Acer Predator Thronos review (hands-on): A glorious gaming cockpit

Announced in Berlin at IFA 2018 (a technology show), the Acer Predator Thronos is a fully fledged gaming battle station. This 1.5m tall gaming chair has a motorised arm, keyboard tray and footrest, reclines by up to 140-degrees and even has customisable RGB lights that you can play around with. Pretty cool, right?

Following a hands-on event in late 2018, here’s everything you need to know about the Acer Predator Thronos.

Acer Predator Thronos review: Design and build quality

The ‘gaming chair’ is made out of soft PU leather, while the armrests are of a soft plastic foam material – just as you’d find on a regular gaming chair. It only offers a small degree of customisation: it can only be slid back and forth. There are no 4D armrests, here.

The chair’s height cannot be adjusted, but everything around it can through the use of hydraulics – the chair can be tilted and locked by up to 140-degrees. The arm that sits above where you sit is adjustable, where it’ll move the three VESA-mounted monitors. A leg rest also props up automatically, so your legs are supported – it isn’t to be confused with the footrest that can also be adjusted on-the-fly. This props up to around 45-degrees. 

As for the monitors, Acer couldn’t confirm if they come as standard or come at an additional cost. I’d presume you can get the chair without any monitors or, alternatively, if you like Acer’s monitors, you can buy a bundle pack. You can fit up to three 27in monitors, only. There’s no room for expansion – so if you want larger monitors or want to fit more than three, you’ll need to think of another solution.

The keyboard arm that sits in front of you is also motorized. Here, you’ll be able to fit a full-sized keyboard, and still have enough space to move your mouse. You’ve got about 250mm of space to the right of the keyboard, which equates to around the same size as a vertically placed medium-sized mouse mat. 

On the left-hand side of the armrest, there are two cup holders (one was missing at the hands-on event) and there are a set of controls that operate the chair. Unfortunately, there’s no remote to control the chair remotely. Around the side of the right armrest, located under the keyboard arm, you’ll find four USB 3.0 ports that provide quick access to your PC.

Acer has included RGB lights that can be customised from afar; you can even turn your chair into a disco through the use of strobe lights. The lights are located all around the exterior of the chair. They can be disabled through a physical button found on the arm – sitting in the chair, it’ll be located by your left shoulder. Here, you’ll find another button that allows you to turn on a blue-toned reading light.

Around the bottom of the chair, you’ll find two rectangular compartments that are made out of metal. These sit beside your quad muscles. Perfect for your snacks or notepad.

Finally, I was told the chair could vibrate and also has the option of having built-in speakers. Alas, the model I tried didn’t have these features, so I’m unable to comment on their existence.

Acer Predator Thronos release date and price: How much does it cost?

Acer has yet to set a date of when it’ll go on sale, but I’ve been told to expect it in early 2019. The same goes for its cost. But, I can take an educated guess as Acer isn’t the first company to create such a device, in fact, MWE Lab has its own ‘Emperor XT’, which seems to be very similar to the Thronos. It costs around £5,700, so expect the Acer equivalent to cost more. I’d budget around £8,000.

Ridiculous gaming chair aside, you’ll probably need to buy those monitors (unless there’s a bundle deal), and you’ll definitely need a gaming PC to work with it. Factor in three monitors, along with a top-spec PC, and you’ll need to start saving your pennies if you want to live in Acer’s “gamer’s cave”.

There’s also another thing worth considering: maintenance and servicing. Acer couldn’t give me any information on how this might be serviced nor the terms of the warranty. Hydraulics need to be maintained over time, so I’m just as curious to see how Acer will address this conundrum. I’ve been told, however, that they’ll come out to assemble the chair at your desired location.

Acer Predator Thronos: Early verdict

It looks gloriously over the top. The design makes it look like the cockpit of an alien spaceship, and yet this will be most gamers’ dream. But, it doesn’t come without its limitations: the chair doesn’t move; it has a fixed base, where motorised parts move around you. I’d have loved a variant of the chair that could apply some sort of G-Force to your games.

The keyboard and mouse area is a little limited, too. I can’t see competitive gamers picking this up, as you’ll want some more space for those AWP flicks. Oh, and did I forget to say it’s absolutely gigantic? It’ll need its own room. But, hey, if you were looking at getting this, you probably own a 10-bed mansion anyway.

Don’t get me wrong, my first impressions are positive and it’s a seriously cool piece of kit. But is it useful? Well, I’ll have to wait until Acer have a final version of the product and a set-in-stone price.