Acer has brought four new Predator gaming monitors to CES 2024 this year, two of which are OLED and two of which are mini-LED. Excluding Samsung, Acer might now have one of the largest lineups of OLED and mini-LED gaming displays.
Let’s start with the Predator Z57, the largest and most audacious of the four. The massive mini-LED monitor uses the same panel as the Odyssey Neo G9, and boasts an insane resolution of 7680 x 2160 and 2,304 local dimming zones. Unlike the Odyssey Neo G9, however, the Predator Z57 only has a 120Hz refresh rate instead of 240Hz.
The other mini-LED monitor is the Predator X34 V3, the third generation of Acer’s 34-inch, 21:9 ultrawide display. It has a resolution of 3440 x 1440 and a 180Hz refresh rate. There are a couple of major changes this time, namely going from an 1800R curve to a more extreme 1500R. The Predator X34 V3 also has a larger speaker bar under the display with two 5-watt speakers to deliver audio. Based on the photo, the stand and base also have a new, simpler design.
Next up are the two OLED monitors, the Predator X39 and Predator X34 X. The standout feature of both models is the curve, which is 800R. We’ve seen 800R curves on monitors, but usually on much larger ones. This aggressive of a curve on a 34-inch monitor is much more uncommon, making for a very unique-looking monitor.
Of course, the X34 X and X39 are both OLED, but the peak brightness is just 450 nits. So, don’t expect HDR performance quite at the level of the Alienware 34 QD-OLED. Both models have a refresh rate of 240Hz and a resolution of 3440 x 1440.
The Predator Z57 will cost $2,500, the Predator X34 V3 will cost $900, the Predator X39 will be $1,500, and the X34 X will be $1,300. All four monitors will be available starting in North America in the second quarter of 2024.
Acer has also announced an update to its first 3D monitor, the Predator SpatialLabs View 27. The display was announced in October 2023 as a follow-up to the SpatialLabs 3D gaming laptop we saw last year at CES. The monitor has a 4K resolution, 160Hz refresh rate, and the ability to switch between 2D and 3D visuals. The display hasn’t been launched yet, but will officially be releasing in the second quarter of 2024 for $2,000.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.