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Beyond NRG is a new energy drink targeting the gaming and esports space – Beyond NRG has already partnered with the likes of ESL Premiership, Excel, Endpoint and Mortal Kombat 11.
It promises ‘razor sharp focus, lightning speed reaction times and endless endurance’ and substitutes sugar for a nootropic snack, but what’s it like to drink? Jake Nordland gets to grips with a 20-sachet pack, Mortal Kombat Beyond NRG Tub and Vortex Shaker.
The gaming energy drink market is hugely competitive, with many drink names and logos emblazoned across the esports industry.
Now, a new gaming energy drink made in the UK, Beyond NRG, has emerged to compete for a spot on gamers’ shelves. Its entry into the esports market last year saw it launch a line of powdered, sugar-free, ‘nootropic’ energy drinks – supplements that purportedly improve cognitive function.
The brand bills itself as a healthier energy drink option , boasting a “concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and botanical ingredients”. It contains caffeine extracted directly from green coffee beans, also known as coffeine. Beyond NRG claims this is ‘a better alternative to Taurine and synthetic caffeine, which is more suited to physical activity’.
In keeping with its professed ethos of supporting British esports, Beyond made a splash earlier this year by announcing official partnership deals with UK esports orgs Excel Esports and Endpoint.
So what’s the hype about? Is it just another energy drink among the many others to choose from? How does it stack up against household names?
The product
The standard box has a selection of 20 sachets in a range of five flavours: raspberry lemonade, wild forest fruits, melon grape & raspberry, mango pineapple & orange, and strawberry watermelon & lime.
Making the drink is painless using Beyond’s Vortex Blender. You empty a sachet into the blender with some water, activate the mixer and have an energy drink made for you in under 20 seconds.
Despite being sugar-free, all five flavours initially taste heavily sweetened and, arguably, faintly artificial (though no more so than similar brands). But fruity aftertastes do come through, and the flavours are distinct enough from each other to offer plenty of variance.
Whilst matching the taste to the description on the packet is sometimes a bit of a stretch, each tastes satisfyingly energising and left me with a lingering fruity mouthfeel.
Putting it to the test
My friend and I have a rivalry in the popular FPS aim training game Aimlabs. What started as friendly jibing quickly turned into a competitive battle of one-upping each other’s highscores.
In an effort to out-aim my friend, I decided to enlist the help of Beyond NRG — and put the drink to the test.
With AimLabs open and the drink consumed, I gave the fast-moving Gridshot gamemode my best go.
Make no mistake – the drink is not a placebo. With 150mg of caffeine, Beyond left me feeling nothing short of wired.
The buzz and energy from the drink seemingly aid awareness and reaction time; I could feel my mouse whizzing around the screen.
In this purely mechanical and reaction-based game, Beyond was helpful – and, most importantly, allowed me to beat my friend’s high score.
Even as a strong coffee drinker, I experienced a heightened sense of attention in a mix of games, including one of my favourites: Rocket League. But beware – this can just as easily degrade performance, as the extra energy boost quickly threatened to hinder my concentration in general. So, for example, when I played games that were less reaction-based, I struggled to maintain my concentration – a trade-off for Beyond NRG’s heightened energy perhaps.
Thankfully, though, there is no post-drink low with Beyond. Unlike its sugar-based counterparts, the effects ebb smoothly and don’t leave you feeling drained afterwards.
So, is Beyond just another energy drink or a breakthrough formula? It’s hard to say. It will no doubt leave you energized, and I felt its impact, but whether you can convert its energy into in-game wins will also depend on you.
Beyond NRG is available online at www.beyondNRG.com and comes in tubs or sachets – starting at £1.50 for a single sachet, £23.99 for a Build-Your-Own Box (20 x sachets) or £34.99 for a 40-serving tub.
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