‘I think it’s absolutely horrible to try and say it’s a gender-related color’: The white Acer Nitro V 14, colorful laptops, and gender bias in gaming
“I think it’s absolutely horrible to try and say [white] is a gender-related color. I think it’s demeaning, and I think it doesn’t give women credit for having a style,” Eric Ackerson, Associate Director of Product Marketing at Acer America, tells Laptop Mag. Ackerson was referring to the new Acer Nitro V 14 announced on September 4 at Acer’s keynote presentation at IFA Berlin. The Nitro V 14 stood out among Acer’s slate of new products thanks to its sleek white chassis. In a sea of black gaming laptops, it was a refreshing aesthetic change. However, Acer’s introduction of the Nitro V 14 placed this stylish laptop into a particular box by claiming it’s specifically for female gamers. This is the latest instance of a persistent trend in gaming tech that needlessly genders certain products or colorways. While gaming has become more diverse than ever, brands still seem set on separating “girl gamers” through marketing and product design, all the while limiting the rest of the market to plain black designs. As a result, all gamers are left with fewer options for more unique and colorful gaming tech. We spoke with Acer America’s Eric Ackerson about the choice to make the Nitro V 14 white. His answer might surprise you — and it should matter to all gamers, regardless of gender.The white Acer Nitro V 14: Not just for “girl gamers”Acer CEO Jason Chen and Vice President of EMEA Marketing Valerie Piau presenting the Acer Nitro V 14 at Acer’s keynote presentation at IFA Berlin 2024 (Image credit: Stevie Bonifield)In the middle of the gaming segment during Acer’s keynote presentation at IFA Berlin on September 4, a fresh splash of color broke up the slate of black gaming laptops: the Acer Nitro V 14. Its sleek white chassis has a slight metallic shimmer and a matte finish pairs well with the silver Nitro logo on the lid. The white chassis wasn’t the only thing that made the Nitro V 14 stand out, though. Before Acer even revealed the laptop’s name, they set it apart by labeling it for a specific audience: female gamers. Get our in-depth reviews, helpful tips, great deals, and the biggest news stories delivered to your inbox.“Women and casual gamers are on the rise and so is the search for a gaming laptop that is not just powerful, but also beautiful,” Acer’s Valerie Piau said during her introduction for the Nitro V 14. Piau described the Nitro V 14’s design as “elegant” and “sophisticated.” Those are compliments, of course, but not of the kind typically associated with gaming laptops. What makes the Nitro V 14 so “elegant”, “beautiful”, and “sophisticated”? It’s white. The design is otherwise just like any other Nitro laptop, only it isn’t black. It‘s also interesting that Acer lumped together female gamers and casual gamers. Female gamers can be casual gamers, but their needs are not always the same as those of a casual gamer, just like any male gamer. It’s also completely reasonable for male gamers to prefer a ”beautiful” or “sophisticated” white laptop. Not everyone likes black laptops, after all. Acer America’s Eric Ackerson agreed with that sentiment when we spoke to him after Acer’s keynote presentation. Ackerson reiterated that white isn’t a “gender-related color.” He even noted that the leading laptop brands are aware of a desire for more colorful laptops. “I think there would be enough volume there to support it, even if other brands get into it,” Ackerson said. “And then it could come down to individual experience with a brand that you like… Brand A is offering white, then brand B is offering lime green, and somebody else is a lemon yellow.”Where are all the colorful gaming laptops?(Image credit: Stevie Bonifield)If there’s interest in gaming laptops that aren’t all black and shades of gray, where are they? It’s easy to assume laptop brands are to blame — they’re designing and marketing these new gaming laptops, after all. However, the reality is more complicated. “A challenge, at least in the United States, tends to be from the retailer side,” Ackerson explained. “The retailers only have so much space they can dedicate. If something’s going to take a spot, they’ve got this historical data that says that spot is worth X dollars or X units. You have to guarantee it’s going to sell this much.” That means black and gray gaming laptops are a safe bet. Retailers are mainly concerned with making money, so they are more likely to put products on their shelves that they know for certain will sell. A challenge, at least in the United States, tends to be from the retailer side”Eric Ackerson, Acer AmericaEven if laptop manufacturers offer new colors and designs, retailers often don’t want to take a chance on them. When brands needlessly label any non-black (or gray) gaming laptop as only for female gamers, male gamers are left feeling like they’re excluded from those new colorways — even if they would prefer something different. The way brands unnecessarily gender colorful laptops could divide their audiences, leading to poorer sales, and resulting in fewer retailers being willing to stock laptops that deviate from the black/grey norms. So, male and female gamers are all left with the same stagnant color options and fewer opportunities to break that vicious cycle in the future. It‘s also high time retailers and brands started taking female gamers seriously, not as a separate group from the core “gamer” identity, but as an equal part of it. Male and female gamers alike just want a powerful laptop for a good price, and one potentially available in more than two colors.The gaming community is more diverse today than it ever has been. Women currently represent 50% of gamers worldwide. That number has grown significantly over recent years and will likely increase more as brands and game developers, hopefully, realize female gamers are a huge market that’s been historically undervalued. (Image credit: Stevie Bonifield)Ackerson explained that more colorful laptops have been successful in other regions: “Latin American customers have a lot more style and pizazz. Color is important to them. So, years ago, we had a great product in terms of success in one measurement: sales… We did a lot of fun things [with that product] with different colors, especially in Latin America, and that was actually a really good product for that specific market.” Offering a more diverse selection of gaming laptops in a wider range of colors would benefit all gamers, not just women. When asked if he thought more gamers would buy colorful laptops if they were widely available, Ackerson gave a resounding, “Yes, absolutely.” I, for one, have my eye on the Acer Nitro V 14. I found the sleek white chassis more eye-catching than the plain black laptops beside it. There are plenty of reasons someone, regardless of their gender, might prefer a white laptop. For instance, fingerprints don’t show up on white plastic like they do on black. White tech also tends to have a more clean, polished aesthetic (just look how Apple uses it in all of its products). If brands can move on from outdated gender stereotypes in gaming and retailers can embrace new, fresh designs, gaming tech could become more vibrant, fun, and interesting. It’s time for gaming laptops to grow beyond the narrow plain black aesthetic — without claiming that anything white or colorful is only for girl gamers. Laptop Mag’s IFA Berlin 2024 Issue celebrates one of the world’s longest-running consumer tech expos, Germany’s own Internationale FunkAusstellung Berlin.Our on-the-ground team will bring you all the news emerging from the showroom floor of Messe Berlin and highlight the best in consumer tech as we announce our inaugural Laptop Laurel winners for best-in-show products.Head over to Laptop Mag’s IFA Berlin 2024 Issue for more coverage.
