The other star of the show: OMEN’s newest gear
Omega, who in 2017 was named Sports Illustrated’s Wrestler of the Year, wasn’t in the ring. Rather, he was at the ESPN esports studio a block away from L.A.’s E3 Live Expo, where he entertained VIPs with back-to-back matches of Street Fighter V at an event promoting HP’s latest lineup of OMEN gaming laptops, desktops, displays and accessories.
The 35-year-old Omega (a Canadian whose given name is Tyson Smith) took inspiration for his stage name from the character Omega Weapon of the Final Fantasy series. As a kid he idolized the outsized personas and soap opera-worthy storylines of pro wrestling an says while enjoys character-driven role-playing games, he's currently hooked on EA’s Apex Legends. “There are games for everyone these days,” he says.
While Omega played, the 40 gaming influencers, media and analysts at the event were there to get their hands-on with the newest OMEN devices, including gaming laptops in 15- and 17-inch sizes, the Obelisk desktop and a host of new accessories such as the ear-cooling Mindframe Headset and the Sequencer Keyboard.
The standout was the new OMEN X 2S laptop, which has been generating buzz since its launch last month for its innovative, dual-screen setup. Its innovative design reflects how gamers are actually using their devices when playing on the go. Typically, they’ll use their largest screen (in this case, a laptop) for gameplay, and then employ a second, smaller screen for another application where they can stream or broadcast their session, chat with teammates or just listen to a favorite playlist.
Guttermagic, who has a community of about 8,000 followers and broadcasts via Facebook, said he liked that the OMEN X 2S is “super-thin” and “doesn’t get too hot,” and concluded that the dual screen feature is “what sells it.” “It seems like a really simple concept, that you can just maneuver things right there,” he says.
