In the lead-up to CES on January 9, gaming brand Razer has announced a refresh of its line of Blade 16 and 18 laptops. For 2024, the main highlight is a huge increase in the refresh rate for its displays, in collaboration with Samsung.
The Razer Blade 16 now packs a 16-inch 4K display that can run up to 240Hz. This is twice the amount that Apple’s ProMotion feature can run on supported MacBook Pros and iPhones. Although its bigger brother, the Razer Blade 18 can now run up to 165Hz, that’s still higher than Apple’s take.
These laptops are considered one of the best gaming laptops you can buy. Our friends over at TechRadar had this to say about the Razer Blade 16 from 2023. “It can run just about anything smoothly at max settings with an exception here or there (and even then, it’s just a bit of stuttering). Every facet is done well from the keyboard and trackpad to the screen. It’s just not anywhere close to affordable.”
Razer has yet to comment on the pricing and release date for these new models, but we expect these details to be revealed once CES gets going later this month.
Your move, Apple — iMore’s take
When it comes to gaming on a PC, fast response times matter a great deal — especially if you’re playing online with friends. One frame could mean you winning a match in Fortnite or losing entirely. Having a laptop that runs up to 240Hz can aid a player’s accuracy when aiming for the kill — but it’s great to have a smoother experience when you play your favorite games regardless.
With the Razer Blade 16 2023 model going for $2,699 / £2,699, that’s $200 more than the M3 Pro MacBook Pro 16-inch. There’s no confirmation on the graphics chip that’s packed into Razer’s newest laptops just yet. But with last year’s model coming with the powerful GeForce 4090, which runs games like Cyberpunk 2077 at 170FPS at a 1440p resolution, it’s safe to assume that something similar will be in these upcoming laptops.
After doubling down on its commitment to gaming in 2023, it raises the question of whether Apple can keep up with these gaming features already. The company has always had the mantra of bringing out new and improved features when it felt ready to do so — but when it comes to gaming, speed is of the essence.
Gamers want the latest technology as soon as possible, such as ray tracing and higher frame rates. That’s proven further when esports tournaments are taken into account, as these players need the best features and hardware in order to keep improving upon their skills in certain games, such as Fortnite and Tekken.
So it’s a great example here if Apple is definitely serious about gaming. If it is, we could see a ‘ProMotion 2’ arrive sooner than later. Many may scoff at that thought, but it would be a great way for Apple to prove that gaming is an area it wants to do well in from now on and can give gamers an alternative to what Razer and other manufacturers are offering.
