Over 85,000 fans descended onto Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center for another unforgettable year at PAX Aus. Cosplay champions were crowned, pins were collected, games were played, cards were drawn, figurines painted, and some of the coolest tech in the world debuted in Melbourne.
With sold-out crowds, a tonne of panels, and celebrities from around the globe, this year was certainly one for the history books. With so many things happening, we thought we’d focus our PAX Aus wrap-up article on the hottest tech showcased in the exhibition hall.
Here are some of the latest and greatest—at least from my point of view—new technology I had the chance to play with at PAX Aus.
Govee Pixel Box and TV upscaling
For the second year running, Govee was in attendance with Clever Gear to showcase their brand new lights. Last year we saw the rope lights, and this year, the team went one better. On Friday at PAX Aus, Clever Gear and Govee debuted the brand new Govee Gaming Pixel Light.
This beautiful 8-bit-style light box is like having a retro, programmable mini canvas on your desk. Complete with over 150 built-in scenes, and real-time data, such as weather, stock prices, sports scores, and more. You can even add in your own emojis, which I will certainly be doing.
Then there’s the Govee Smart AI TV Sync Box, available for TVs ranging from 55″-85″. This kit doesn’t just provide ambient lighting, it gives you a full visual upgrade. The box upscales your content so you can watch or game with the best possible resolution. The box supports up to 8K scaling at 60 Hz or 4K at 144 Hz.
If that wasn’t enough, the built-in AI chip reads screen changes in real time, synchronising the beautiful LED lights to the colours on screen. Pair the AI TV Sync Box with Govee’s Pixel Gaming Light and suddenly your whole setup becomes an immersive, reactive display.
As an example, if you’re playing Mario Kart and you get a blue shell, the blue shell will display on your pixel box. Pretty neat. I got my hands on both these products, so you can expect a full review coming soon. If you’re looking to buy right away, use the code “CLEVERGEARMISH20” for 20% on the Clever Gear website.
Corsair’s lightest mouse and smallest keyboard
As I made my way to the Corsair stand, one of the staff spotted me and dropped a mouse into my hand saying “hey Mish, you won’t believe this.” Looking down at my hand I tried to comprehend what was happening. I could see something in my hand, but it didn’t feel like there was anything there.
In my hand was the new Corsair SABRE v2 PRO ULTRALIGHT WIRELESS gaming mouse. Weighing in at just 36 grams, it’s the lightest mouse on the market and doesn’t compromise on performance. Speed and precision are still top notch, and you still receive top-tier performance with razor-sharp tracking and ultra-low latency.
Corsair also had their new VANGUARD PRO 96 Hall Effect gaming keyboard. This keyboard is an engineering marvel, delivering a full-sized key layout in a surprisingly small footprint.
You get all the functionality and feel of a standard keyboard, but it saves desk space so you can bring your mouse closer, reduce clutter, and still maintain that premium typing experience with Corsair’s hall-effect switches. There’s even room for the beautiful LCD screen.
Graphics card from MSI with no front cabels
There were a lot of computers on display at PAX Aus this year. I think the one that caught my eye the most was the MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X PZ. This new graphics card breaks the mould with its back-connection design: no more front-facing cables dangling across your build.
MSI’s “Zero-Trace Power Path” tucks all connections behind the card, giving you a clean, minimalist front view. With the raw rendering power of the Blackwell architecture and DLSS 4, you’re getting precision graphics that match the sleekness of the design, delivering sharp, detailed visuals without the clutter. I definitely want to put something like this in my PC!
Handheld gaming
Gaming on the go has really taken off, from the new Nintendo Switch 2, to the Steam Deck, Legion Go, and even the portable PlayStation. PAX Aus this year had two highly anticipated consoles on the floor for attendees to try: the MSI Claw 8 AI+, and the ROG Xbox Ally X.
The MSI Claw 8 was available at the MSI booth, whilst the ROG Xbox Ally X was on hand to try at the Xbox stand. I even had the chance to play the ROG Xbox Ally X whilst getting a massage!
The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is a beast in a handheld’s body. It packs an Intel Core Ultra 7 chip and a crisp, 8-inch 120 Hz display. That’s way more than my laptop. With dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, hall-effect sticks and triggers for precision control, and the power to run full PC titles, it blurs the line between console, PC and handheld.
Then there’s the ROG Xbox Ally X, leaning towards minimalism, with no front ports, no visual clutter. All the power and connectivity are tucked around the edges and back, keeping the front clean and elegant. When it comes to graphics, it doesn’t hold back: with AMD’s Z2 AI Extreme APU, 24 GB LPDDR5X memory, and AI-powered upscaling, you’re getting sharp, fluid visuals even when pushing high frame rates.
When it comes to choosing a handheld console, it’s really personal preference, and it was great to see so many to try at PAX Aus before making the jump to purchase.
Cool tech at PAX Aus
PAX Aus remains one of the best ways to see and experience the latest technology in gaming. Whether you’re keen on handheld consoles, want to try a new game before buying, or are eager to see the latest and greatest in computer components or peripherals, PAX Aus is the place to be.
If you had the chance to head along to PAX Aus, what was your favourite showcase? What do you hope to see next year? If you didn’t get the chance to attend, look out for our review articles coming soon on some of the tech mentioned here.
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