Acer’s new Predator gaming laptop has a lot in common with the 3DS

Acer’s new Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition (PH315-55s) gaming laptop is not an ordinary one by any means. Besides starting at an eye-popping $3,399, the powerful laptop has glasses-free stereoscopic 3D display.

It’s like an ultra-powerful Nintendo 3DS, without the stylus, and running Windows. Uhh, did Acer forget that 3D (glasses-free or not is totally over?)

Packing power — The Helios 300 can come with up to a 12th Gen Intel i9 chiptwin, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, 32GB of DDR5-4800 RAM, and multiple sizes of PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSDs. Naturally, the laptop runs Windows 11, but the app that makes the glasses-free 3D happen is SpatialLabs TrueGame.

Acer has used the SpatialLabs branding for its ConceptD laptops before, and the basic setup seems to work the same. The TrueGame app contains over 50 pre-configured profiles for modern and classic titles, and uses a combination of eye-tracking, “real-time rendering technologies,” and the stereoscopic 3D display to add extra depth to your games.

You’re not committed to the 3D life either. Much like Nintendo’s handheld (also a clamshell device, funnily enough), you’ll be able to toggle between 2D and 3D on the 15.6-inch UHD display at will. Acer claims it will add support for more games over time as well.

Triton — The Helios 300 is flashy, but Acer’s slightly more affordable gaming laptops are getting a refresh too. The 14-inch Predator Triton 300 SE now comes with 12th Gen Intel chips, Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs, and the very welcome option of a 16:10 OLED display.

A new 16-inch option goes a step further with options for 240Hz displays with support for Nvidia G-Sync and Nvidia Advanced Optimus if you’re someone who likes to tinker with integrated and discrete graphics settings without having to turn your laptop on and off.

Glasses-free 3D — I can’t say I ever expected to see a 3D laptop in 2022 (setting aside the return of Avatar), but I gotta say, even though Acer’s new SpatialLabs device is very expensive, and might not support every game you want to play, the idea is at least exciting in its excessiveness. If you’re dropping more than $3,000 on a laptop you better be getting something extra, and Acer dares to ask, why not 3D?

Acer says the Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition will be available in Q4 starting at $3,399.99. The 14-inch Predator Triton 300 SE will be available in July starting at $1,599.99 and the 16-inch version will be available in August starting at $1,749.99.