Acer Predator SpatialLabs View 27 hands-on: Glasses-free 3D has never looked so good

Every time Acer brings one of the SpatialLabs monitors or laptops to tradeshows, it’s always a major hit. At Computex 2024, Acer showcased the Predator SpatialLabs View 27 to demo the latest advancements in 3D displays. Visitors to the Acer booth could test the SpatialLabs tech while playing a round or two of Street Fighter 6 in dynamic 3D on the 27-inch Predator monitor.

The SpatialLabs monitor uses eye-tracking, shaders, and drivers to render glasses-free stereoscopic 3D in real time. Using a lenticular lens sheet built into the display, the SpatialLabs View 27 can create 3D images at various angles, but there are limits to the technology. It only works for one person at a time and does not photograph well, but it is impressive to view in person.

Acer Predator SpatialLabs View 27: Pricing and configurations

The Acer Predator SpatialLabs View 27 is a 27-inch UHD 4K (3,840 x 2,160) 160Hz AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-synch IPS level monitor.

The Predator SpatialLabs View 27 was announced back in February of this year and is expected to launch sometime this summer, but no official release date or pricing information is known just yet.

Acer Predator SpatialLabs View 27: Design

The SpatialLabs View 27 is very similar in appearance to the Predator x27u monitor, with a tripod-style base and black bezels. The main difference is the SpatialLabs eye-tracking camera at the top of the monitor and the dual speakers underneath the display panel. There is also a small SpatialLabs logo on the back side of the monitor.

Acer Predator SpatialLabs View 27: Ports

The Acer Predator SpatialLabs View 27 features one HDMI 2.1, one DisplayPort 2.0, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports.

This is a pretty standard port array for a monitor, so it should handle your average computer, keyboard, and mouse setup, but you can always turn to a docking station if you need more.

Acer Predator SpatialLabs View 27: Display

Display quality is the key point for any monitor, even one with a unique trick up its sleeve like this one, and fortunately the SpatialLabs View 27 delivers a high-quality display. Rated for 400 nits of brightness and a 5ms response time, it performs well as a gaming monitor. It won’t be ideal for eSports and competitive Player-vs-Player (PVP) games, but a 5ms display lag isn’t bad for any other gaming. And that’s an impressively short delay considering the stereoscopic 3D tech that needs to run in real-time.

Acer hasn’t made any claims as to how vibrant the SpatialLabs View display panel is, and we’ll have to wait on our lab tests to make any determinations, but it looked colorful during my time with it at Computex. I also didn’t detect any lag in the Street Fighter 6 demo, so it appears to perform well.

Outlook

The SpatialLabs products are often excellent demo products, but I'm not always convinced of their real-world utility. However, the SpatialLabs View 27 has a 160Hz refresh rate and 5ms response time, making it feel like a proper gaming monitor compared to its 60Hz predecessor.

Acer hasn’t divulged any information on a release date or pricing yet, but after the monitor’s appearance at Computex, we expect to have more information soon. There could be limits to the regional availability for the SpatialLabs View 27, but assuming the monitor is available in North America, it could be an intriguing option for our best gaming monitors .

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