[LVL UP KL 2019] On products and esports, interview with Jeffrey Lai, Senior Product Manager Acer Malaysia

Jeffrey Lai is the Senior Product Manager of Acer Malaysia. He was present at Level Up KL 2019, so read on as we pick his brains a little about the brand as a whole.

He talks briefly on the product lines catered to gamers: namely Predator and Nitro. Predator has its full focus on gaming, catering to enthusiasts who are on the hardcore side. Nitro is also available, with the Nitro 5 and Nitro 7, and a range of products from 15″ to 17.3″ displays. Those seeking quad-core i5 or i7s can pick either product line. The Predator series is just better in regards to its thermal system, casing and performance for gaming.

Acer isn’t stopping there, with the ConceptD products for designers. This line has colour accurate screens and pantone validated, and their performance is able to match more gaming oriented systems. Of course, the ConceptD line doesn’t have the refresh rates of a Predator series – Lai mentions a 300hz refresh rate screen coming soon – where ConceptD focuses on 4K Ultra HD colour accurate screens.

At Level Up KL 2019, the event played host to many developers and gaming enthusiasts. He says the Malaysian esports scene is seeing steady growth, perhaps even exponential growth, hence Acer’s investment in esports. They’ve not been idle, investing in events internationally and locally, as well as product launches and such to cater to this gamer group. The growth is there, and they’re working on tapping it.

The Predator League is in its third iteration, and over the past two years, Acer has seen plenty of interest from both customers and players. The players especially get a platform to showcase their talents, then move on to compete at the Asia Pacific level, representing Malaysia. Geek Fam has been up and coming, most recently, showing up at the Dota Summit 11 Minor. The Predator League is how Acer continues to support the scene in Malaysia. No matter your age or where in the country you’re from. Form a team and see how far you can go in the league!

The Acer Predator League for the year only featured PUBG and Dota 2. The league is meant to cover the APAC region, thus will feature the best interest games in it, not only Malaysia. The rise in mobile gaming does get acknowledged, so perhaps, a mobile Predator League may come up in the future.

For you gamers on the go, the Predator Helios 700 was released, and it’s one that Lai recommends to you Malaysian gamers. If you’re unaware of its specs, it has:

• 17.3 144Hz IPS G-Sync FHD (1920×1080) Display
• 9th Gen Intel core i9-9980HK Processor
• Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 8GB GDDR6
• 32GB DDR4 RAM (Upgradable to 64GB)
• 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD (2 x 512GB) RAID 0
• Killer Wi-Fi 6
• Killer Ethernet E3000
• Upgradable HDD Kit for further storage needs

He also mentions the sliding keyboard with its MagForce switches, and touts the laptop as the best he can recommend now.

Lai can’t talk too much about future product launches, so he just asks us to stay tuned. Acer will continue to do what it does best: desktops and laptops, with more gaming-centric devices coming soon. He briefly describes the process of pricing products as well. A product will undergo R&D, rigorous testing and quality checks before it hits the market, ensuring it is very good for its class. They also get customer feedback and selections before finalizing specifications and price, like what’s best suited for gamers.

To Acer fans, Lai thanks you for all the support, and hopes you continue doing so. Great products will be coming up! In the mean time, he encourages you to visit the concept stores around Malaysia to give the products a try. We’ll be looking forward to the new products then!

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