Wi-Fi 7 is only just starting to appear in mainstream routers, but its successor has already made a surprise debut.

At CES 2026 in Las Vegas this week, the first Wi-Fi 8 routers and chips were unveiled, signalling that the next generation of wireless could arrive as early as later this year.

Unlike previous upgrades that focused mainly on raw speed, Wi-Fi 8 is all about reliability.

The new standard keeps the same headline speeds as Wi-Fi 7, but promises higher real-world throughput, lower latency and more stable connections in crowded or difficult environments.

In practice, that should mean fewer dropouts, smoother streaming and better performance for gaming and video calls – even at the edge of your home or office network.

Asus used CES to show off a bold concept router called the ROG NeoCore, a polyhedral, antenna-free design that looks more like a 20-sided dice than a traditional router.

The company says its first Wi-Fi 8 products will deliver the same peak speeds as Wi-Fi 7 but with fewer bottlenecks and less lag thanks to smarter handling of multiple devices and access points.

The chip industry is already lining up.

Broadcom announced its new BCM4918 processing unit alongside Wi-Fi 8 radio chips aimed at powering next-generation home gateways and mesh systems, with a big emphasis on AI-assisted network management and power efficiency.

MediaTek also revealed its Filogic 8000 family, which it says will appear in premium routers, smartphones, laptops, TVs and smart home gear, with the first devices expected later this year.

There’s a catch, though. The official IEEE 802.11bn (Wi-Fi 8) standard isn’t expected to be finalised until 2028.

Early hardware will be based on draft specifications and may need firmware updates down the track to fully comply.