Gamescom 2023 Awards Round-up – The best we feel Gamescom has to offer

We gave out some awards to our favourite things at Gamescom 2023 - join us in celebrating the hardware and games of Gamescom

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Gamescom 2023 has been one heck of a ride, with new tech and games to get very excited about. we feel that this year was particularly innovative and exciting, so there are some awards we’d like to give out to some of the games and tech we feel are deserving. Here’s our Gamescom 2023 awards round-up.

There are a total of 15 awards we’d like to give to various products and games we feel are innovating or changing the space they’re in. With that being said, let’s dive straight in.

Gamescom 2023 awards round-up

We’re going to list the awards we’re giving out and to whom in two categories, games and hardware. We’ll first start with hardware.

There was an abundance of innovative hardware displayed at Gamescom 2023, which made choosing these awards difficult. Strap in because some of these products will blow your mind, or shave your face, as you’ll soon see.

WePC Innovation Award – Corsair Platform:6

We’ve seen a lot of PC and gaming tech announced at Gamescom 2023, but none are as innovative as the Corsair Palatform:6 desk.

This is Corsair’s first attempt at manufacturing a desk, and we have to say they seem to have got everything right. This desk is loaded with an armada of features to make your life as a worker, gamer, or streamer easier.

The platform:6 comes in standard or electronically height-adjustable configurations. Pre-installed dual monitor arms facilitate a dual-monitor setup, while the oversized Corsair RapidRoute wire management tray conceals cables and accommodates power strips.

The platform:6 was designed with modularity and expandability in mind, Don’t have enough desk space? no problem, just install the side extensions to give an extra 30 x 70cm of space. Don’t even get us started on the optional pegboards.

Truly a refreshingly innovative product coming from Corsair this year.

WePC design award – ASUS ROG Evangelion Product Line

This award is being given to not just one product, but seven products from the new ROG Evangelion line-up.

Evangelion represents the convergence of gamers and machines, says ASUS. Regardless it looks fantastic, the design of ROG Evangelion products has always taken us aback and made us wish for better availability so we could some one for ourselves.

The deep reds and contrasting yellows emphasize the industrial look already present in ASUS products, which is something we love. It’s very transformer X mech suit and we’re here for it.

ASUS ROG Evangelion products have to be some of the most interesting, most visually striking PC components on the market, not to say others look bad, but if more companies took to the drawing board and came up with something like Evangelion, the PC peripheral market would be a far more visually interesting place.

But, we guess that’s what makes Evangelion special, it’s unique and interesting, and it’s rare when you take the other more mainstream designs into account.

WePC Green Award – Razer Gilette Razor

Our Green Award is an award that we give out to companies or products that are making a positive impact on our planet, and what better company to give our Green Award to, than Razer? Because if anything, they are very green.

Razer has collaborated with Gilette to create the Razer Razor, offering to elevate your shaving game with the slogan “Feel sharp, play sharp”. Yes, we have checked, it’s not an April fool’s joke, although that is the origin of this Razor, interestingly enough.

This award goes out to Razer for not only a very cool green Razor, but all of the work it does to help save our planet, whether that’s promising to be carbon neutral by 2030, running its offices on renewable energy, planting trees with conservation international, or banning one-use plastics. It’s something to admire when a company goes above and beyond for the welfare of our environment.

Thank you, Razer.

WePC Community Award – Samsung Odyssey Ark 55″ improvements

With a fresh monitor release comes customer feedback, and it looks like Samsung has taken a lot on board to provide fans with a new and improved Odyssey Ark. The massive curved gaming display entered the market last year and didn’t disappoint when it comes to visuals and, well, sheer size.

We have an original Ark here in the office and it’s shown its worth ever since, whether aligned horizontally or in the vertical ‘Cockpit Mode’. Despite the positives, some users noted a lack of additional device support. Samsung got our Community Award for addressing these issues with the refreshed model.

The display remains just as good, but now Samsung Multi View allows users to display up to 4 inputs at once on the large 55″ screen. This, bundled with the new KVM switch feature, makes the Ark a single display for all your devices at once. Just what the community asked for.

Best Gaming Monitor Award – ASUS 32″ 4k OLED 240Hz

Despite competition from major brands such as Samsung and Philips, we have to give this particular award to ASUS. Specifically, their new ROG Swift PG32UCDM gaming monitor. It became the world’s first 4K 32″ QD-OLED monitor and was announced together with two other ROG Swift displays, though we think this world’s first deserves to take center stage.

We’d say that 32″ 4K displays strike a fantastic balance for a wide range of users without being an overwhelming size. ASUS has thrown a stunning QD-OLED panel into the mix to create what looks like one of their finest displays yet.

ASUS calls it ‘the new standard for 4K gaming’ and we would have to agree. This new ROG Swift line-up features a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time for optimized gaming. On top of all that though, charging USB-C port and Smart KVM make it great for multiple devices – ROG Ally anyone?

Best Announcement Award: AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT

One of the most anticipated announcements we could get from AMD finally came true. Filling in that sweet spot of gaming GPUs, it announced the RX 7800 XT and 7700 XT at the same time. Bridging the gap between the top end of the RX 7900 series, and the more recent RX 7600 low end.

The successor to the ever-popular RX 6800 XT, the new 7800 XT finally brings something against Nvidia which has just been filling out the space with its new generation Ada GPUs, even if they aren’t too popular or good value.

Now there is an alternative with a range of the best GPUs when it comes to performance for the new generation.

Promising to bring 1440p performance, it aims to get at least 70 FPS at the highest settings. Bringing the fight against the RTX 4070, if the price and framerate are at a good level it certainly is a good GPU to go for and offers specs better than the competition.

Now we wait for benchmarks to see if it can follow the great announcement. That also finally promises FSR 3 and HYPR-RX to the software at last.

Gamescom 2023 Awards Round up – Hardware

Now we’ve seen all of the hardware that Gamescom 2023 has to offer, it’s time we took a look at the games that were shown to us in Gamescom 2023. We begin with possibly one of the biggest games of the decade – Starfield.

Best Debut Game & Best Graphics Award -Starfield

Starfield, the only game to get two awards at once, the highly-anticipated new IP from Bethesda Game Studios, made a strong impression at Gamescom 2023. The game’s stunning visuals were a major factor in its victory, with its new Creation Engine 2 outdoing any previous game from the developer.

The trailers and previews alone show that even with procedural generation, the environments look realistic and like they belong. The vast open world of Starfield is also home to a variety of alien creatures and civilizations that are brought to life with astounding detail.

In addition to a vast open world of over 1,000 planets, the game has a detailed character creation system that allows players to create their own unique protagonist, and the visual quality has not been compromised.

The fact that Starfield is Bethesda’s first new IP in decades makes it an easy contender for our best game debut. Despite being a new franchise, Starfield continues to push the company’s tradition of creating high-quality open-world RPGs.

It looks like the game will be the most ambitious yet, with a ton of user control over bases and starships. Starfield is sure to be one of the highest-rated games in 2024 thanks to its stunning visuals, ambitious scope, and deep gameplay mechanics. It could even become the next Skyrim in terms of staying power.

Best Adventure Game Award – Assassin’s Creed Mirage

Assassin’s Creed Mirage has proven that it is really going back to where the series began at Gamescom 2023. The game is a return to the roots of the Assassin’s Creed series, with its focus on action-adventure gameplay and parkour.

Assassin’s Creed was a series that used to be known as the most popular Action-Adventure series around, but since its move to RPG, many fans have been wanting what Mirage is said to bring, a return to basics.

It’s set near the same area that the original Assassin’s Creed took place in and is only a few hundred years in the past. Basim, a cunning street thief with nightmare visions, is the protagonist in Mirage, set in the 9th century in Baghdad, Iraq.

In search of answers and justice, Basim joins the Hidden Ones, an ancient order of assassins. Players expect a lot from the game, but from what we can see now, it’s definitely going to satisfy a lot of older fans.

Best Sports Game Award – Undisputed

Undisputed aims to be the most authentic boxing game on the market, and we’re not going to argue with that, which is why it did so well at Gamescom 2023.

With over 50 professional boxers to start with, incredible mechanics designed by fans of boxing and the pro boxing community, and tons of in-depth mechanics, this sports game really packs a punch.

It’s also got real boxing organizations to fight through, so you know the realism is top-notch. It’s clear there’s a lot of love and care put into this game from passionate boxing fans who want a true-to-life experience to be able to play.

There’s no sports game out there quite like Undisputed, and for boxing and gaming fans, this is not one to miss.

Best Multiplayer Game Award – Sonic Superstars Multiplayer

Everybody’s favorite blue hedgehog returns in Sonic Superstars featured at Gamescom 2023.

Bringing back the classic side-scrolling fun of the original game from the 1990s, this time you can play with your friends as you race across various levels to defeat Dr. Eggman and his hired help, Fang.

We’ve always been fans of the fast-paced fun that the series is known for, but now you’re able to play with up to four players at once in this co-op adventure with a classic feel.

You can choose to play Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, or Tails, each with their own ability to help as you zoom your way through the game.

The game promises tons of multiplayer fun while bringing that classic Sonic feel that made him so famous in the first place.

Best RPG & Adventure Game Award – Black Myth Wukong

From the developer Game Science comes Black Myth: Wukong, a new RPG Adventure game based on the legendary tale of Journey to the West, one of the most famous Chinese legends.

At Gamescom 2023, Game Science lets us step into a beautiful world of Chinese folklore and become the Monkey King himself as he uncovers the truth beneath the veil.

Just the beautiful setting is enough to grab attention, but Black Myth: Wukong didn’t stop there. Innovative boss battles and a riveting plot are also sure to come with the game.

Gamers are already hooked on this role-playing adventure, and the more info that comes out, the more hyped it becomes. With breathtaking scenery, in-depth combat, and a story that’s already got us hooked, we’re more than excited to see more about this game.

Best Indie Game Award – Little Nightmares III

The Little Nightmares games have been revolutionary for horror puzzle solvers, especially for an indie game, but this year’s showing Gamescom 2023 really took the cake.

That’s why we’re so excited about the announcement of Little Nightmares III at Gamescom. Atmospheric horror is what Little Nightmares does best, and the third installment is sure to deliver.

You’ll follow Low and Alone as they make their way out of the Spiral, a cluster of disturbing places, and work together to solve their way out of the nightmare and escape the grasp of something even more sinister hiding in the shadows.

Co-op is available for the first time in Little Nightmares history, either online, locally, or with an AI companion.

You’ll need to work together if you want to survive, and you’ll face plenty of nightmares along the way. We couldn’t be more excited to hear more about the next installment, Little Nightmares III.

Best Game to Watch Award – Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat 1, the reboot of the iconic fighting game franchise, made quite an impression at Gamescom 2023.

Mortal Kombat is no stranger to reboots and retellings of its story, but the last game seemed to give it both a definite end, and also a future where anything can happen.

From what we’ve seen, it is giving a lot for faithful fans of the franchise to discover, from new prologues to the characters to even deadlier fatalities.

It also welcomes a new generation of players who may not be as well versed in the lore to have a good jumping-off point. Keep an eye on this game because it is poised to really change the franchise, and we’d hate for you to miss it.

Best Ray Tracing Game Award – Alan Wake 2

For the best ray tracing game, we’ve chosen Alan Wake 2 as it brings yet another Nvidia enhancement to the game. Even though the ray tracing itself might be fairly standard, DLSS 3.5 improves upon it, and it’s not just there to increase your framerate.

Nvidia’s GPUs have been the go-to for ray tracing performance. The technology is ever-improving, although DLSS 3 has been the new thing for the RTX 40 series with frame generation and better performance boosts for it. However, the update brings the ray reconstruction to all RTX GPUs even without the frame hardware.

Alan Wake 2 is the new game to feature this when it releases in October. It will bring this new tech to it, and the 3.5 update aims to ray trace at fast frame rates. Taking in a sample of rays fired and denoisers fill in the missing pixels for each lighting pass. The ray reconstruction utilizes AI to improve the quality available of those making the game look even better even if you have to run an upscaler for better performance.

Final word

There you have it, That’s our Awards Round up for Gamescom 2023, and what an event it has been. We’ve seen plenty of tech debut and a plethora of games showcased in all their glory. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed taking a deeper dive into a lot of these announcements and offering awards to those we think are deserving, in an effort to bring to light the things you, our readers care about.

Now all that’s left is to wait for the products and games to actually release, a few of which are happening in Q4 of this year, so that’s not long to wait in order to enjoy some of these products to the fullest, and not vicariously through a screen.