In recent time, it seems like every gaming brand is trying to get the biggest slice of the market by expanding their lineup to include as many and diverse related products as possible. Especially Razer. The brand has grown significantly over the past few years, coming out with their own mobile phone in 2017 (and subsequently the Razer Phone 2 in 2018), a range of accessories to go along with them, and now they announce their first gaming monitor. Razer Raptor is a 27” WQHD screen with 144Hz support and a few neat design tricks, incorporating the brand’s signature black slate look with a Chroma light strip at the bottom. It may just be the most impressive unit on the market, although its eventual release will tell us if it can truly stand apart among the high-end competition.

Apart from RGB lighting that we never needed a monitor to have, the Raptor 27 has some interesting build elements that I’ve yet to see from other similar products. First off are its ultra-thin bezels around the screen, measuring in at just 2.3mm wide to maximize the screen estate. This not only makes the display look fantastic, but also sets the brand apart from majority of its competition. Gaming monitors typically don’t prioritize that feature, so it is nice to see Razer build on that along with exceptionally solid specifications. Second, there is a built-in cable management system along the back, with plenty of space to route all your gaming peripherals if you’re the type to care for exceptionally clean desk space. The presence of an RGB strip doesn’t add much to the design, and frankly, the industry’s need to shove these light strips has gotten out of proportions, but at least the Raptor 27 will match along nicely with all your other Razer accessories.

The detailed spec sheet shows some impressive numbers, although has much of the same component structure to high-end gaming screens from the likes of Asus ROG. The panel is a 2560×1440 WQHD IPS display, and Razer claims it has up to 178° wide viewing angles. Of course, the refresh rate here wouldn’t be your typical 60Hz, with Razer aiming for ultra-smooth precision performance with 144Hz enabled through AMD FreeSync. The color range is a “95% DCI-P3, wider than sRGB for cinematic quality” and gets an HDR400 certification. Razer seems to be going full blast here to create what they call an “ultimate esports gaming monitor,” and the Ultra Low Motion Blur technology employed here provides a further 1ms response time. Connecting ports include HDMI 2.0a, USB-C and 2 Type A USB 3.1, so you could even charge your phone from the Type C slot when gaming.

The Razer Raptor 27 is certainly an impressive display on paper, and packs the latest technology to please e-sports gamers who require absolute precision from their screens. Incorporating some interesting design elements such as the cable management system, the Raptor 27 further guarantees a desk free of wire clutter, and adds Razer’s signature Chroma lighting to have more RGB around your setup than you’ll ever possibly need. Launching at $699.99, you’re certainly paying a high premium for a computer screen, but so far, looks like Razer’s entry into the market will be quite worth it.