Product Review: Is The DXRACER Tidal Gaming Desk Worth The Price?
Back in my day, I’d work at the kitchen table, or on my chair in front of the TV. It wasn’t the most efficient way to get things done, but they’d still get done. I’d worked at offices with tables and seen friends with fancy bedroom desks, but never really had one of my own, at least not one more complicated than a slab of sheet metal from IKEA. Thus, when I got a cold e-mail from the folks at DXRACER, I jumped at the chance to review their Tidal Gaming Desk.
The first step was assembly. The whole thing came in several cardboard boxes, and the website had a handy, if unintentionally hilarious, assembly tutorial video. Why hilarious? I mean, I’m not saying you shouldn’t assemble a gaming desk while wearing a mini-dress and high-heel pumps, but it seemed a bit incongruous to the task at hand.
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Overall, between the video and the easy-to-read diagrams in the packaging, assembly wasn’t much of a hassle. The video said assembly would take half an hour or so, but it took me a lot longer than that, probably because I didn’t have my desk-assembly pumps. In reality, I took my time because I didn’t want to make mistakes and have to disassemble the desk just to fix a silly mistake. Better safe than sorry and all that. It also may have taken a bit longer since I got the XL variant, which requires a few more screws… But that’s surely just cope on my end, as they say.
Ultimately, assembly went without incident and I had a complete desk. So, what did I have? What makes the DXRACER Tidal Gaming Desk XL superior to my kitchen table? Well, quite a bit, actually. Some of the bells and whistles might seem superfluous, but most of them are useful and make the desk a central hub of home office shenanigans, from playing video games to writing this very story.
Tidal Gaming Desk Features
If there’s a single show-stopping feature of the desk, it’s the “Smooth and Quiet Lift,” which is fueled by the integrated power supply column. You can adjust the height of the desk just by pushing the “up” and “down” buttons on the integrated keypad on the front-right corner of the desk. Do you want to sit at your desk? You can. Would you prefer a standing desk? Go for it. Wanna go back and forth? You can do it! On the website, “Smooth and Quiet Lift” is capitalized, and it’s easy to see why they’re particularly proud of it. It is, in fact, smooth and quiet. You’re in no danger of spilling your drink or waking your roommate when you raise or lower the desk. It’s truly an impressive feature.
Less game-changing is the presence of an RGB light strip, but these days you can’t have a ‘gamer’ product that doesn’t have ‘gamer’ lights. At least the light strip is customizable in different colors and strength. If you don’t like it, you can also turn it off completely. Some other nice features include hooks on the side for hanging headphones and the like, as well as a cable management tray to deter pesky cable clutter.
Hands-On With The Tidal Gaming Desk
As for the surface of the desk, it’s got a nice, textured finish and is surprisingly stable. This is a solid piece of material that doesn’t wobble easily. It’s capable of carrying 50kg (110 lbs) of whatever computer equipment you want to place on top of it. I wouldn’t stand on it, but you don’t have to tiptoe around it, either. If you want to nap on it, you might want to invest in the even bigger Triton model, which can support loads of up to 265 pounds.
Forgive my shameless self-promotion, but if you’ve seen any of my recent interviews on Newsweek, they were all conducted from the desk. The variable height makes it easy to get the perfect angle for my webcam. Back in the old days, I used to put my computer on a stack of books to get the extra height, but that’s no longer necessary, thank goodness. I can even adjust the height mid-interview without disrupting the chat. I’ve also written multiple stories (including this one) while sitting behind the desk. It’s sturdy, it’s cozy, and it does everything a desk should do and more. If it’s missing one thing, I’d like a lowered shelf on the front to put a USB keyboard, but I suppose if your monitor is extra high, it accomplishes the same goal.
The DXRACER Tidal Gaming Desk is a pricey bit of hardware, at $699 MSRP. If you’re a casual gamer who spends more time on the couch than sitting at your desk, maybe this isn’t what you need. However, if you see your desk as your command center, the main place where you play your video games and work from home, then it’s a no-brainer. Simply put, this is the last gaming desk you’ll ever need.
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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 3:10 PM.