My personal conclusion on gamescom
Yesterday, we were at gamescom in Cologne.
And my personal conclusion is a bit mixed. There was definitely a lot to see – but I think I would still prefer to go to IAA. 😄
As soon as the doors open at gamescom, people rush in, eager to test games as quickly as possible. This rush, the crowds of people and the general chaos are simply not really my cup of tea.
Of course, there was still a lot to see.
New hardware, for example. Especially the handheld from ASUS and Microsoft, the ROG Xbox Ally, was quite interesting. Especially when you’re often on the move, such a device in a truck could be an interesting alternative, instead of bringing along a TV and a gaming console.
The big stands of Microsoft, EA and other publishers were, however, hopelessly crowded. I had originally planned to ask a few questions – among them, when certain games or technologies might possibly run under Linux. But approaching someone who could answer such questions was practically impossible.
And before now it seems like I have nothing to do with gaming: Yes, definitely. 😄
I play regularly on PC. Battlefield 3, World of Warcraft and Path of Exile are, for example, games I occasionally check out. And when I have a lot of boredom and absolutely don’t know what to play, I sometimes start up Euro Truck Simulator 2. HomeOffice so to speak 😄
My Steam library is definitely not small – and that, even though I play under Linux. There’s quite a colorful mix of games there.
That’s why I find it interesting to see what’s developing in the area of Linux and gaming. My questions to EA or other big publishers were therefore by no means just theoretical. I would have genuinely been interested to know whether and when certain games might officially be supported under Linux or SteamOS in the future.
But exactly such conversations were unfortunately hardly possible for me at gamescom. The big stands were so crowded that it was a relief just to get anywhere near the contacts. Good, at IAA I personally have the possibility to drive there on the press day. At least I can get accredited there. At gamescom, that’s not possible, as my blog lacks a connection to gaming. That’s not something I want to open up here anyway. If there’s something new in the Linux area that you can play, I’ll report on it. Otherwise, I don’t need to run after every game or dig up news from developers.
And that’s where I start to wonder what additional value such a fair actually brings me.
Yes, it’s interesting to see the games and the huge stands, and it was certainly a highlight for our son, even though there were very few publics there who play the games he does. But if I really want to find out something about a game, I now prefer to use Steam. There I can look at the titles calmly, watch trailers and screenshots, and inform myself about the individual games.
This way, I can form a much more relaxed opinion about which games actually interest me – completely without the rush, queues and people who rush out as soon as the doors open, as if something were for free. 😄
Hardware to touch
Of course, there was still a lot to see.
New hardware, for example. Especially the handheld from ASUS and Microsoft, the ROG Xbox Ally, was quite interesting. Especially when you’re often on the move, such a device in a truck could be an interesting alternative, instead of bringing along a TV and a gaming console.
But ASUS had something else there that immediately caught my eye.
At first glance, I almost thought the device was some futuristic gaming gadget. In fact, it’s actually a router – the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BN98.
And this is not just any router. ASUS presented it at gamescom 2026 as the world’s first WiFi-8 gaming router.
With Quad-Band-WLAN, the GT-BN98 is supposed to achieve theoretical transfer rates of up to 25,000 Mbit/s. In addition, there are two 10-Gbit/s ports and four further 2.5-Gbit/s ports.
Of course, the device is clearly aimed at gamers and other users with corresponding high requirements. Features like AI Game Boost, Adaptive QoE and ASUS GTNet are supposed to help prioritize network traffic intelligently and achieve as low latency as possible.
Whether I personally need a router that looks like it could stand up at any moment and start moving on its own, is a matter for debate. 😄
The GT-BN98 was definitely a standout.
Anime, Manga and Merch
And although I really like anime and manga: The hall with the Asian game publishers was just too much for me. Colorful, loud, kitsch – definitely not my cup of tea. 😅
I found the area with the manga, film and game figures and all the merchandise much more interesting.
However, the prices were sometimes quite different. A roughly 30 cm large Thanos model from the Marvel universe was already priced over 1,000 euros.
Nostalgia with Pen & Paper and Tabletop
It got really nostalgic for me at Pen & Paper and tabletop games.
Suddenly, I was mentally back in the 1990s, when I played Battlefield and Shadowrun.
Pure nostalgia. 😄
And then it suddenly turned into tanks
We were also in the department „Hier findest Du Deinen Job“ in Hall 10.1.
First, we visited the Bundeswehr and then also Rheinmetall. The latter, however, not necessarily because I am looking for a job. 😄
What interested me most was the KF51 Panther, about which I had a conversation with a Rheinmetall employee. Of course, the comparison to the Leopard 2 was also part of the discussion.
The KF5.1 Panther from Rheinmetall. Photo: Rheinmetall Defence / Wikimedia Commons.
And it really became quite interesting.
The Leopard 2 has been continuously developed over decades and still belongs to the most modern main battle tanks today. The KF51 Panther, on the other hand, pursues a significantly more modern concept in several areas.
An obvious difference is the main armament. While the Leopard 2 uses a 120-mm smoothbore cannon, Rheinmetall uses a 130-mm cannon on the Panther.
There are also differences in the crew. The Leopard 2 is traditionally operated by four soldiers. The Panther, however, uses an automated loading system to take over the work of the loader, allowing for a crew of three.
But what interested me most was the protection concept.
The Panther is lighter than a modern Leopard 2, yet simultaneously employs a comprehensive protection concept based on modern armor, reactive and active protection systems, as well as sensor technology for the early detection of threats.
The idea behind this is not simply to add more armor and thus more weight to the vehicle. Instead, the goal is to detect a threat as early as possible and, if possible, neutralize it before it even hits the tank.
This is complemented by significantly stronger system integration. Sensors, digital systems, and the possibility of incorporating also unmanned systems and drones are part of the Panther concept from the beginning.
More firepower, modern sensor technology, automation, and a new protection concept – and yet less weight.
And of course, I had to ask one of the really important questions. 😄
Does the famous beer glass test still work?
The answer: Yes. 🍺😂
That would at least clarify one of the most important questions regarding the next generation of German main battle tanks.
The conversation was indeed quite interesting. And probably it was at least as interesting for my son to see that his father suddenly was chatting with a Rheinmetall employee about main battle tanks and knew surprisingly many details about the Leopard 2.
After all, my own Bundeswehr time is now over 30 years ago. And I was not even in the armored units, but in the Luftwaffe. 😂 And yes, even though it was only the Luftwaffe, we also learned something about tank defense there.
It seems one does not forget everything after all.
YouTuber, Streamer und Cosplayer überall
What also caught my attention was the presence of YouTubers and Twitch streamers at the gamescom.
It felt like there was hardly a moment when someone wasn’t standing in front of a camera or encountering a team with a camera, microphone, and other equipment. Some creators apparently came from all sorts of countries and had their teams with them.
This is of course understandable in general. The gamescom is, after all, exactly the kind of event that gaming YouTubers and streamers want to report on.
At some point, however, it became a bit annoying for me personally. If you just want to walk around the fair and take a look around, you have to constantly be careful not to walk straight into a recording or suddenly appear in the background of a video.
And while we’re on the topic: If you go to the GamesCom and by chance end up at the stand of YouTuber Knabe, the password for a free drink of his cola is “Ehre.” It’s good if you bring your kids along. They know stuff like that. 😂
Cosplayers were also well represented.
They belonged more to the positive side of the fair for me. Sometimes there were really impressive costumes and you could see how much work and time some had invested in their characters.
But that probably just belongs to the gamescom as well: gaming, big publishers, hardware, streamers with camera teams, and people in sometimes quite elaborate costumes everywhere.
For someone who enjoys such events, this probably belongs to the special atmosphere of the gamescom.
For me, it was yet another point that contributed to the already existing chaos. 😄
And if I go to the IAA next month, there will also be cosplayers there – only there they are probably simply called truck drivers. 😄
The difference: We don’t have to dress up for that. 😂 We are just as we are.
What bothered me, however
In my opinion, there were far too few seating options.
If you just wanted to take a break, there was often only the option of sitting down on the floor. For younger visitors, this might not be a big problem – but for people my age and older, it’s not really ideal.
Especially at a fair where you’re on your feet all day and sometimes have to walk several kilometers through the halls, sufficient seating options should be a given. According to my smartwatch, we walked about 6 km yesterday. Of course, the walk from the parking lot to the fair and back is included.
My conclusion
The gamescom was definitely interesting and I saw a lot of things that I enjoyed.
The new hardware, the tabletop and pen-and-paper corner, the merchandise area, and surprisingly also the conversation at Rheinmetall were real highlights for me.
Nevertheless, the visit also showed me that I probably simply am not the typical gamescom visitor.
I do play on PC, and my Steam library is anything but small, considering I’ve been using Linux lately. But to keep myself informed about new games, I personally don’t need a crowded exhibition hall. For that, I can calmly look at titles on Steam, watch trailers, and then decide for myself what interests me.
And if I really want to speak with developers or manufacturers, a bit less crowding and a bit more opportunity for conversations would certainly be helpful.
The gamescom was therefore an interesting experience – but as an exhibition, I simply prefer the IAA more. A bit less crowding, more space, and above all, the chance to look at things calmly or actually have a conversation with exhibitors.
And since the IAA is coming up next month anyway and my press tickets are already ready, I’m looking forward to it now. 😉
Perhaps I’m just more the type for cars, technology, and specialized discussions than for the morning sprint to the next gaming booth. 😄
Yesterday was at least the last long trip with my Ford Kuga. Starting next Friday, I’ll be traveling electrically. Then there’s the BYD Seal U DM-I .
I’ll of course also report on it once I have it and convey my impression of the vehicle. There might also be a TikTok Video about the car. Let’s see.
