The 'Apple of gaming world' just launched a laptop to 'eradicate' all other laptops
Razer, the $1.5 billion (£1.23 billion) gaming hardware company, just launched a new laptop to "eradicate every other laptop" on the market, according to the company's CEO.
The laptop in question? - the new "redesigned from the ground up" Razer Blade Pro:
It is the first laptop aimed at blowing powerful desktops out of the water in terms of speed, performance, audio, and graphics. Despite its 17.3-inch screen, the laptop is incredibly thin and light.
It packs an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, a 2TB SSD hard drive, 1TB of RAM and a next-generation NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU. It is just 0.88 inches in height, just 3.5 kg in weight and is the most powerful system ever built by Razer.
To put this into perspective, most gaming laptops are more than 2 inches thick and weigh more than 4.5 kg. Business Insider got a sneak peek before the launch:
It is not just the specs that make this laptop groundbreaking in terms of gaming capability, it also boasts some of the flourishes that gamers love on desktops - such as mechanical keyboards and full Chroma lighting on the keys.
Chroma technology means a user can customise lighting effects on the keyboard to sync with in-game events. For example, you can programme it to flash red if your in-game character is receiving damage.
The laptop features a "vapor chamber" to dissipate heat, as well as a custom fan design. It costs €4199 if ordered in Europe, £3,499 in the UK, and $3,699 in the US.
"What we are trying to do is a suite of products focused on the gamer. Previously we had laptops that were designed for better portability, some where there is a fine balance between performance and portability, and one that had an intense amount of performance," said Min-Liang Tan, CEO and cofounder of Razer told Business Insider.
"With the Razer Pro, we are not looking to eradicate the desktop, but we are are looking to eradicate every other laptop [on the market]," he said.
Razer is a gamer lifestyle brand that does everything from hardware to software for computer gamers. Based in California, it was launched in 2005 and last valued at $1.5 billion. Razer has around 1,000 employees worldwide and is privately owned.
Razer creates some of the fastest, high-spec, and most streamlined laptops in the world and is synonymous with dedicated video gamers. Its high-quality gaming devices, sleek designs, and high prices have earned it the nickname the "Apple of the gaming industry."
As Tan tells BI, it is the only tech company in the world that is "by gamers, for gamers."
"Our focus is still on gamers. There are two billion gamers in the world and is the largest segment of the entertainment industry. We have seen that the entire user base is expanding, not just horizontally across the world, in terms of new geographical locations - the US, Europe, and Asia account for a third each of our sales base - we are seeing the gaming demographic getting younger and older. We are also seeing greater convergences in gaming crossing over in music, mobile games, and movies," said Tan.
Razer's expansion into Europe
On Thursday Razer also announced the availability and distribution of its newest 12.5 inch Razer Blade Stealth ultraportable laptop and the 14-inch Razer Blade gaming notebook.
They come with regional keyboard layouts for UK, Germany, and France.
The new Blade Stealth will start at only €1,099 and £999. and the Razer Blade is available for €1,999, £1,749. You can get all the information about it here.
Tan said customers have been asking for products to be localised for their specific markets. Europe accounts for a third of Razer's revenue.
Tan added that being a cult brand has meant that appetite for physical stores is growing as well and they are debating on whether to launch a few across Europe.
This summer, Razer opened its first US retail store in downtown San Francisco and people its famously fanatic fans showed up in droves on the day it opened, creating a long line that went around the entire building.
"Europe is incredibly important for us. One of the questions which comes up a lot from consumers is 'when will there be Razer stores in Europe?' It is definitely something we are looking at and exploring," said Tan to BI.
"We have seen the response to our other stores where the stores are packed and people line up for hours and cry when they get in store - that's definitely ... interesting. We will definitely be looking at getting more boots on the ground."