Alienware has unleased a new suite of PC peripherals today, expanding the size of its peripherals line to cover a wider range of needs and budgets.
Known for its powerful gaming PCs and attractive space-age style, Alienware is no stranger to gaming peripherals. Its line of gaming monitors is considered by many gamers as some of the best on the market and it already has a few gaming headsets, gaming keyboards, and gaming mice in its collection.
Now, the premium PC gaming brand is adding two new hi-res gaming headsets, a wireless mouse, and its first-ever wireless gaming keyboard to its growing PC gaming peripherals family. All but three of these new releases - the Alienware AW720H headset, AW620M gaming mouse, and the AW920K keyboard - are wireless to offer top-performance gaming without the inconvenience of being tethered to your PC. The AW520H headset, however, keeps things traditional with its dual USB + 3.5mm connectivity while also having the same 20Hz to 40,000Hz hi-res audio as the AW720H.
In addition, Alienware has also launched the "world’s first 500Hz IPS gaming monitor." The 24.5-inch 1080p Alienware 500Hz AW2524H offers a 500Hz refresh rate, 0.5ms GtG response time, and Nvidia's Reflex Latency Analyzer that lets gamers optimize their systems to minimize latency - not to mention, sRGB 99% color coverage, AlienFX RGB lighting, and an integrated headset hanger so you have a nice spot to store and display the AW720H or the AW520H.
Staggered release dates
Though launching today, these peripherals are getting a staggered release. The Alienware AW620M gaming mouse and the AW720H wireless gaming headset are available for purchase today at $99.99 and $159.99 respectively. Meanwhile, the AW2524H gaming monitor is launching on March 21 for $829.99.
Both the AW520H wired gaming headset and AW920K wireless gaming keyboard, priced at $99.99 and $289.99 respectively, are coming in Q2 of this year - though Alienware hasn't given us a definite release date yet. We'll update this story as soon as we obtain UK and Australian pricing and availability.
Is 500Hz necessary for gaming?
We have yet to get our hands on the rest of these peripherals, but we have managed to fully test the Alienware AW720H headset. Its hi-res audio and wide soundstage are out-of-this-world. On top of its detailed, immersive audio, which we found elevates our gaming and movie-watching experience, it's also comfortable to wear for long hours and can last up to 30 hours on a full charge.
If this headset is anything to go by, then we can expect amazing things from the rest of the lineup, especially that gaming monitor. Typically, the higher a monitor's refresh rate, the more taxing it is on your system. However, Alienware has limited its resolution to 1080p, which should perhaps make a bit of a difference. We can't wait to see how it actually performs in real-world situations, and if that dizzyingly high refresh-rate number is even necessary.
A lot of gamers already think the 360Hz refresh rate - which is what most gaming monitors capped at until now - is unnecessary, especially since they require a lot more power from the CPU and GPU. So, it begs the same question here, especially since you're also sacrificing resolution. Though 1080p displays aren't exactly dated, many gamers also appreciate the amount of detail and sharpness they get with 1440p and 4K monitors, especially when playing open-world and other visually-stunning games.
Asus tried to roll out a similar 24-inch 1080p 500Hz gaming monitor in 2022, but we have yet to see this monitor on the shelves, which leaves us to wonder if the manufacturer decided that there simply isn't a demand for such a fast display. At least not yet.
It looks like Alienware is going full steam ahead with its own 500Hz entry, however, so we'll soon have an opportunity to see how it performs in the wild.
