NZXT accused of ‘predatory scam’ gaming PC rental program

It’s been a few months since NZXT began its Flex subscription service for renting gaming desktop PCs. Even at launch, the proposition was obviously not great in terms of value… but that’s par for the course for any kind of rental, whether it’s an apartment or an armchair.

But YouTube channel GamersNexus conducted a deep investigative dive into the program — and found some shocking results.

In short, GamersNexus accuses NZXT of running a full-on scam, taking advantage of those who can’t afford to buy (or even borrow-and-buy) a full-power gaming PC. The hour-long report documents skewed value propositions that have you paying more than five times the worth of a gaming PC in “small” month-to-month rental charges over five years, for a machine that you never actually own. NZXT Flex is a “subscription,” not a rent-to-own program.

That’s not really surprising for a rental program. That’s how renting works, after all. Back in the day, you could “rent” a VHS from Blockbuster four times in a row, and after a month you’d have spent just as much on rental fees as you would have if you’d just bought the tape outright.

But GamersNexus breaks down just how bad NZXT’s deal is compared to other options for high-priced purchases.

For a $3,000 pre-built gaming PC, GamersNexus calculates that you could get a pay-per-month loan from Affirm Credit (a popular option even for those without easy access to credit cards) with a relatively high 22 percent interest rate and pay only $369 extra after one year. Even if you got a personal loan at 36 percent — the maximum for an under-$10,000 loan in most US states, beyond which you enter “loan shark” territory — you’d pay $6,504, which is more than double the value of the PC.

And then you have NZXT Flex, which, according to GamersNexus, is equivalent to a 103 percent interest rate over five years with a final price of $15,504… for a computer you never own. That’s a terrible deal. But just because it’s a bad value doesn’t necessarily make it a scam.

To elevate those charges, GamersNexus highlights certain “predatory” actions, including: swapping out the parts on Flex rental PCs versus equivalent pre-built packages without adequately adjusting the description (or the PC’s projected performance); writing spurious and unenforceable terms into the rental contract; and running sponsored posts on YouTube and other social media with blatantly false claims, some of which target children as potential customers.

One example of social media marketing stuck out to me. “You could literally get one of these PCs for one month and then win a Fortnite tournament or something, and have enough money to buy your own PC,” says TikTok and Instagram channel BlipTech, clipped in the report.

If you’re an adult, hopefully I don’t have to tell you that spending an exorbitant amount of money to rent hardware in the hopes of winning a paid gaming tournament is a bad idea. But if you’re a child, please read that again: Spending money to rent hardware in the hopes of winning a paid gaming tournament is a bad idea.

The full, exhaustive report — including potential motivations for the company’s change in direction, financial breakdowns from a banker, and an interview with an attorney — is well worth a watch. GamersNexus gives NZXT a backhanded award for its practices, and says it will no longer accept sponsorships or advertising from the company.