Acer's gaming lineup is getting a refresh from top to bottom. At CES 2026, the company announced a new range of systems at what should be multiple price points, though the company isn't talking about cost just yet.
The Predator Helios Neo 16S AI, Nitro V 16 AI, and Nitro V 16S AI cover both the top and mid-range. The Helios is an OLED gaming laptop going up to a Core Ultra 9 386H, while the Nitros cover the lower and mid-range, with more basic 1920 x 1200 displays and topping out at a Core Ultra 7 non-H processor.
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI |
Acer Nitro V 16 AI |
Acer Nitro V 16S AI |
|
CPU |
Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 386H |
Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 355 |
Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 355 |
GPU |
Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU |
Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU |
Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU |
RAM |
Up to 64GB DDR5 |
Up to 32GB DDR5 |
Up to 32GB DDR5 |
Storage |
Up to 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD |
Up to 2TB PCIe M.2 NVMe SSD |
Up to 2TB PCIe M.2 NVMe SSD |
Display |
16-inch, OLED, 2560 x 1600, 165 HZ |
16-inch, 1920 x 1200, 180 Hz, MUX switch |
16-inch, 1920 x 1200, 180 Hz, MUX switch |
Ports |
Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C), USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, microSD card reader, 3.5 mm headphone jack, Ethernet |
Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C), 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, 3.5 mm headphones jack, Ethernet, Kensington lock slot |
Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C), 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, 3.5 mm headphones jack, Ethernet, Kensington lock slot |
Networking |
Intel Killer Doubleshot Pro Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Intel Killer Doubleshot Pro Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 |
Intel Killer Doubleshot Pro Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 |
Battery |
92 WHr |
76 WHr |
76 WHr |
Availability |
Q3 2026 |
Q2 2026 |
Q3 2026 |
Starting Price |
TBD |
TBD |
TBD |
The Predator goes up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM, while the Nitros top out at 32GB. Notably, the entire lineup is stuck on Wi-Fi 6E rather than the newer Wi-Fi 7 standard. They all come with up to 2TB of storage.
The Acer Nitro V 16 AI will be the first of these systems released, somewhere in Q2 of this year, Acer says. The Nitro V 16S AI and Predator Helios Neo 16S AI will follow in Q3. Like many other laptops at CES, there's no pricing yet, as Acer and other OEMs navigate the ongoing RAM pricing crisis.
The specs between the two Nitros seem largely identical. The 16S AI is slightly thinner at its thinnest point (10.3 mm compared to 11.37 mm on the non-S model)
Beyond its gaming laptop, Acer also has two peripherals. The Galea 570 gaming headset and Cestus 530 gaming mouse. The Galea has noise cancellation, can be connected over Bluetooth, a 2.4 GHz dongle, or a wired connection, and claims up to 30 hours of use. The Cestus mouse uses the same connectivity modes as the headset and offers an 8,000 Hz polling rate. Both use Acer's QuarterMaster app to make performance or setting tweaks. The peripherals will launch in Q1 of this year; the Galea will cost $149 and the Cestus will run you $109.
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