Acer has revealed a raft of new hardware, as the deluge of product launches before Computex 2024 begins – even though the show doesn’t officially kick off until next week. The revelations include a nifty new stereoscopic 3D camera, a bunch of monitors with some smart innovations in tow, and a Wi-Fi 7 mesh router.
Let’s start with the Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Stereo Camera, a device capable of capturing 3D stereoscopic images (or video) and then allowing you to view them on a SpatialLabs 3D laptop, in all their full glasses-free three-dimensional glory. Or you can view the material on any 3D compatible display, such as a VR headset or 3D projector.
The device itself looks like a normal camera and is nicely compact and portable, with two large lenses on the front for capturing those stereoscopic images.
As well as taking 3D snaps or recording video, Acer has also made it possible to indulge in real-time 3D streaming – live on YouTube, or other platforms – and video chatting in three-dimensions is also an option on the likes of Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Meet (via a SpatialLabs video call widget, which may arrive at launch, or slightly thereafter).
This is a multi-faceted little device, then, and the Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Stereo Camera is due out in Q3 of 2024 in the US where it’ll be priced at $549, and in EMEA where the price will be €549 (around £470, AU$900).
Monitor magic
Moving on to Acer’s monitors, the new products unveiled here comprise of a set of displays that incorporate Google TV for quick access to all your favorite streaming apps, essentially blending a desktop monitor and smart TV together in one package.
These monitors are the DA1 and Nitro GA1 series, and both come in 31.5-inch and 27-inch sizes.
The DA1 is more your desktop productivity workhorse, with a 4K resolution and 60Hz refresh rate, whereas the Nitro GA1 – as you can probably guess from the name – is aimed squarely at becoming one of the best gaming monitors.
With the GA1 you’re getting a lower 1440p resolution, and higher 180Hz refresh rate, all towards the goal of obtaining more fluid frame rates (which isn’t so easy at 4K, of course, though the best GPUs these days are highly capable, if you’ve got the budget to stretch to them). To combat screen tearing, AMD Freesync is on board, and you’ve got a 1ms response time.
These monitors also offer a multi-view feature, to split the screen so you can watch TV while working (or gaming). Acer has incorporated wireless projection, too.
All of these monitors are set to go on sale in Q4 of 2024 in both the US and EMEA.
The Acer DA271K (27-inch) will run to $349.99 or €299 (around £255, AU$490), and the DA321QK (31.5-inch) has an MSRP of $399.99 or €349 (around £300, AU$570).
The Acer Nitro GA271U P is set to retail at $329.99 or €299 (around £255, AU$490), and for the Nitro GA321QU P you’re looking at $379.99 or €349 (around £300, AU$570).
On top of those screens, there are some other gaming monitors here under the Acer Predator umbrella, all three of which boast OLED screens.
First up, there’s the Acer Predator X27U F3, a 26.5-inch screen that offers a 1440p resolution and a super-speedy 480Hz refresh rate (though we’re getting more used to these colossal refresh rates at this point). It also benefits from a 0.01ms response time.
Next up the size ladder is a 31.5-inch monitor, the Predator X32 X3, which is a 4K display with a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time. This is one of the newer breed of monitors that allows you to switch between two resolution and refresh rate modes, on-the-fly, so you can run at 4K plus 240Hz as mentioned, or 1080p with a 480Hz refresh rate alternatively, for when you’re playing a game that can be driven that fast.
Finally, we have the Predator X34 X5, which is very different in terms of offering a 34-inch screen, but it’s also ultra-wide (3440 x 1440 resolution) and has a curved panel too (1800R) for greater immersion.
All of these monitors offer 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut, AMD FreeSync Premium plus Nvidia G-Sync, and 10-bit color, with some nifty extras too. The latter includes built-in 5W speakers (useful in a pinch, perhaps) and an integrated KVM switch to allow for controlling two PCs with just one mouse and keyboard.
The smallest Predator X27U F3 monitor will emerge first in Q3 in both the US and EMEA, priced at $1,199.99 or €1,199 (around £1,020, AU$1,950).
Acer’s Predator X32 X3 will follow in Q4 in the US and EMEA, with pricing at $1,199.99 or €1,399 (around £1,190, AU$2,280).
Also debuting in Q4, the Predator X34 X5 costs $1,099.99 or €1,399 (around £1,190, AU$2,280).
Routing for you
Acer also had a couple of new routers to show off as part of its Computex launches, one of which is a mesh Wi-Fi router system, and the other a gaming router.
The former is the Acer Wave 7, and if we said the number in the name was a key factor, you might just guess one of the major selling points of this mesh system – namely that it supports Wi-Fi 7, the very latest wireless standard.
With the Wave 7, you’ll get speeds of up to 6400Mbps and a choice of two configurations – either the usual 2.4GHz plus 5GHz, or 2.4GHz plus 6GHz if you prefer.
The Wave 7 offers 320MHz channel support and Multi-Link Operations (MLO) for excellent performance and reducing interference from other devices (especially handy in a crowded environment like a block of flats).
You’ll be able to buy the Wave 7 as a single device, or in packs of two or three, with each device offering three Gigabit Ethernet ports plus a further switchable WAN/LAN port (meaning you get a fourth LAN port on the satellite devices, a neat touch).
The gaming router is the Predator Connect W6x, which provides Wi-Fi 6 coverage and speeds of up to 6000Mbps. It has four Gigabit Ethernet ports (plus a 2.5G WAN connector) and a quad-core CPU backed with 1GB of RAM, and Acer promises it “prioritizes near-zero packet loss” for smooth online gaming.
Of all the products revealed here, these routers will be first out of the door from Acer, with all of them arriving in Q2, so that means they’ll pitch up at some point in June (or should do).
The Acer Wave 7 will be out in the US and EMEA, but we don’t have the US pricing yet, although the European price tags will give you an idea. A single device will set you back €119 (around $130, £100, AU$195), and a 2-pack will be €199 (around $215, £170, AU$325). Acer is charging €299 (around $325, £255, AU$490) for a 3-pack (for larger houses).
As for the Acer Predator Connect W6x, again there’s no US price yet, but in Europe this gaming router is going to carry a price tag of €129 (around $140, £110, AU$210).
- Computex 2024 is the world’s largest computing tech show, and we’ll be on the ground in Taipei, Taiwan, to bring you all of the latest news, analysis and hands-on reviews.
