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 offered stylistic variety, this year felt particularly distinct. Manufacturers like Gigabyte and MSI are blurring the lines between productivity and gaming machines, emphasizing aesthetics beyond raw hardware.

This translates to a broader spectrum of designs. Sleek, professional models like the Gigabyte Aero series coexist with aggressively styled laptops such as the MSI Titan 18 HX AI Dragonforged Edition, boasting prominent branding.

RGB lighting remains a staple, with innovations like Asus ROG Strix Scar's AniME Dot Matrix LED display on the lid, showcasing text and animations. Expect a diverse range of sizes and weights, from thin and light to large and powerful configurations.

The Rise of AI Assistants

AI integration in laptops advanced significantly. Several vendors demonstrated AI assistants enabling PC control without dedicated software. An MSI representative showcased an AI adjusting performance settings based on the selected game. However, the practical speed advantage over manual adjustments remains to be seen. The offline functionality and overall capabilities require further evaluation.

Mini-LED, Rollable Screens, and Other Innovations

Mini-LED technology is gaining traction, with Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte showcasing high-end models. These laptops boast over 1,100 local dimming zones, resulting in superior contrast, brightness, and color accuracy compared to previous iterations. While OLED still holds an edge in contrast, Mini-LED offers higher sustained brightness without burn-in risk.

Novelties included the return of the ASUS ROG Flow X13 with eGPU support via USB4, and Lenovo's ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, the first commercially available laptop with a rollable OLED display. While the rollable screen's durability is a concern, it signifies a significant technological advancement.

Ultrabooks Gaining Ground in Gaming

Ultrabook-style gaming laptops are becoming increasingly prevalent, even among major manufacturers. Gigabyte's updated Aero series exemplifies this trend, prioritizing thin, light, and premium designs. These laptops offer a balance between portability and gaming capabilities, especially for users who don't require maximum settings on the latest games.

The improved performance of integrated graphics from AMD and Intel, coupled with technologies like AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution and Intel XeSS, makes gaming on these machines surprisingly viable. Cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now further enhance this capability. The future of low-performance dedicated GPUs like the RTX 4050M is questionable given these advancements.

The gaming laptop landscape is dynamic, and further developments will be covered throughout the year. Share your thoughts on these trends in the comments!