NZXT Announces (Lightly) Overwatch-Themed H500 Case

NZXT has released another game-themed chassis, and this time it's calling fans of Blizzard's competitive shooter, Overwatch.

The H500 Overwatch Edition is a mid-tower case featuring a light-up Overwatch logo on the front panel and the full branding on a side panel. That's about it as far as the custom design goes, however, which we find pretty underwhelming at first glance. 

NZXT previously released themed cases for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) and Fallout 4 as part of its CRFT product line. It also released a PUBG-themed chassis before CRFT debuted. The two CRFT cases were more detailed than the H500 Overwatch Edition launched today, which could be why it's not part of the CRFT line.

Branding aside, the H500 Overwatch Edition features NZXT's proprietary cable management system, a removable bracket for easy installation of various cooling solutions and a tempered glass side panel that offers a peek at your system's internals.

Here's the problem: all of those features can be found in the H500 and the H500i (which adds RGB lighting and fan controls) that preceded the H500 Overwatch Edition. The base H500 starts at $70, the H500i costs $99 and the H500 Overwatch Edition costs $150. It's hard to believe the H500 Overwatch Edition's logos--one of which, to be fair, glows--and orange cable bar justify that price jump. Those on a budget are probably better off buying an H500 and printing a few stickers. 

Still, for diehard Overwatch fans, maybe a couple logos is enough. Those folks can find the H500 Overwatch Edition available for pre-order on NZXT's website. The site lists the price at $170, but a NZXT spokesperson confirmed to Tom's Hardware that it's supposed to be $150. NZXT said the first pre-orders should start to ship "by next Monday [2/25] at the latest."