New Nitro gaming laptops are plenty powerful, but I’m more tempted by Acer’s OLED Predator Helios Neo 16S

Acer has overhauled its Nitro range of sensibly-priced gaming laptops with the latest 2026 hardware, including Intel Core Ultra Series 3 and AMD Ryzen AI 400 Series processors. Yet the updated Predator Helios Neo 16S outshines them all with its OLED screen.

Introduced at CES 2026, the new line-up gives gamers a choice of affordable models that sit beneath Acer’s top shelf Predator laptops – and don’t go quite so heavy on the gamer aesthetics. The Predator Helios Neo 16S keeps the metal chassis introduced by the outgoing generation, but can now be equipped with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU. Liquid metal thermal grease and AeroBlade 3D fans ensure top performance is sustained.

The visuals come from a 16in, 2560×1600 OLED display. Having set eyes on that screen at Acer’s CES booth, it looks luscious and vivid, while offering 165Hz for smoother gaming and near-instant 1ms response times.

At its heart this is a Windows 11 CoPilot+ PC with up to 64GB RAM and 2TB storage, so it’s as adept at productivity as it is gaming, with Wi-Fi 6e offering fast wireless connectivity so you never miss a beat.

Performance without the premium

The Nitro range continues to provide more bang for your buck than the top-tier Predator, while still adding new Intel or AMD internals for 2026. If you want to spend a little extra on design the Nitro V16S AI slims down to 17.9mm, while the Nitro V16 AI is a little thicker but that bit more affordable too.

Both Nitro V16 AI variants offer up to Intel Core Ultra 7 CPUs, RTX 5070 GPUs, 32GB RAM and 2TB storage – so while the power sits under the Predator Helios Neo 16S, they’ll still happily tackle modern AAA games at high frame rates. The 16in screens also take a step down from the Predator range, but their 1920×1200 resolution panels still max out at 180Hz.

Four-zone RGB keyboards mark them out as gaming machines, but there’s an understated elegance to their design. Both are fully connected with Wi-Fi 6e and plenty of physical ports.

For those looking for AMD hardware, the Nitro V16 AI is also available with up to the Ryzen AI 9 465 processor, again with up to the RTX 5070 laptop GPU. It has the same display, so you get that 180Hz refresh rate and the same subtle design.

The Acer Nitro V16 AI will be available in Q2 2026, while the Nitro V16S AI will be available in Europe in Q2 and North America in Q3. Australia is first in line for the Predator Helios Neo 16S AI in Q1 2026, while Europe will get it in Q2, but North America will have to wait until Q3. Local pricing is still to be announced.

Need for speed

Acer’s predator gaming monitor line-up has also been refreshed with two rapid refreshing new entries. The Predator F6 (XB273U) can hit a frankly ridiculous 1000Hz, albeit only when dropped to an esports-focused 1280×720 resolution. The rest of the time, the 27in IPS panel can manage a still impressive 500Hz at its native 2560×1440 resolution.

Those looking for more immersion will appreciate the Predator X34 F3, which gets a 34in curved QD-OLED panel. It’s a 360Hz screen so will still cope just fine with hectic multiplayer shooters, but it’s the stunning contrast, brightness and colour saturation of the OLED tech that will impress.

Both monitors are launching in the US first from Q2 2025, with Europe set to follow in Q3. Prices should start from $800/€899 for the Predator XB273U F6, and $1200/€1199 for the Predator X34 F3.

Elsewhere Acer also brought the new Predator Gelea 570 gaming headset and Predator Cestus 530 gaming mouse to CES. The Gelea 570 has 50mm drivers for big sound in-game, and can be used wired, wireless over a 2.4GHz dongle, or via Bluetooth. The Predator Cestus 530 also has triple connectivity, along with a 26,000 DPI sensor good for 650 IPS tracking and an 8,000Hz polling rate. It also throws in customisable RGB lights for good measure.

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