New VR-Ready IEM-Certified PCs Let eSports Enthusiasts Game Like the Pros

Intel Corporation today announced that Intel Extreme Masters (IEM), the longest-running professional eSports tournament circuit, now has its own line of certified PCs. Marked with an exclusive IEM-certified badge, these PCs provide gamers everything they need to fully immerse themselves in their favorite game, from VR-ready specs to support for 4K, livestreaming gameplay and more. The series includes desktops and notebooks with Intel’s new 7th Gen Intel® Core™ processors or an Intel® Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition.

The newly certified PCs arrive just in time for the IEM 2017 World Championship, which kicks off Feb. 25 in Katowice, Poland. The world’s best teams, including champions from IEM Oakland, IEM Gyeonggi and IEM Shanghai, will be invited to face off on three of the top eSports games played on PC: “Counter Strike: Global Offensive,” “League of Legends” and “StarCraft II.” IEM is considered the pioneer of eSports competitions and last year’s World Championship was one of the most watched eSports events in history, attracting more than 34 million unique viewers.

“Beyond the exceptional experience these certified PCs provide, we’re pleased to announce that part of the proceeds from this program will go to the prize purse at the 2017 World Championship,” said Frank Soqui, general manager of the Virtual Reality and Gaming Group at Intel. “Intel has a long history of partnership with the eSports community, and we’re always looking for ways to show our support, whether it’s through programs such as this or bringing them amazing new experiences in areas like VR.”

Included in many of the certified PCs are Intel’s newly announced 7^th Gen Intel Core processors. The 7^th Gen Intel Core processor delivers incredible 4K gaming and high dynamic range (HDR) quality video playback, real-time broadcasting capability, and ultimate mega-tasking so people can game and stream online simultaneously. The 7^th Gen Core processor is also ideal for those who want to make sure their device is VR-ready. For more information on the new IEM-certified PCs, including the list of authorized retailers, visit the IEM Certified PC web page. For information on everything Intel offers for gamers, visit Intel’s gaming site.

Image: Team Ninjas in Pyjamas celebrate their victory at the Intel Extreme Masters competition on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016, in Oakland, California. Now all eyes are on the 2017 World Championships, which kick off on Feb. 25 in Katowice Poland.