Technologies

Acer Spin 5 Review: Solid 2-in-1 With an OLED Omission

Competing models only slightly more expensive boast OLED displays. But if that’s not a must-have for you, the Spin 5 is a reliably good, lightweight convertible.

The Acer Spin 5 is a lightweight, all-aluminum, two-in-one laptop with a high-resolution, 14-inch display powered by speedy 12th-gen Intel silicon.

Its plain looks, however, are closer to that of the midrange Lenovo Yoga 7i than premium laptop-tablet hybrids like the Lenovo Yoga 9i, Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 or HP Spectre x360 14. These competing models look sleeker with design flourishes like rounded edges and corners for added comfort and style.

With a price that’s on par with these premium competitors, the Spin 5 begins to lose its appeal. And it has less to do with its staid design and more with a missing feature. While the Spin 5’s 14-inch, 16:10 display is crisp and bright, it’s an ordinary IPS panel rather than an OLED panel that would offer greater contrast and color accuracy.

In 2023, it’s difficult to recommend a $1,350 laptop that lacks an OLED display when OLED models cost only a smidgen more. It’s otherwise a solid commute-friendly two-in-one that even comes with an active pen that stores and charges in the body. You might want to wait for a sale, though.

7.8

Acer Spin 5

$1,350 at Acer

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Like

Strong overall performance
1080p webcam
Comfortable keyboard
Active pen included

Don’t Like

IPS display can’t compete with OLED
Ordinary appearance
So-so battery life

Acer sells one configuration of the Spin 5 (model SP514-51N-70LZ). It costs $1,350 at Acer and features a 12th-gen Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and a 14-inch, 16:10 display with a 2,560×1,600-pixel resolution. In the UK, the Acer Spin 5 costs 1,400. It’s not currently available in Australia.

You may also see some previous-generation Spin 5 models based on AMD and 11th-gen Intel processors. They’re easy to spot because they feature a 13.5-inch display with a taller 3:2 aspect ratio.

With its Core i7-1260P CPU, 16GB of RAM and integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, our Spin 5 review system is at or near the top of our benchmarks among a group of similarly priced two-in-ones, with one not insignificant exception. It and the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 feature a CPU from Intel’s 12th-gen P series, which is more performance-oriented than Intel’s U-series chips found in some of the other models you’ll see in the performance charts. The Spin 5 and Samsung along with the AMD-based HP Envy x360 were the best overall performers. The script flips for the Spin 5, however, with battery life. It lasted 9 hours and 39 minutes on our battery drain test, which was an hour shorter than the next closest system.

Beige and boring but well built

The chief attraction of the Spin 5’s design is its sturdiness. The color of the aluminum is what Acer calls Concrete Gray. It looks as dull as that sounds. And to me, it’s more beige, but the all-metal chassis feels rock solid. There’s no hint of flex when you pick it up by a corner or type thunderously on the keyboard. Even the thin lid protecting the display feels rigid when many thin, aluminum lids flex too much to my liking.

Don’t mistake the Spin 5’s sturdiness for it being clunky or heavy. Weighing only 2.9 pounds, this is an exceedingly portable 14-inch system. The chassis is compact, with thin bezels framing the 16:10 display. Despite the trim chassis, the keyboard feels roomy; the only small-ish keys are the half-height up- and down-arrow keys. The keys offer snappy feedback with shallow travel and allow for speedy and near-silent typing. There’s two-level keyboard backlighting, and the power button doubles as a fingerprint reader that you can use with Windows Hello to log in without needing to bother with entering a password.

The touchpad is a bit undersized but wholly functional with responsive and accurate feedback. You can also navigate Windows via the touch display, which can be tapped and swiped on using your fingertip or the included active stylus. The pen can be garaged in the right edge of the laptop when it’s not needed.

Most 14-inch laptops feature a full-HD resolution, but the Spin 5 bumps it up to a 2.5K resolution(2,560×1,600 pixels) for an incredibly sharp picture. The 16:10 aspect ratio makes a huge difference on a 14-inch panel because, at this size, a widescreen 16:9 panel can feel cramped from top to bottom. It’s less of an issue on larger laptops, but at 14 inches and smaller, a 16:10 panel feels so much roomier vertically. You can see more lines on the screen in long documents and web pages and don’t need to scroll as frequently.

The Spin 5’s screen is rated for 425 nits of brightness, and I measured it even a bit brighter than that at around 450 nits. The display was bright enough to see clearly in my sunny breakfast nook, and I didn’t even need to max out the brightness slider.

OLED > IPS

So, the display is crisp and bright and yet I found it ultimately disappointing because an OLED panel becomes an option right around the Spin 5’s price. For roughly $1,500, you can get an OLED panel on the Lenovo Yoga 9i, HP Spectre x360 14 and Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360. And once you’ve used an OLED laptop and experienced the incredible contrast with absolute black levels and vibrant color, it’s hard to go back to an IPS panel unless you are shopping under $1,000.

OLED panels trickling down from high-end, high-priced laptops for content creators to midrange models is one of the best laptop trends of the past year. The other? The move from grainy 720p webcams to 1080p cameras. The Spin 5 may have missed out on the OLED trend, but it hopped on the 1080p webcam trend.

You will appear in fine, accurate detail to your video conference mates when seated in front of the Spin 5. The webcam isn’t an IR camera, however, so you can’t use facial recognition with Windows Hello. The camera also lacks a physical privacy cover, and there’s no kill switch on the keyboard to guarantee privacy when the camera isn’t being used.

The Spin 5 offers a useful selection of ports. There are a pair of USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support and a pair of USB Type-A ports so you need to hassle with an adapter for your USB devices. The USB-A ports are split with one on each side of the system, but the USB-C ports are both located on the left side. I wish the USB-C ports were also split across each side because you need to use one of them to charge the laptop, and I would have liked the flexibility to connect the power cord to either side of the laptop depending where the nearest power outlet is located. The Spin 5 also supplies an HDMI port as well as a microSD card slot — a rare inclusion.

As currently configured and priced, the Acer Spin 5 is an awkward proposition. There’s no fatal flaw to this 14-inch two-in-one, but it’s priced right about where OLED models start to become an option. The Spin 5 makes sense if you can find it on sale for closer to $1,000, but a better option is waiting for an OLED two-in-one to go on sale for around what the Spin 5 costs right now.

Technologies

We Played Nintendo Switch 2: Mario, Donkey Kong, Mouse, Camera and a Lot More

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2: Every Reveal About the Console, New Games, Price, Release Date

The $450 console launches June 5, with Mario Kart World the highlight of its launch day game lineup.

The Nintendo Switch 2 console’s biggest reveal yet arrived Wednesday as part of the company’s latest Nintendo Direct event. This teed up a day of Switch 2 reveals that include its June 5 release date, a $450 price, its specs and its initial game lineup that extends from launch into 2026.

The console will be further buoyed by having Mario Kart World as a launch title, which will go on sale in either a $500 bundle with the Switch 2 or on its own for $80 — making the open-world racing game one of Nintendo’s most expensive yet. Other games announced, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, are being priced around $70, which matches the cost of 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That Zelda game and Breath of the Wild are among the original Switch titles that will get enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades, a premium upgrade allowing players to get new features, modes and graphical enhancements that take advantage of the newer system’s capabilities.

Here are the top highlights from Nintendo’s console event, all of the games we’ve heard about so far (including new titles, Nintendo Switch 2 Editions and GameCube games coming to Nintendo Switch Online) and all of our coverage so far. You can also check out our Nintendo Switch 2 live blog for even more updates about the Switch 2 as we learn them.

Nintendo Switch 2 console

The Nintendo Switch 2’s specs saw a noticeable technical bump over the Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 7.9-inch, 1080p resolution LCD that supports a 120Hz refresh rate — matching what we now see on most Android phones. When the Switch 2 is docked, compatible games can run in 4K resolution. The new dock also includes a cooling fan.

The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, and the new Switch 2 Game Cards will load games faster. For digital libraries, however, the Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express cards, which are different from the microSD cards that are compatible with the prior Nintendo Switch. Nintendo will have a Software Transfer feature available to help move games and data from the original Switch to the Switch 2.

The new Joy-Con for the controllers will support mouse controls, and a new C button will be part of a new GameChat communication feature that allows both voice and video chat. There’s also a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing players to see each other.

The Switch 2 also adds a second USB-C port to the top of the system, which Nintendo says can help connect its new camera accessory or charge the console when playing in tabletop mode. Nintendo also revealed a new Switch 2 Pro Controller with the C button and customizable GL and GR buttons on the back.

Following the presentation, Nintendo unveiled the system’s price of $450 in the US. It will also sell the Switch 2 bundled with a digital version of Mario Kart World for $500.

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World removes its traditional boundaries and lets drivers roam freely across an entire world of race courses. The game will get its own Nintendo Direct later this month, where we’ll see additional details, but we already know it’ll include traditional races and a Free Roam mode, much like in the Forza Horizon series.

Getting the game bundled for an extra $50 on the cost of the Switch 2 might be the move if you are interested in the game, because Nintendo announced on its website that standalone copies of Mario Kart World will cost $80.

Joy-Con 2 C button and GameChat

Nintendo’s rolling out its new C button across several new Switch 2 controllers. The button will be used for the new GameChat communication features without a headset. The button will be used alongside a microphone on the console itself, which Nintendo says can be used whether it’s docked to a TV or in handheld mode.

In its teaser video, Nintendo promises the microphone will be able to cancel out loud background noises. GameChat will also work with a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing video chat and various camera-based game modes in supported titles. GameChat will be free at launch through March 31, 2026.

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games upgrade titles

The Nintendo Switch 2 will play three types of games: original Switch games, Switch 2 games and Switch 2 Edition games that will receive substantial enhancements. For many of these Switch 2 Edition games, you’ll need to buy an upgrade pack if you own the original for Switch. Many of them will get more than just enhanced graphics in the upgrade; for example, Super Mario Party Jamboree will get new games that support the new Joy-Cons’ mouse controls, audio recognition and video camera gameplay options through the Switch 2 Camera.

Other Nintendo Switch games that are getting Switch 2 Edition options include The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Enhancements vary: The Zelda games will start working with a companion phone app for maps and sending schematics to friends, while Kirby will get a new story that’s exclusive to the Switch 2 Edition. On the third-party side, Civilization 7 will get mouse controls.

Nintendo did not announce what upgrade packs will cost. However, some Switch games will get free updates that will improve performance or enhance features when playing them on the Switch 2. The Switch games getting these updates include:

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a new game set in the world of Zelda that tells the story that leads into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This appears to be similar to how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity told the story of a war that led to the events of Breath of the Wild. The teaser shows Zelda discovering that she’s arrived in the past of Hyrule, and the game will expand on how she gets involved in the corresponding Imprisonment War.

Nintendo Switch 2 games

Several other first- and third-party games were spotlighted during the Switch 2 Direct. These include Donkey Bananza, one of the first 3D platforming games featuring DK since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64. Kirby will also return to the racing genre in Kirby Air Riders, which comes more than 20 years after the GameCube racer Kirby’s Air Ride. DragXDrive will use mouse controls to control a futuristic wheelchair basketball game in which players will simulate push and pull motions to control their character.

An onslaught of Switch 2 third-party games were quickly shuffled through during the Direct, which I list below. An unnamed James Bond game is in development at Hitman studio IO Interactive, as is a darker title from Elden Ring creator FromSoftware called The Duskbloods, which will be exclusive to the Switch 2.

The full list of announced Nintendo Switch 2 games includes:

Borderlands 4
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Deltarune
Donkey Kong Bananza
Drag x Drive
EA Sports FC
EA Sports Madden NFL
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Enter the Gungeon 2
Fast Fusion
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
Fortnite
Hades 2
Hitman World of Assassination — Signature Edition
Hogwarts Legacy
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Kirby Air Riders
Kirby and the Forgotten Land — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Star-Crossed World
Kunitsu-Gai: Path of the Goddess
Mario Kart World
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
NBA 2K
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
Pokemon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Project 007
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Split Fiction
Star Wars Outlaws
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
Street Fighter 6
Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Jamboree TV
Survival Kids
The Duskbloods
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4
WWE 2K
Yakuza 0 Definitive Edition

Among these titles, you can see the full list of June 5 Switch 2 launch day games here.

Nintendo GameCube library coming to Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch Online game library will add GameCube games to the Switch 2. On launch day, these games will initially include The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, SoulCalibur 2 and F-Zero GX, with each game getting enhanced graphics. Online multiplayer will also be added to certain titles. Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Strikers and Luigi’s Mansion are among the games set to arrive later. At launch, Nintendo will also sell a GameCube controller, which will be wireless and include a C button for GameChat.