You might recall that Acer debuted its crazily expensive monster of a gaming throne last year at IFA, and at this year’s show, it has a new spin on the Predator Thronos which is a third cheaper.

Cheaper being a relative term, of course, because the new Predator Thronos Air is still eye-wateringly expensive. The original Acer model set you back a cool $20,000 – it was priced at €18,000 (around $19,800, £16,300, AU$29,200) when it went on sale in Europe – but the overhauled Air variant weighs in at a mere $14,000 (around £11,500, AU$20,600).

So what’s different? To keep costs down, the automatic motorized monitor arm has been replaced by a simple manually adjustable arm, and the ability to tilt the angle of the whole rig has been dropped. Basically, all the fancy motorization has been shed, which sounds like a good cost compromise to us.

The Thronos Air still remains a giant steel cage that allows for three displays to be mounted – which you’ll need to buy yourself, so add that to the asking price – along with a (manually) adjustable keyboard and mouse tray, plus a foot rest.

Game for a massage

There is something new introduced with this fresh version of Acer’s gaming throne, though: a massage function. Check out the video above – hit a button and two mysterious glowing blue orbs will massage your shoulders, by the looks of things.

This is intended to help you unwind after a demanding gaming session, or perhaps to help relax you after the chat you’ve just had with your bank manager following your purchase of the Thronos Air.

Indeed, we see absolutely no reason why the massage function couldn’t be adapted for in-game use to provide an impressively convincing physical sensation for getting shot in the back (joking aside, this sort of haptic tech is already planned by Razer, and is called HyperSense technology).

If the base Predator Thronos Air isn’t enough for you, then there are various custom options like a seat stabilizer which prevents the chair from shifting about during use, and a headset holder, camera, and cup holder (just don’t try to take a sip of your drink while the massage feature is engaged – otherwise you might need the optional bib, too).

Acer’s Predator Thronos Air is expected to go on sale in Q4 in the US and Europe.

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Via The Verge