Acer at IFA 2018 today announced new monitors catering to both NVIDIA and AMD users - those who want to take advantage of either G-Sync or FreeSync capabilities in gamer-centric monitors, that is. As it stands, Acer has been using the Predator branding for its G-Sync enabled monitors, while the Nitro lineup stands on AMD's side. For NVIDIA, Acer is sticking its guns on the single XB273K - a $1,299 with G-Sync, 144 Hz refresh rates, and an IPS panel, running at 4K resolution. The Predator XB273K covers 90 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut, and is VESA DisplayHDR 400-certified. It also offers Acer's exclusive VisionCare technology to help your eyes manage long gaming sessions with technologies including flicker-free, low-dimming and blue light emission reduction. Oh - and it includes a shroud to protect your gaming feats from prying eyes.

Acer have gone out of their way in designing a gaming chair that makes all other huddle, frightened, in a corner. The Thronos is built upon an "excessively grandiose" philosophy (my words, not Acers'), and... Saying that it's eye-catching really doesn't cover it. No. The Thronos is the gaming chair equivalent of a Redwood tree - you may wish to avoid it, but it's just impossible to look away. Especially because of its 1,5 m height, over 485 pounds in weight (oh don't you just love the price of shipping on that one).

The Thronos is a battle-station, a command center that houses up to three 27" monitors (the cockpit is actually motorized to allow you to adjust these as you see fit) and your gaming rig of choice (be it a Predator-branded one or not), and is fully built in smoky black steel. Built in the same design language of other Predator products, the Thronos has white or blue accents cut into the metal and illuminated via LEDs. The chair reclines a full 140 degrees and features a built-in foot rest. Did we mention it has vibration motors that work alongside the game you're playing? Pricing of this monstrosity wasn't unveiled, but it will not, in any circumstance, be cheap, and you should expect something in the few thousands of greenbacks.A video of this craziness follows.

Acer announced plans to spin-off a portion of its PC peripherals division to a gaming peripherals brand of its own. The company sees opportunity in the swelling, high-margin gaming peripherals market, as online PC gaming is on the rise, and gamers look to eke out competitive edge through better peripherals. The name of the brand is expected to be "GT," short for Gadget Technology.

GT will sell gaming keyboards, mice, mousing surfaces, headsets, gaming chairs, and suitcases to carry your hardware to BYO events. The date set for the spin-off is September 14. GT will be given a paid-in capital of about $1.5 million. There's no word on how this move will affect Acer's Predator line of pre-built gaming desktops and notebooks. In all likelihood we could see GT peripherals re-badged under the Acer Predator logo included with those products, or provided as options.

HyperX took to COMPUTEX 2018 to showcase a variety of products made to enrich gamers' experiences - with a renewed, 2018-spanning console investment, according to company representatives on site. Their headset sets were represented by the Cloud Stinger Core (a headset that's compatible with the XBOX, PS4, Switch and PC platforms); the Cloud Flight Headset, HyperX's wireless solution with RGB lighting effects; and the HyperX Cloud Alpha Pro Headset.

Also showcased was the Alloy FPS RGB keyboard, which makes use of Kailh Silver Speed Switches (which feature the LED lighting on top of the switch for higher luminosity), full per-key RGB lighting customization, and a minimalistic footprint. There are three onboard profiles, and support for HyperX's driver, Ngenuity).

Acer today unveiled its new Predator Orion 5000 series gaming desktops, designed for gamers who require superior performance and an adaptable chassis for future expansion. The company also released the mid-range Predator Orion 3000 series gaming desktops, as well as an expanded collection of Predator accessories designed to support gamers as they tackle their mission of choice.

"Getting the specs right is just half the fight. Predator Orion desktops provide a well-rounded choice for gamers with a striking chassis, built-in airflow management, expandability, and award-winning software that brings everything together," said Jeff Lee, General Manager, Stationary Computing, IT Products Business, Acer. "We're excited to add the new 5000 and 3000 series to the Predator Orion family, and together with the top-of-the-line Predator Orion 9000, Acer is providing a full lineup of gaming desktops that cater to a wide range of needs."

Acer unveiled two new Predator Helios gaming notebooks today at the next@acer global press conference in New York. They include the exceptionally powerful Predator Helios 500, featuring up to 8th Gen Intel Core i9+ processors, and the Predator Helios 300 Special Edition that includes upgraded specs from its predecessor and a distinctive white chassis. Both feature VR-Ready performance, advanced thermal technologies, and blazing-fast connectivity.

"We've expanded our Predator Helios gaming notebook line in response to popular demand from gamers seeking extreme performance on the go," said Jerry Kao, President of IT Products Business, Acer Inc. "The Predator Helios 500 and Helios 300 gaming notebooks feature Acer's proprietary thermal technologies and powerful components that, coupled with our award-winning software, deliver unparalleled gaming experiences."

NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 is the company's cheapest and smallest GPU based on its "Pascal" graphics architecture, and is targeted at people who need IGP-replacement graphics cards around $50. Besides fewer shaders, it has a reduced software feature-set, with the notable omission of NVIDIA G-SYNC, the company's proprietary adaptive V-sync technology. We get that someone who pays the $150-200 premium for a monitor that supports it is unlikely to game on a GT 1030, but one user found otherwise.

With the latest GeForce drivers, Redditor "wantkitteh" found that their MSI GeForce GT 1030, when paired with an Acer Predator G-SYNC capable monitor (best guess XB272), was offering G-SYNC controls in the NVIDIA Control Panel. The monitor's OSD settings utility confirmed G-SYNC to be enabled. To meet the requirement, you need GPU and monitor to support G-SYNC, and be connected by a compatible DisplayPort 1.2 (or later) cable. It's something.

A quick walk back through Kingston's HyperX booth showed us the company's innovative new HyperX Predator DDR4 RGB memory in action. These memory modules feature IR (infrared) sensors that let them talk to their neighboring modules, to synchronize RGB lighting, and letting you transition your RGB lighting effects across multiple modules. This takes away the need for wired connections to the motherboard for software control.

Acer today unveils its 65-inch Predator Big Format Gaming Display with NVIDIA G-SYNC, introducing big screens to PC gaming. The supersized Predator gaming display builds on the same top-of-the-line specifications that its smaller cousins boast, and integrates NVIDIA SHIELD streaming capabilities to play movies and TV shows in stunning 4K HDR.

Massive yet Nimble
At 65-inches, the Predator Big Format Gaming Display (BFGD) features ultimate gaming specifications that consumers have come to expect from Predator gaming displays. It sports NVIDIA G-SYNC Variable Refresh Rate technology which provides a buttery-smooth, tear-and-stutter-free gaming experience, as well as ultra-low latency at 4K 120Hz. A full-array direct backlight delivers up to 1,000 nits peak luminance, and local dimming provides higher contrast, deeper blacks and brighter whites.

Acer today announced new additions to its premium Predator gaming line, which include the Predator Orion 9000 series gaming desktops with Windows 10, its most powerful to date; and the Predator X35 monitor leveraging NVIDIA G-SYNC and Acer HDR Ultra technologies for ultra-smooth performance and stunning visuals.

Designed to intimidate enemies and inspire game play, the commanding aesthetics of the Predator Orion 9000 series feature a black-and-silver spacecraft-like exterior with customizable RGB lighting along the sides of the front bezel. A massive side window panel showcases the striking and powerful interior with a design that keeps electromagnetic interference (EMI) levels in check despite the size of the opening. Optional fans with customizable RGB lighting create a virtual light show for an even more arresting appearance. Outfitted with two handles and wheels covered with a carbon fiber pattern, the new rigs can be easily moved from one location to another. Tool-less side panels make component upgrades easy and the push-open top gives users a quick way to switch fans. A front-access headset cradle and cable management help keep the game area tidy.

It's confirmed: no 144 Hz 4K gaming with HDR in 2017 for NVIDIA gamers who want to make use of G-Sync t avoid screen tearing in their games. Acer last week announced that its 4K HDR Predator X27 gaming display would be delayed to Q1 2018 (meaning, no such thing below your Christmas tree or on your fireplace sock, sadly.) But it isn't Acer's fault, apparently: ASUS's ROG Swift PG27UQ, which features virtually the same specifications, has also been delayed to 2018. Both these monitors are based of an NVIDIA reference design showcased at Computex 2017 (you may remember a slight foul play there as well.)

The Acer Predator X27 and the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ are based on AU Optronics' M270QAN02.2 AHVA panel, which offers a 3840×2160 resolution and can reach a 144 Hz refresh rate. Something that really should make these monitors shine is the usage of a direct LED backlighting system with 384 zones, which can be individually dimmed or brightened as needed, which allows the panel to deliver much higher levels of contrast, needed for true HDR display. At least until OLED panels make their way to high-performance gaming monitors, these are expected to be the best of the crop.

Acer has added another entry to their Predator line of gaming monitors. The Z35P comes in to replace the company's now aging Z35, which boasted of a 2560x1080 resolution (which while relatively low for today's standards, I have to say I really enjoy.) The Z35P brings the specs up to speed with today's standards, with a higher resolution and a better contrast ratio than its predecessor. Its design reminds me of a running Flood infection form, honestly, but that may be just me.

The Z35P is based on a 35" AMVA panel with a 3440x1440 resolution (2.39:1 aspect ratio and 106 PPI), has a relatively low maximum brightness of 300 nits (no HDR support here I'm afraid), a 2500:1 contrast ratio, a 100 Hz refresh rate, 178°/178° viewing angles, a 4 ms response time, and a 1800R curvature. Reports indicate the refresh rate can be overclocked from 100 Hz to 120 Hz (with G-SYNC to boot), which isn't all that shabby. Connectivity-wise, the Predator Z25P features 1x HDMI 1.4 port, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 4x USB Type-A headers (with 1x USB-B input) and 1x 3.5-mm audio jack which drives the two 9 W integrated speakers. While in operation, the panel consumes up to 65 W of power. The Acer Predator Z35P is expected to be available in the U.S. in the coming weeks for $1099.99.