Gaming Laptops Evolve at CES 2025

CES 2024 showcased a plethora of gaming laptops, revealing key trends shaping the market. This overview highlights the most significant developments.

Diverse Design Language

While gaming laptops have always offered stylistic variety, this year felt exceptional. Manufacturers like Gigabyte and MSI are blurring the lines between productivity and gaming machines, emphasizing aesthetics beyond raw hardware. This translates to a wider range of designs. Some, such as the Gigabyte Aero series, boast sleek, professional aesthetics suitable for any business environment. Conversely, others, like the MSI Titan 18 HX AI Dragonforged Edition, flaunt bold graphics, clearly signaling their high-end gaming capabilities.

RGB lighting remains a staple, with designs incorporating wrap-around rings, illuminated keyboards, and side/rear/trackpad lighting. Asus ROG Strix Scar series impressed with its AniME Dot Matrix LED display, capable of displaying text and animations on the lid. Expect a mix of traditional bulky designs and slim, lightweight models with diverse hardware configurations.

The Rise of AI Assistants

AI integration in laptops gained momentum last year, but implementations often fell short. This year, several vendors showcased AI assistants offering hands-free PC control without requiring software interaction. One MSI demonstration showcased an AI assistant automatically optimizing performance settings based on the specified game. While the effectiveness and offline capabilities require further evaluation, this technology warrants attention.

Mini-LED, Rollable Screens, and Other Innovations

Mini-LED technology is finally gaining traction in the gaming laptop market. Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte showcased Mini-LED laptops with high-end specifications and pricing. These laptops, featuring over 1,100 local dimming zones, deliver exceptional brightness, vivid colors, and reduced blooming. While OLED still excels in contrast, Mini-LED offers a compelling alternative with higher sustained brightness and no burn-in risk.

Further innovations include the return of the ASUS ROG Flow X13 with USB4 eGPU support (eliminating proprietary connections), potentially pairing with an RTX 5090 eGPU. Lenovo's ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, although not strictly a gaming laptop, introduced a rollable OLED display, expanding from 14 inches to 16.7 inches. While its durability remains a concern, it represents a significant step forward in display technology.

Ultrabooks Gaining Ground in Gaming

Ultrabooks are prevalent, even within gaming lines. Major manufacturers offer thin, light, premium gaming laptops, exemplified by Gigabyte's redesigned Aero series. These devices cater to users who prioritize portability and productivity without sacrificing gaming capabilities. With the latest AMD and Intel processors, combined with technologies like AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution and Intel XeSS, even integrated graphics can handle many games, reducing the need for dedicated graphics cards in some cases. Cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now further enhance this trend, offering high-quality gaming experiences without requiring dedicated gaming hardware.

CES 2024 demonstrated significant advancements in gaming laptops. The year ahead promises further exploration of these trends.