For years, a more cutting-edge gaming laptop than the Razer Blade has not existed. But at CES 2024, other companies have started pulling ahead in some key areas.
It’s not that Razer didn’t bring updates this year — don’t get me wrong. The Razer Blade 16 now has what Razer calls the first 16-inch 240Hz OLED gaming laptop, and while that is technically true, it’s not as impressive as it sounds. In fact, Razer had a 15-inch 240Hz OLED laptop just last year, which is nearly identical. It comes with Intel’s Raptor Lake Refresh HX chip and still can be configured up to an RTX 4090 for graphics.
But really, there’s just not a lot here that feels exciting or new. The design still looks good, of course, but the external changes are minimal. It’s a tried-and-true aesthetic, but it’s been a while since any changes have been made.
Razer also has a new version of its Blade 18 with a 4K 175Hz display. This is being sold as a desktop replacement, but it’s not using advanced panel backlighting — just standard LED. Laptops like the MSI Titan 18 HX are taking things further, with a 4K 120Hz but using mini-LED for better HDR.
The biggest problem is with the Razer Blade 14, which didn’t get a panel update like the other models. It’s still using a QHD 240Hz LED display and comes with the new Ryzen 8945HS. Meanwhile, laptops like the redesigned ROG Zephyrus G14 have moved to a 2880 x 1800 OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It can hit 500 nits and should provide some impressive HDR performance. Not to mention — the Zephyrus G14’s new look is starting to encroach on the Razer Blade’s territory for its sleek, minimalist design. Like seriously, Asus is really gunning for Razer with this one.
Again — don’t get me wrong — I still think these new Razer Blade gaming laptops look solid. And until we review any of them, we won’t know important things like performance, battery life, and display quality. But from the vantage point here at CES, these new Razer Blades don’t have the same luster as they used to, especially when lacking proper HDR on the Blade 14 and 18.
The Razer Blade 16 will cost $3,000, with presale starting today and officially rolling out on January 18. The Razer Blade 14 is coming later, with preorders on January 23, while the Razer Blade 18 still seems a way out.
