Alongside several other announcements at CES 2022, Alienware debuted its upcoming Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming AW920H Headset and AW720M Mouse. The peripherals focus utilizes Alienware’s Tri-Mode connectivity options and fast-charging technology. Alienware specifically emphasizes the AW920H’s Dolby Atmos Virtual Surround Sound feature, as well as the AW920H’s performance accuracy and long battery life.
The Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming AW920H Headset utilizes Dolby Atmos Virtual Surround Sound. It additionally uses 40-mm Hi-Res Certified Drivers to cover a range of frequencies to immerse players in-game. The headset features Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) and an AI-driven Noise-Cancelling microphone to reduce external noise in-game and surrounding environment, respectively.
The AW920H has a sleek design and a form factor reminiscent of a Star Trek vessel. The Leatherette and Memory Foam earcups sport a well-established Alienware Legend 2.0 in-house design, which is evocative of an exhaust turbine from a sci-fi spacecraft. The alien head logo is at the center of each cup, and backlit just like on the company’s laptops.
Touch controls on the inside of the right earcup allow volume adjustment, track, call status, and switching on active noise canceling and AlienFX’s 16.8 million RGB lighting options. The left earcup houses the detachable unidirectional boom mic.
The Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Headset has “up to 30 hours of playtime on a full charge, or 6 hours after charging for 15 minutes via USB-C.” Like its namesake implies, the headset uses Alienware’s Tri-Mode technology to provide three ways to connect to devices. There’s a USB-C Wireless Dongle for RF, Bluetooth 5.2 for laptops and phones, and a traditional 3.5mm wired core option for consoles. We’ll have to put the headset through testing to find out if the AW920H deserves a spot on our best gaming headsets list.
Meanwhile, the AW720M mouse features 26,000DPI and “up to 50G of max acceleration” from the sensors. Alienware boasts ”reduced debounce time, boosted precision, and enhanced accuracy” from its patent-pending optical switches.
With a weight of 89g (0.19lbs), the slim, symmetrical mouse sports “eight programmable buttons and 3D-sculpted thumb grips,” according to Alienware. It’s also compatible with AlienX to customize the lighting located on the logo.
Similar to the headset the Tri-Mode Connectivity is made up of a 2.4GHz USB-C wireless dongle, Bluetooth 5.1, and a traditional USB-A to USB-C cable. Gaming via the USB-C dongle gives you up to 140 hours of play according to Alienware, or you can get up to 420 hours via Bluetooth. The company says just 5 minutes of charging will grant you up to 20 hours of gameplay. It also applies patent-pending magnetic charging with a USB-C Dongle Extender.
We got a chance to see both perhirials at an event before CES 2022. Alienware recently celebrated its 25th anniversary by introducing a new “Legend 2.0” redesign for its flagship Aurora desktops, and clearly these peripherals are designed to fit that aesthetic. The new peripherals look nice sitting side by side with the newly designed desktops, but we only got time with the headset. The cushion on the earcups and headband felt sufficiently soft. Whether or not it delivers sound quality worth investing in, only time and testing will tell.
Both the Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming AW920H Headset and Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming AW720M Mouse will be available in two color options: a white “Lunar Light” and black “Dark Side of the Moon.” Lunar Light versions of each product go on sale February 9, 2022, while Dark Side of the Moon variants are released April 19. The Lunar Light AW920H will only be available in North America, China, UK, France and Germany, while the Dark Side of the Moon counterparts will be available worldwide. The Lunar Light AW720M will only be available in North America, China, and EMEA countries, while its Dark Side of the Moon variant will be more widely available. As of now, no pricing has been announced.
