HP unveils latest gaming hardware and software

BY Bruce Brown

HP introduced its latest gaming hardware and software designed for today’s gamers with the powerful OMEN 16 and OMEN 17, bright and customizable OMEN 25i Gaming Monitor, and community gaming with OMEN OASIS Beta feature in OMEN Gaming Hub. The company also debuted Victus by HP, its next-generation mainstream-level gaming PC portfolio, with a 16-inch laptop.

Gaming continues to be an outlet for entertainment and connecting with friends. Two out of three people are spending more time watching videos and gaming than they did prior to the pandemic, with one in four gaming three to four hours more and almost one in five gaming six to ten hours more a week. HP’s next-generation gaming portfolio is designed for both veteran gamers and enthusiast explorers to be entertained, connected, and empowered to progress in their favorite games.

“Our constant focus with gaming is to create innovative technologies that progress the medium forward for everyone, be it enthusiast level OMEN users or newcomers to this growing and endlessly entertaining industry,” said Judy Johnson, Director of Gaming and Esports, HP Inc. “We are offering a compelling entry point for anyone who wants to game with Victus by HP, high power and performance with new additions to our OMEN line-up, and OASIS, a new feature for OMEN Gaming Hub, to optimize gameplay streaming while bringing people together.”

The OMEN 16 will take center stage during the upcoming OMEN Challenge, featuring amazing talent from 100 Thieves – including Valkyrae, the Game Awards 2020 Content Creator of the Year – and hosted by Ron Funches. This extravaganza of mini-games and trivia starts at 4:00 p.m. ET, May 20, 2021 on the official OMEN Twitch Channel.

DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED FOR PROGRESSION

Seasoned gamers crave the latest advancements in hardware and software that allow them to experience today’s titles at the max settings so they feel truly immersed when they get a last second multiplayer win or defeat that final boss. The latest additions to the OMEN ecosystem focus on delivering new experiences that push beyond the expected to keep gamers connected and entertained, and excited for what is next.

OMEN 16 makes its big debut with:

• Top-Tier Performance: Experience stunning graphics to bring the latest games to life with up to an NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX™ 3070 Laptop GPU 8 GB or AMD RDNA™ 2 architecture-based graphics.  Crush content with up to Intel^® Core™ i7-11800H series processors⁷ or 8-core AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX Mobile Processors. Quickly use multiple apps with up to 32GB DDR4 3200 MHz and games get ultra-fast access to critical files with up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD or up to two 1TB PCIe SSDs supporting Raid 0.
• Gusts of Energy: HP’s innovations in internal design continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with blades that are 2.5 times as thin and have over a 200% increase in blade count compared to the OMEN 15. so that air flow is increased to meet the demands of powerful internals. Meanwhile, gaming sessions last longer from anywhere with increased battery capacity from 52.5Whr to 83Whr for up to 9 hours of battery life.

OMEN 17 arrives in its most advanced form yet with:

• Desktop-Grade Gaming: Cruise through the latest AAA hits with up to an NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX™ 3080 Laptop GPU 16 GB with a TGP maximum up to 165W and up to Intel^® Core™ i9-11900H processor⁷. Multitask between games, browsers, or apps like a pro with up to 32GB DDR4 3200 MHz memory and play faster and harder with up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD⁹ or up to two 1TB PCIe SSD supporting Raid 0⁹.
• Chill Blades: Experience cooler and more comfortable play when questing through the latest games thanks to the addition of 24 more blades that are 17% thinner along with a 14% larger outlet open ratio, which contributes to a -5 °C reduction in temperature on the keyboard surface deck compared to the previous generation and keeps those gamer palms feeling cozy.

OMEN 16 and OMEN 17 Laptops packaged features:

• Immersive Visuals: Fast paced gameplay flows brilliantly across the up to QHD 165Hz IPS panel with 3ms response time and 100% sRGB. For the first time on OMEN Laptops, experience color accurate low blue light with Eyesafe® display certification¹⁸ by TÜVRheinlan to keep eyes fresh during extended gaming sessions. The bright visuals also shift to the keyboard with up to per-key RGB lighting with OMEN Gaming Hub Light Studio integration to achieve a look that is on point with any gaming setup theme.
• Thermal Advances: Efficient cooling is made simple with OMEN Tempest Cooling Technology with Dynamic Power, OMEN Gaming Hub’s Performance Control, and Undervolting¹⁹ managing the internals removes guesswork for efficiently running resource heavy titles.
• Expand, Last, Fast: Expansion is quick and simple with single-panel access to the SSD and RAM by way of Phillips-head screws at the base of both laptops to make hardware swaps a breeze. Online gaming does not miss a beat with Wi-Fi 6Eand a built-in 1x Thunderbolt 4 port provides one universal port for hassle-free connectivity. Optional Intel® Optane™ memory H20 with solid state storage offers a personalized computing experience with a new level of performance and large storage capacity options for gamers.
• Greener Gaming: HP extends its leadership for offering the world’s most sustainable PC portfolio with the most sustainably engineered OMEN laptops yet, Energy Star certified, and EPEAT Silver registered®, both laptops use recycled aluminum for the keyboard surface, speaker boxes with a combination of post-consumer recycled and ocean bound plastic, and keycaps utilizing recycled plastic. Laptops are packaged with outer boxes and fiber cushions that are 100% sustainably sourced and recyclable.

OMEN 17 is the first OMEN Laptop to feature optical mechanical keys. On top of a wonderful tactile feel, the keys provide a mere 1.7mm travel distance with 0.2ms response time of traditional keys to help give an edge in critical 1v1 encounters.

EVERY JOURNEY HAS A BEGINNING

Each gamer has a meaningful origin story that explains their entrance into PC gaming. Victus by HP was created to introduce gamers to an accessible, yet elevated, gaming experience built with OMEN’s DNA. As the younger sibling to the pro-ready OMEN brand, Victus aims to help anybody from any background outplay the ordinary in their quest to find out what type of gamer they are.

As the first entrant in the Victus line, the Victus by HP 16 comes with a distinctive lifestyle design featuring three striking color options in mica silver, performance blue, and ceramic white, all with a standard backlit keyboard printed with the memorable font found on OMEN devices. Other features include:

• Powerfully Compact: The 16-inch display features options up to QHD¹⁶ 165 Hz and Eyesafe® low-blue light and fits snug atop a design that boasts a nearly 15-inch footprint for practical everyday portability. Pixels have never moved faster with graphics powered by up to an NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX™ 3060 Laptop GPU 6 GB and AMD Radeon RX 5500M. Lightning-fast speed and responsive gameplay with options up to Intel® Core™ i7-11800H series processors or 8-core AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H Mobile Processors⁸ along with up to 32 GB DDR4 3200 MHz memory.
• Chill Drives: Wide rear vents add a visual flair on top of enhanced thermal efficiency which is bolstered by five-way airflow and a four-heat pipe design to help keep things running cool when the action gets hot. With a single SSD up to Gen4 1TB PCIe storage or Dual SSD supporting RAID 0 storage options as well as optional Intel® Optane™ memory are quick and simple for gaming and other activities.
• Ultimate Control: Ships with OMEN Gaming Hub preinstalled to take advantage of powerful internal features like Undervolting, Performance Mode, Network Booster, and System Vitals help games run sublime while accessibility to other features, such as Coaching, Rewards, and the OMEN OASIS Beta raise gaming experiences in new and exciting ways.

Victus by HP 16 is built sustainably with post-consumer recycled ocean bound plastic utilized in the construction of the speaker housings and bottom base of the chassis and outer boxes and fiber cushions that are 100% sustainably sourced and recyclable.

BUILT FOR COMPLETE IMMERSION

OMEN 25i Gaming Monitor makes waves as the first ever OMEN gaming monitor to feature HP Eye Ease with Eyesafe® certification¹⁸ to reduce eye strain while playing. This hardware enabled low-blue light solution is built right into the display. There is no need to adjust settings or fret about a compromised color experience thanks to a 30% reduction of excessive blue light compared with a standard LCD display²⁷. This monitor is designed with a host of innovative features including:

• Stunning Sights: Crisp action explodes off the screen at 165 Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time with overdrive while AMD FreeSync™ Premium Pro technology and NVIDIA® G-SYNC® Compatibility yield low latency with wide adaptive refresh rate ranges without screen tearing regardless of your GPU. Witness a more lifelike, vibrant, and colorful experience than ever before thanks to IPS panel technology with VESA DisplayHDR 400, DCI-P3 90%, 400 nits brightness, and true 8-bit color.
• Next-Gen Software: Shadow Vision makes a splash in OMEN Gaming Hub to enhance image details in a game’s darkest dungeon. Edge Precision corrects sharp images for smooth and crisp angles in game, while the Dynamic Crosshair –the world’s most customizable³ – lets a gamer build the perfect reticle to zero in on targets. Experience the world’s first Game Remastered Mode³¹ to relive old school PC games or hook up a console via HDMI to experience the first integrated solution in a monitor that applies enhancement filters to lower resolution games so you can experience classics like never before.

Each monitor ships in sustainably sourced packaging made of 100% recyclable cardboard with cushions made from 100% recycled wood fiber and organic material.

PLAY, WATCH, CHAT, AND SHARE TOGETHER

OMEN Gaming Hub is evolving to address the needs of today’s gamer as a centralized solution for everything from optimizing your gaming PC, customizing your hardware, and enhancing the gaming experience. User research shows 91% of gamers prefer sharing streams to small parties of 1-20 people, with 61% stating that sharing live gameplay experiences is important, and 49% having a desire to share webcams. With this insight, OMEN Gaming Hub added OMEN OASIS, currently in beta, to provide gamers with quick and simple access to gameplay streaming with their friends.

OMEN OASIS is a downloadable and easy to use add-on to OMEN Gaming Hub designed to optimize sharing gameplay, game nights, or watch parties with your friends. It features up to a 16-person invite-only party, so inviting your friends is easy and intuitive, and everyone can join in on the fun. Friends can communicate with either high-quality voice or simple text chat. Now with OASIS, gamers can share their real-time gameplay in high definition and low latency.

To make the OMEN Oasis experience extra special, a daily giveaway of Party Pack 6 courtesy of Jackbox Games on OMEN Rewards is running from May 20 to June 14.

For more information about the OMEN ecosystem of gaming PCs, displays and accessories, visit: omen.com

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

• OMEN 16 is expected to be available this June via HP.com and Best Buy for a starting price of $1049.99.
• OMEN 17 is expected to be available this June via HP.com and other retailers for a starting price of $1,369.99.
• Victus by HP 16 is expected to be available this June via HP.com and other retailers for a starting price of $799.99.
• OMEN 25i Gaming Monitor is expected to be available this July via HP.com and other retailers for a starting price of $349.99.
• OMEN OASIS is available in Beta today in the US and coming soon to the rest of the world.