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HP is unveiling a bunch of spring gaming products that straddle its Omen brand for hardcore gamers and its new Victus brand for mainstream players who are more sensitive about prices.
The new products show that gaming has become such a big market that splitting it into different segments with different brands makes sense for a huge company like HP. 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, according to HP’s own data.
The lineup includes new Omen 16 and Omen 17 laptops that push the edge on gaming hardware. And Victus by HP is a gaming brand for the rest of us.
“Having a good experience is everything, and at HP we get that,” said Judy Johnson, director of gaming and esports at Palo Alto, California-based HP, in a press briefing. “We’re right there with you. We’re gamers and we all love playing. For this reason, we make sure every gaming product we create is crafted with the gamer in mind.”
HP Omen 16 and Omen 17
Above: HP Omen 16 laptop
Image Credit: HP
The Omen 16 and Omen 17 are designed for gaming veterans and “enthusiast explorers” who want to game hard wherever they are.
Omen 16 makes its big debut with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU 8GB or AMD RDNA 2 architecture-based graphics. You can choose between an Intel Core i7-11800H series processor or an 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX mobile processor. It comes with up to 32GB DDR4 3200 MHz and up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD9 or up to two 1TB PCIe SSDs supporting Raid 09. It has fans with blades that are 2.5 times as thin and have over a 200% increase in blade count compared to the OMEN 1510 so that airflow is increased.
It has a battery capacity ranging from 52.5Whr to 83Whr for up to nine hours of battery life. And the Omen 17 arrives with up to a 3080 Laptop GPU 16GB with up to 165 watts of power and up to an Intel Core i9-11900H processor. And it has up to 32GB DDR4 3200 MHz memory and up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD9 or up to two 1TB PCIe SSD supporting Raid 09. HP also touted the fan blades, which stand at 24 and are 17% thinner.
Both can field up to QHD16 165Hz IPS panel with 3 milliseconds response time17 and 100% sRGB. For the first time on Omen Laptops, you can experience color accurate low blue light with Eyesafe display certification by TÜVRheinlan to keep eyes fresh. The keyboard has 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.
It features Omen Tempest Cooling Technology with Dynamic Power, Omen Gaming Hub’s Performance Control, and Undervolting managing the internals to remove the guesswork for efficiently running resource-heavy titles. You can expand it quickly and simply 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 easier. It has Wi-Fi 6E20and a built-in 1x Thunderbolt 4 port provides one universal port for connectivity. And it has optional Intel Optane memory H20 with solid-state storage.
Even with all that hardware, both laptops are Energy Star certified, and they used 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. With a tactile feel, the keys provide a 1.7mm travel distance with a 0.2ms response time of traditional keys to help give an edge to gamers.
HP will highlight the Omen 16 at an event dubbed the Omen Challenge, taking place today at 1 p.m. Pacific time on the official Omen Twitch channel.
Victus by HP
Above: Victus by HP is a new mainstream brand.
Image Credit: HP
While there are more gamers than ever, many of them are new players who jumped into games in the past year during the pandemic. These players dove into games during shelter-in-place because they didn’t have other things to do, and they continue with the habit even as the pandemic subsides. But they have different needs than hardcore gamers.
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 lifestyle design featuring three color options in mica silver, performance blue, and ceramic white, all with a standard backlit keyboard printed with the font found on Omen devices.
“Victus has a fresh look and feel and the design is more lifestyle expression,” said Angelica Yang, a content manager at HP, in a press briefing.
The 16-inch display features options up to QHD 165 Hz and Eyesafe low-blue light. It has graphics powered by up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 6 GB or AMD Radeon RX 5500M. The processor options include up to an Intel Core i7-11800H series processor or an 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Mobile Processor. It has up to 32 GB DDR4 3200 MHz memory.
And it has wide rear vents to add a visual flair on top of enhanced thermal efficiency which is bolstered by five-way airflow and a four-heat pipe design. With a single SSD up to Gen4 1TB PCIe storage or Dual SSD supporting RAID 09 storage options as well as optional Intel Optane memory.
It ships with the Omen Gaming Hub preinstalled to take advantage of internal features like Undervolting, Performance Mode, Network Booster, and System Vitals to help games run better. You can also tap the hub’s features such as coaching and rewards, and use the Omen Oasis beta.
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.
Omen 25i Gaming Monitor
Above: HP Omen 25i monitor
Image Credit: HP
The Omen 25i Gaming Monitor is the first Omen gaming monitor to feature HP Eye Ease with Eyesafe certification to reduce eye strain while playing. This hardware-enabled low-blue light solution is built 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 display, HP said.
It has a165-Hz refresh rate and one millisecond response time with overdrive. And it is compatible with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology and Nvidia G-Sync for low latency and less screen tearing, where images get torn in half while waiting for the graphics to be processed.
It has an IPS panel with VESA Display HDR 400, DCI-P3 90%, 400 nits brightness, and true 8-bit color. You can use the Omen Gaming Hub’s Shadow Vision to enhance image details in a dark dungeon. It has Edge Precision to correct sharp images, while the Dynamic Crosshair lets a gamer build the reticle to zero in on targets.
Each monitor ships in sustainably sourced packaging made of 100% recyclable cardboard with cushions made from 100% recycled wood fiber and organic material.
Pricing and availability
- Omen 16 is expected to be available this June via HP.com and Best Buy for a starting price of $1050.
- Omen 17 is expected to be available this June via HP.com and other retailers for a starting price of $1,370.
- Victus by HP 16 is expected to be available this June via HP.com and other retailers for a starting price of $800.
- Omen 25i Gaming Monitor is expected to be available this July via HP.com and other retailers for a starting price of $350.
- Omen Oasis is available in beta today in the U.S. and coming soon to the rest of the world.
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