Acer just launched many new products today, but a few caught our attention more than others. Acer is making a big push in the glasses-free 3D displays with two products: the Helios 300 Spatial Labs Edition ($3,400) and the Spatial Labs View / View Pro portable monitors.
As their name suggests, both are powered by Acer’s Spatial Labs technology and software we previously reviewed. There are workstation-type use cases that we described, and these remain valid.
However, the Helios 300 Spatial Labs Edition is a gaming laptop. It will be fascinating to see what kind of titles Acer will get in the long run and whether the brand can ramp up developer support for its 3D technology.
So far, 50 games are compatible with Spatial Labs, including God of War, The Surge 2, and Forza Horizon 5. Playing RTS games on such a display would be fantastic, but it could be true for many different game types.
The Helios 300 Spatial Labs Edition can be configured with potent components, such as the GeForce RTX 3080, 32GB of RAM, a Core i9-12900H CPU, and 2TB of SSD storage. This laptop could also serve as a good 15.6” / 6.6 Lbs graphics workstation with specifications like this.
If you need something lighter (3.7 Lbs), check out the new 14-inch Acer Predator Triton 300 SE (2022, $1,600+). It comes with the same Core i9-12900H (+32GB RAM), but the graphics option stops at the GeForce RTX 3060 to accommodate the thermal dissipation capacity of the smaller chassis.
Compared to the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE 2021 we reviewed, the 90 Hz OLED display option is inspiring for Creative users and movie lovers. Hardcore gamers might prefer the 165Hz LCD panel to reach the highest in-game framerates. There’s also a 16-inch version coming in the last quarter of 2022.
The Spatial Labs View and Spatial Labs View Pro 15.6” monitors bring this technology to users who aren’t using an Acer laptop.
Previously, only Spatial Labs edition laptops featured this glassless 3D technology, but now you can use it with your existing workstation, which might be even faster than Acer’s mobile workstations. For reference, the company recommends having at least a GeForce RTX 2080+ and a fast CPU (Core i7+)
Professionals might have an easier time justifying the purchase of these monitors than gamers, especially since the price hasn’t been revealed yet. Stay tuned!