CES 2025: Unveiling Future Gaming Laptops

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

Diverse Design Language

While gaming laptops have always boasted varied aesthetics, this year's offerings felt particularly diverse. Manufacturers like Gigabyte and MSI are blurring the lines between productivity and gaming machines, emphasizing style beyond raw hardware. This translates to a broader spectrum of designs. Laptops like the Gigabyte Aero series offer sleek, professional aesthetics, while others, such as the MSI Titan 18 HX AI Dragonforged Edition, boldly flaunt their gaming pedigree with eye-catching graphics.

RGB lighting remains a staple, with innovative implementations like wrap-around lighting, illuminated keyboards, and even trackpad lighting. Asus ROG Strix Scar's AniME Dot Matrix LED display, capable of displaying text and animations, is a standout feature. Expect a continued evolution of existing designs alongside novel approaches.

The Rise of AI Assistants

AI integration in laptops advanced significantly. Several vendors demonstrated AI assistants capable of controlling PC settings without manual software interaction. One MSI demo showcased an AI adjusting performance settings based on the specified game. However, the practical speed advantage over manual adjustments remains to be seen. The effectiveness and offline capabilities of these systems need further evaluation.

Mini-LED, Rollable Screens, and Other Innovations

Mini-LED technology is gaining traction, with Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte showcasing high-end laptops featuring this display technology. These laptops boast over 1,100 local dimming zones, resulting in superior contrast, brightness, and color accuracy. While OLED still holds an edge in contrast, Mini-LED's lack of burn-in risk and higher sustained brightness makes it a compelling alternative.

Novelties included the return of the ASUS ROG Flow X13 with USB4 eGPU support, and Lenovo's groundbreaking ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, featuring a rollable OLED display. While the rollable screen's durability is a concern in its first generation, it represents a significant step forward in laptop design.

Ultrabooks Dominate the Gaming Landscape

Ultrabook-style gaming laptops are becoming increasingly prevalent. Major manufacturers are embracing this thin, light, and premium design, exemplified by Gigabyte's revamped Aero line. These laptops are ideal for gamers who don't require maximum settings in the latest titles, offering excellent portability and productivity capabilities. The increasing power of integrated graphics, coupled with technologies like AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution and Intel XeSS, allows for surprisingly capable gaming performance, potentially reducing the reliance on dedicated, lower-end graphics cards like the RTX 4050M. Cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now further enhance this trend.

CES 2024 showcased exciting advancements in gaming laptops. The year ahead promises further innovation and exploration of these emerging trends.