CES 2025: Unveiling Gaming Laptop Trends

CES never disappoints when it comes to showcasing a plethora of laptops, and this year's event was no different. I meticulously explored the show floor and various suites to identify the prevailing trends in gaming laptops for the current year. Here are the key themes that dominated the gaming laptop scene at CES.

A Huge Diversity of Designs

Gaming laptops have always boasted a variety of styles, but this year's offerings felt particularly expansive. This diversity is partly due to brands like Gigabyte and MSI pushing the boundaries between productivity and gaming. High-end gaming laptops are now expected to offer something "extra" beyond just powerful hardware.

You can anticipate a broader range of gaming laptops this year. For instance, the Gigabyte Aero series showcases a sleek and elegant design suitable for professional environments, while the MSI Titan 18 HX AI Dragonforged Edition features bold graphics on its lid, proudly displaying its top-tier status.

As expected, RGB lighting continues to be a highlight in many laptops. From wrap-around lighting rings to illuminated mechanical keyboards, side-lights, rear-lights, and even trackpad lights, the Asus ROG Strix Scar series stood out with its innovative AniME Dot Matrix LED display. This feature allows for text, animations, and more to be displayed on its lid through a series of white LEDs.

While there isn't much reinvention in this area, expect to see intriguing novelties alongside the traditional spectrum of large, heavy laptops and sleek, lightweight models with a variety of hardware configurations.

AI Assistants are Coming

Last year, AI became a notable feature in laptops, though its integration was often underwhelming. This year, several vendors showcased AI Assistants that promise to enhance user control over their PCs without needing to manually open software.

During a demonstration, an MSI representative used a chatbot to specify the type of game he wanted to play, and the assistant automatically adjusted the performance settings to match the game's intensity. However, I remain skeptical about the necessity of these systems. While they appear to operate offline, I'm not convinced they offer any real time-saving benefits over manual adjustments. We'll need to wait and see how these features develop and what they truly offer.

Mini-LED, Rollable Displays and Other Novelties

Mini-LED technology is finally making a significant impact in the gaming laptop market. Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte displayed Mini-LED laptops with top-of-the-line specifications and pricing. Previously, this technology needed further refinement, but it now appears ready for the market. The laptops I saw featured over 1,100 local dimming zones, reducing blooming and enhancing contrast, along with exceptional brightness and vivid colors. While OLED still excels in contrast, Mini-LED's advantage lies in its resistance to burn-in and higher sustained brightness. I'm excited about the potential for more Mini-LED models in the near future.

There were also some exciting novelties. The ASUS ROG Flow X13 returns with eGPU support via USB4, eliminating the need for proprietary connections. Asus showcased it paired with a new eGPU featuring up to an RTX 5090, offering a powerful upgrade akin to a hyper-energized Microsoft Surface.

Elsewhere, Asus displayed the Zenbook Duo, a dual-screen productivity laptop, but Lenovo stole the show with the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable. This isn't a gaming laptop, and its impact on the industry this year might be limited, but it's the first notebook with a rollable OLED display. At the push of a button, its 14-inch screen extends upward, adding an extra 2.7 inches of display space. Though it looks somewhat awkward and raises concerns about the durability of the extension mechanism as a first-generation product, it's a tangible product that will be available for purchase and is expected to improve over time as technology evolves.

Ultrabooks Continue to Rise, Even for Gaming

Ultrabooks are increasingly prevalent, even within gaming line-ups. Major manufacturers now offer Ultrabook gaming laptops, characterized by their thin, light, and premium yet minimalist design. Gigabyte, for example, has revamped its Aero series to embrace the Ultrabook form factor, and the models I saw were impressive.

This trend isn't surprising. If you don't require the latest games at the highest settings, these Ultrabooks provide a portable solution that's also excellent for productivity. My review of the Asus TUF Gaming A14 last year demonstrated that it's feasible to include a dedicated graphics card in these machines without compromising their on-the-go productivity benefits.

Moreover, by tweaking settings, you can bypass the need for a more expensive laptop with a dedicated graphics card. The latest processors from AMD and Intel are remarkably capable for gaming, as evidenced by recent handheld devices. With enhanced integrated graphics and features like AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (or Intel XeSS) and frame generation, it's possible to run demanding games at playable levels. For casual gaming, this might be sufficient, raising questions about the future necessity of lower-performance chips like the RTX 4050M.

Cloud gaming is another viable option for these machines. Services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now have reached a maturity level where you can enjoy a great gaming experience without needing a dedicated "gaming" laptop.

The world of gaming laptops at CES was filled with exciting developments, and we'll continue to cover them throughout the year. What caught your attention? Share your thoughts in the comments below!