Foldable smartphones, AI agents capable of operating a phone on your behalf, video games partially generated by artificial intelligence: the tech and geek landscape this year is moving quickly. Rather than listing every announcement, this article isolates three underlying trends that are reshaping both consumer high-tech and everyday geek culture.
Pop culture collectibles and blockchain: a geek market in full transformation
Have you noticed that figurines, rare vinyl records, or movie props are selling for increasingly high prices online? It’s not just an impression. According to an analysis by Troylike using data from Heritage Auctions, the market for authenticated memorabilia grew by 15% in 2025, surpassing $1.2 billion globally.
What is really changing is the way these items are certified. Blockchain-based provenance is becoming standard for the most expensive pieces. Specifically, each item receives an unforgeable digital certificate, recorded on a decentralized ledger. A buyer can verify the entire chain of ownership in just a few clicks, without relying on a single expert.
The global fan merchandise economy reached $340 billion in 2025, driven by niche fandoms. Geek communities are no longer just consumers: they are structuring their own resale circuits, with specialized platforms that integrate digital authentication and peer rating. You can find a good overview of this ecosystem where tech and geek culture intersect daily on geekmaniac.fr.
Another strong signal: 68% of young collectors report preferring durable items, according to a focus on “upcycled” fandom collectibles. The projected growth of this segment is expected to reach 15% in 2026. Disposable plastic is declining in favor of recycled materials or small-batch artisanal pieces. Geek culture now incorporates an ecological requirement that brands can no longer ignore.
Generative AI in video games: what players are already creating
Generative artificial intelligence is no longer limited to chatbots or image generators. It is directly integrated into video games, and often it is the players themselves who are taking advantage of it.
Mods and AI-generated content
Publicly accessible tools now allow users to create textures, dialogues, or side quests from simple text descriptions. Cybedroid reports that AI-generated mods represent a growing segment of community creation, especially in open-world games. A player can describe a character, their story, and obtain a playable scenario in just a few minutes.
Why is this change notable? Because it radically lowers the barrier to entry. Creating a quality mod previously required programming and 3D modeling skills. Generative AI makes this creation accessible to anyone who can clearly articulate an idea.
DLSS 5 and hardware-side AI
Nvidia has introduced DLSS 5, a technology that uses generative AI to reconstruct images in real-time. The idea is that the game calculates fewer pixels, and the neural network completes the rest. The visual result approaches that of a native high-resolution rendering, but with a significantly reduced GPU load.
DLSS 5 promises performance gains without sacrificing image quality, which interests both PC gamers and video content creators. The line between “real” images and “AI-reconstructed” images is becoming increasingly blurred, even for a trained eye.
AI agents and smartphones: Google, Apple, and the race for voice control
You are probably already using a voice assistant to set a timer or check the weather. This year, tech giants are taking a leap forward: their AI agents no longer just answer questions; they act directly on the phone.
Google has launched Gemini Intelligence, an AI agent designed to autonomously control an Android smartphone. The agent can navigate between apps, fill out a form, compare prices, or book a slot, all from a voice or text instruction. This is no longer just a simple chatbot; it is a software operator.
On Apple’s side, the iPhone continues to integrate layers of AI into its native functions. ChatGPT, cited among the most sought-after tools this year, is now integrated into several mobile environments. AI is transitioning from a gadget status to that of the main interface between the user and their device.
- AI agents manage multi-application tasks without manual intervention, reducing the time spent navigating between screens.
- Contextual recognition is progressing: the agent understands the intention behind a vague request (“find me a cheap flight for All Saints’ Day”) and proposes concrete actions.
- Privacy concerns remain open: giving an agent full access to your phone implies a high level of trust in the handling of personal data.
Video games in France: an international festival and the end of physical media at PlayStation
Emmanuel Macron announced an international video game festival in France, an unusual political signal for a sector long perceived as marginal. This type of event places France on the map of major global gaming events, alongside Gamescom and the Tokyo Game Show.
At the same time, PlayStation announced the end of physical video games by 2028. No more boxes, no more discs: everything will go through downloads. For collectors, this is a major shift. Current physical editions could become sought-after collectibles, joining the memorabilia market mentioned earlier.
This convergence between dematerialization and physical collecting illustrates the tension running through geek culture this year. On one side, everything is being digitized. On the other, the value assigned to tangible, authenticated, traceable items has never been higher. Geeks in 2026 live in a technological in-between where the virtual and the material mutually reinforce each other rather than exclude one another.
