Computex 2025 Day 1 Highlights: AI Innovations, Next-Gen Chips, and Gaming Gear Steal the Show – BytesWall

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Computex 2025 officially opened its doors on May 20, 2025, at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, welcoming over 1,400 exhibitors from 34 countries across 4,800 booths. The theme of “AI Next” set the tone for Day 1, with artificial intelligence, future mobility, and next-gen tech dominating the show floor. From MediaTek’s headline-grabbing 2nm chip announcement to Razer’s sleek new gaming laptops, the first day delivered a flurry of innovations that signal where the tech industry is headed. The BytesWall Media Team was on the ground to bring you the biggest highlights from Day 1 of Computex 2025.

MediaTek Steals the Show with 2nm Chip Breakthrough

The day started with a major announcement during MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai’s keynote at 11:00 AM Taipei Time. MediaTek unveiled its transition to 2nm chip manufacturing, a leap forward in performance and power efficiency. The new chips, set to power devices ranging from smartphones to edge computing hardware, promise a 30% improvement in energy efficiency compared to their 3nm predecessors, according to Tsai’s presentation. This breakthrough positions MediaTek as a key player in the race for smaller, more efficient chips, especially as AI workloads demand greater computational power.

MediaTek also shifted focus to the automotive sector with the MediaTek Cockpit Auto Platform, an AI-powered solution for advanced infotainment, voice control, and driver personalization. Designed for next-gen vehicles, the platform integrates seamlessly with in-car systems, offering real-time language processing and adaptive UI adjustments based on driver preferences. This move underscores the growing intersection of AI and automotive tech, a key theme of Computex’s Future Mobility focus.

Gaming Gear Shines: Razer, MSI, and More

Gaming took center stage on Day 1, with several companies unveiling new hardware that had enthusiasts buzzing. Razer introduced its new Blade 14 laptop, featuring Nvidia RTX 50-series GPUs and a 3K 120Hz OLED display. The laptop’s sleek design, paired with its high-performance specs, makes it a standout for gamers seeking portability without sacrificing power. Razer’s booth at TaiNEX 1 drew large crowds, with attendees eager to test the Blade 14’s capabilities in live demos.

MSI also made waves with its updated mid-range gaming laptops and a new AMD-based gaming handheld. The company launched the MEG CORELIQUID E13 360 AIO cooler, aimed at enthusiasts, which sports a 6-inch rotatable display and a 360mm radiator with a CenterFlow design for simplified tube routing. MSI’s booth showcased the MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 monitor, a 1440p display with a 500Hz refresh rate, leveraging QD-OLED technology for vibrant colors and a 0.03ms response time. This monitor also features human detection, automatically adjusting settings based on the user’s presence, a nod to the growing role of AI in gaming peripherals.

Case manufacturers weren’t left out. InWin celebrated its 40th anniversary with the ChronoMancy, a futuristic 1.1-meter-tall case that opens with a wave of your hand. Designed to resemble a trophy, it’s a bold statement piece for high-end builds. SilverStone revealed the FLP02, a late-80s-style beige tower case that’s thoroughly modern inside, supporting the latest graphics cards and featuring hidden USB-C and USB-A ports. It’s set to hit stores in the second half of 2025 for $220.

AI Innovations Across the Board

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 SoC

Qualcomm’s keynote, delivered at 8:00 AM Taipei Time, highlighted the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 SoC, a new chip designed to boost AI performance in mobile devices. The SoC offers enhanced on-device AI capabilities, supporting real-time language translation and generative AI tasks with a 20% improvement in power efficiency over its predecessor. Qualcomm also announced custom CPUs for data centers, integrated with Nvidia GPUs, signaling a push into enterprise AI solutions.

Foxconn’s AI Center Announcement

Foxconn Chairman Young Liu delivered a keynote at 9:30 AM Taipei Time, announcing a partnership with Nvidia to build a 100-megawatt AI center in Taiwan. This facility, set to be operational by 2027, will focus on advancing AI applications in manufacturing, smart cities, and autonomous vehicles. Foxconn’s booth at TaiNEX 2 showcased prototypes of AI-powered traffic management systems, which are slated for a pilot in Taipei next year, potentially reducing vehicle emissions by 10% through optimized traffic flow.

GIGABYTE’s AI-Driven Solutions

GIGABYTE reaffirmed its commitment to AI computing with a robust presence on Day 1. The company showcased its GIGAPOD supercomputing solution, designed for scalable AI infrastructure, and introduced the A1P0-EE0, an all-in-one single-phase immersion cooling tank with a 28U capacity. GIGABYTE’s booth also featured embedded AI systems based on Nvidia Jetson Orin, demonstrating applications in intelligent surveillance and robotics, which drew significant interest from enterprise attendees.

Cool Tech and Wearables

The ‘Cool Tech’ zone at Computex 2025 was a highlight, featuring innovative concepts that blend AI with practical applications. Sysgration Realwear introduced a head-mounted thermal camera with augmented reality capabilities, designed for industrial workers and emergency services. The device overlays thermal patterns on real-time visuals, enabling engineers to detect heat leaks or firefighters to locate hotspots in smoke-filled environments.

Thunder Fortis showcased AI-integrated tactical gear, including thermal scopes and rugged smart glasses for defense and security use. These wearables use AI to provide real-time data analysis, such as identifying potential threats through heat signatures, making them invaluable for extreme conditions.

ASUS also made a splash with the Zenfone 12 Ultra, a compact flagship smartphone with Leica-branded optics and AI-driven photography tools. Features like scene-aware enhancements and real-time image editing cater to mobile photography enthusiasts, blending AI with cultural trends like content creation.

What Day 1 Means for the Tech Industry

Day 1 of Computex 2025 underscored AI’s role as a foundational technology across industries, from chips and gaming to automotive and wearables. MediaTek’s 2nm breakthrough sets a new benchmark for chip efficiency, while Foxconn and Qualcomm’s announcements highlight AI’s growing influence in enterprise and mobility solutions. The gaming sector continues to innovate, with hardware like Razer’s Blade 14 and MSI’s QD-OLED monitor pushing the boundaries of performance and immersion.

As Computex 2025 continues, the focus on AI, next-gen tech, and future mobility promises more exciting reveals. Day 2 will feature AMD’s keynote at 11:00 AM Taipei Time, where the company is expected to unveil new AI technologies for gaming and professional PCs, alongside industry partners. BytesWall will be on the ground to bring you the latest updates from Taipei.