Nintendo with Epilogue’s new USB dock (Amstrad had something like this for old sega consoles right? Could be a joke there about MegaPC)

https://www.theverge.com/news/850793/epilogue-sn-operator-super-nintendo-snes-cartridge-slot-backup-emulator

Finally, there's an easy device that will let you digitize your Super Nintendo library

https://gizmodo.com/this-desktop-doohickey-will-bring-your-physical-snes-games-to-your-pc-2000703925

This has been around for a while with a much higher cost to entry, although mostly they were limited to DIY projects or dev kits

https://github.com/sanni/cartreader

QUICK BITS

THE GPU IS ON FIRE

If you are gonna buy a new GPU ahead of price hikes, be careful cause…

Another 16-pin GPU power connector gets scorched, but this time it's not an RTX 5090 — User finds their Sapphire Nitro+ 9070 XT with scorched pins

https://www.techpowerup.com/344543/sapphire-amd-radeon-rx-9070-xt-nitro-melts-connector-after-almost-a-year-in-use

Alternative reporting: https://www.fudzilla.com/news/graphics/62287-another-16-pin-plug-cooked

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/radeon/comments/1pz43wn/another_one_bites_the_dust_sapphire_9070xt_nitro

(At least they actually got the GPU, remember this guy?)

Unlucky RTX 5080 buyer who received rocks made whole after month-long investigation — Reddit user shows off new tattoo to commemorate

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/unlucky-rtx-5080-buyer-who-received-rocks-made-whole-after-month-long-investigation-reddit-user-shows-off-new-tattoo-to-commemorate

Reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/1pznc8u/update_received_rocks_in_place_of_asus_tuf_5080/

DADDY’S HOME

GOG is getting acquired by its original co-founder: What it means for you

https://www.gog.com/blog/gog-is-getting-acquired-by-its-original-co-founder-what-it-means-for-you/

Alt source

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/gog-crawls-out-from-under-cd-projekt-red-with-a-new-owner-and-teases-ambitious-plans-for-classic-game-rescue-missions-starting-next-year/

Reddit Comments

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1pyqiu5/comment/nwkgx2w/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1pyqiu5/comment/nwkhwka/

HALF IN THE BAG

US approves Samsung, SK Hynix chipmaking tool shipments to China for 2026, sources say

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/30/us-approves-samsung-sk-hynix-chipmaking-tool-shipments-to-china-for-2026-reuters.html

Original reporting

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/samsung-wins-us-annual-approval-chipmaking-tool-shipments-china-source-says-2025-12-30/

China mandates 50% domestic equipment rule for chipmakers, sources say

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-mandates-50-domestic-equipment-rule-chipmakers-sources-say-2025-12-30/

Alt source

https://www.technology.org/2025/12/30/china-forces-chipmakers-to-use-half-domestic-equipment-in-new-fabs/

CHARGING FREAKIN’ ROADWAYS

Florida is building a highway that can wirelessly charge EVs while you drive

https://www.techspot.com/news/110763-florida-building-highway-can-wirelessly-charge-evs-while.html

Alt source

https://www.pcmag.com/news/florida-is-building-a-highway-that-can-wirelessly-charge-evs

https://theconversation.com/solar-freakin-roadways-why-the-future-of-this-technology-may-not-be-so-bright-51304

AND I WANT MY SCALPS

Tiny under-scalp implant could restore lost senses through prostheses

https://newatlas.com/medical-devices/neuro-key-implant-restore-lost-senses/

Alt source

https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/tiny-device-placed-under-the-scalp-uses-light-to-speak-to-the-brain

Northwestern University News

https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/12/wireless-device-speaks-to-the-brain-with-light

DRINKABLE DATA

This new DNA storage system can fit 10 billion songs in a liter of liquid — but challenges remain for the unusual storage format (60 petabyte liquid storage)

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atlas-data-storage-introduces-the-worlds-first-scalable-dna-data-storage-offering-302622720.html

https://www.livescience.com/technology/computing/this-new-dna-storage-system-can-fit-10-billion-songs-in-a-liter-of-liquid-but-challenges-remain-for-the-unusual-storage-format

Alt source

https://www.webpronews.com/atlas-spins-off-dna-storage-tech-13tb-in-a-drop-by-2026/

Company info sheet