CES 2025: Razer’s new Blade 16 laptop, accessories

Razer unveiled a bunch of new products at CES this year, led by an updated Blade 16 laptop, and a slew of accessories. The Blade 16 is the only laptop Razer is talking about at the show, so it’s unclear if it plans to launch newer versions of the Blade 14 or 16 in 2025 now that NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 50 graphics chips have arrived.

Beyond that, Razer is paying extra attention to the gaming environment by doing more with its Chroma RGB lighting. A monitor stand, laptop cooling pad, standing light bars, handheld dock and gaming chair round up the company’s series of announcements.

What to expect from the Razer Blade 16 (2025)

The Blade 16 is arguably Razer’s most popular model, so it makes sense to introduce the new RTX 50 GPU with this one. Coming off the 2024 version, which came with a 16-inch OLED display and 16:10 aspect ratio, the 2025 iteration will effectively use the same panels as before. That amounts to QHD+ (2560 x 1600) resolution with 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, VESA Clear 11000 and DisplayHDR True Black 500 certifications. It also retains the 0.2-millisecond response time and 120Hz refresh rate at full resolution (240Hz in 1080p HD) the 2024 model introduced.

Interestingly, this is also the first Razer laptop to come with an AMD processor, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, which also integrates a neural processing unit (NPU) to handle AI-driven tasks. That also means the new Blade 16 will run Microsoft’s Copilot+ and include a dedicated key on the keyboard to access it. The keyboard itself remains RGB-backlit, only this time key travel goes deeper to 1.5mm, which doubles that of the previous model. That may appeal to those who felt previous Blade laptops were too shallow.

All that in spite of a thinner aluminum body. At 15mm thin, Razer claims it’s 32% thinner than the previous 2024 Blade 16. It’s also 15% lighter and feels like it when I hold both in my hands. As I noted in my review of the 2024 Blade 16, the device could get hot and loud when gaming or working on demanding creative projects, like editing 4K video.

As for ports, they also carry over from the 2024 model. Expect a USB-C port, three USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, SD card slot, plus Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 for the latest in wireless connections. While there is no Thunderbolt (for lack of an Intel CPU), you can use a dock instead that would include those ports if you wanted the ultimate multi-screen monitor setup.

Less heat and more efficiency?

Razer reps confirm the new Blade 16 has a reworked thermal resistance and improved cooling to mitigate that. But since these are pre-production units on display, it’s hard to tell. They did say the AMD chip won’t be as powerful as Intel’s latest chipset, but will be more efficient and generate less heat, even when pushed to its limit. That may also depend on configuration, given the new Blade 16 will come with the RTX 5060 and up to the 5090.

Other interesting notes include Razer going with LPDDR5X RAM this time. That means it’s soldered to the motherboard rather than being swappable. No chance of DIY upgrades here, unfortunately. The 90Wh battery is only a tad different from the 92Wh from the previous model, so any improved battery life will have to come from the new efficiencies Razer refers to.

As for software, Copilot+ will work as it does on other PC laptops, and will not integrate with Razer Synapse in any way. Razer will have its own AI-driven features, particularly on the gaming side under what it’s calling Project Ava.

As for pricing and availability, Razer isn’t releasing those details yet. All reps would say is sometime in February or March.

Project Ava

This is the only real AI feature Razer is talking about at the show, and it could be a good one if done right. The gist is that Ava, as the AI is called, can chime in or help guide you while playing a game. If, for instance, a boss is proving hard to beat, it will note the boss’ strengths and weaknesses, when its attacks are most deadly with suggestions to counter them using your own powers.

I saw and heard this in action with both Black Myth: Wukong and League of Legends, and it is intriguing. With League of Legends, the AI also analyzed how someone was playing and made suggestions on what to do or how to best utilize grabbing resources, among other things. It even pointed out that allies died because of a lack of teamwork. Not bad for an AI coach.

Razer is also applying Ava to multiplayer gaming and esports as well. The one catch is that while it could technically work with any game, it’s far more likely the company will collaborate or partner with game publishers to bake this into specific titles. For now, it’s mainly a concept but one that’s ready to go with further co-development, reps tell me.

HyperBoost via Laptop Cooling Pad

Sticking with laptops, Razer is adding a software component to one of its accessories, the Laptop Cooling Pad. HyperBoost is a way to use its Synapse software to clock or boost the Blade 16’s power and performance through a cooling system that calibrates itself along the way. This is a free update that applies to select Blade laptops going back to 2023.

In practice, the Cooling Pad reduces system temperatures beyond what the vapour chamber cooling system is capable of, which in theory, means you might be able to hit the higher framerates and responsiveness playing some of the biggest titles. I haven’t tested this out, so have no idea how much of a difference it makes, but feeling a Blade 16 running it next to one not running it was noticeable.

Monitor Stand Chroma

The Razer Monitor Stand Chroma is pretty robust made with anodized aluminum that can handle up to 44 pounds. It measures 19.7-inches long and 8.27-inches wide with Chroma RGB lighting to add some colour to whatever you place underneath and in front of it. It’s got enough clearance underneath to fit pretty much any laptop, or you can use it to store whatever else you prefer.

It has its own ports to make it a hub—plug in a USB-C cable to your computer and the stand offers two USB-A 3.2 ports, one USB-C and one HDMI 2.0. This way, you can connect monitors, controllers, keyboards or whatever accessories you want to use with less clutter. The ports are off to the side, so it’s not an entirely seamless look but Razer sees it as taking away adding another separate hub.

For the lighting, there’s a Chroma RGB button on the stand that lets you cycle through presets or use it to launch an app or game. Another use would be to mute audio. The stand takes up a fair bit of room on a desk, so you would need to have clearance on either side to store other items or even the Standing Light Bars I note further down.

Razer Handheld Dock Chroma

Next up is the Handheld Dock Chroma, a dock that essentially turns mobile devices into gaming consoles with an array of onboard ports. It has a gigabit Ethernet port, multiple USB ports and HDMI out. It has 100W power passthrough, so can charge whatever device you connect to it. It has a bit of heft to it because it’s made of aluminum, but does fold flat for easier transport. It has some Chroma RGB lighting to it as well.

The demo I saw had an ASUS ROG Ally plugged in with a rep playing a game on it using a keyboard and mouse. It’s also possible to use a Razer Kishi on it, or even a tablet if you wanted to play games on a mobile device. Look for the Dock to come out as early as January 2025.

Razer Aether Standing Light Bars

For some aesthetics or ambience, Razer will add the Aether Standing Light Bars to its Chroma RGB lineup. It features both front and back dual lighting for any PC setup, so you can either have the light project out or splash on the wall. You just rotate it on its base stand and point it where you want.

Each bar has 30 LEDs inside capable of 16.8 million colours and a variety of lighting effects. Since it is Chroma RGB, your existing presets can also apply here, so if you’re already in the system, the Light Bars will feel more plug-and-play. They also support Matter, so can also integrate with other smart home devices. The Razer Gamer Room app offers another option to integrate the Light Bars.

Coming soon

Most of the new Razer products unveiled at CES 2025 will be available within the next few months, so look out for them to become available sooner than later. Check out all the current Razer gear currently out now.