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 particularly pronounced. Manufacturers like Gigabyte and MSI are blurring the lines between productivity and gaming aesthetics. High-end models are increasingly emphasizing design features beyond raw hardware specifications.

This translates to a broader spectrum of choices. Sleek, professional designs like the Gigabyte Aero series cater to diverse needs, while others, such as the MSI Titan 18 HX AI Dragonforged Edition, boldly showcase their gaming pedigree.

RGB lighting remains a staple, featuring innovative implementations like wrap-around rings, illuminated keyboards, and even trackpad lighting. The Asus ROG Strix Scar series impressed with its AniME Dot Matrix LED display, capable of dynamic text and animation.

While radical reinventions are scarce, expect a compelling mix of form factors, from bulky powerhouses to slim and portable options, each with diverse hardware configurations.

AI Integration Takes Center Stage

AI features were prominent last year, but often fell short. This year, several vendors showcased more sophisticated AI assistants enabling hands-free PC control.

One demonstration showed an MSI representative using a chatbot to adjust performance settings automatically based on the selected game. The practicality remains to be seen, as manual adjustments might prove equally efficient. The true value and offline capabilities of these systems require further evaluation.

Mini-LED, Rollable Screens, and Other Innovations

Mini-LED technology is finally gaining traction in gaming laptops. Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte all exhibited Mini-LED models with high-end specs and price points. These laptops boast over 1,100 local dimming zones, delivering superior contrast, brightness, and color accuracy. While OLED still holds an edge in contrast, Mini-LED offers comparable visual quality without burn-in risks and higher sustained brightness.

Other notable innovations include the return of the ASUS ROG Flow X13 with USB4 eGPU support, and the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, the first commercially available laptop with a rollable OLED display. The rollable screen, while aesthetically unconventional and potentially less durable in its first iteration, represents a significant technological leap.

Ultrabooks Gaining Ground in Gaming

Ultrabooks are increasingly prevalent in gaming lineups. Major manufacturers offer thin, light, and premium gaming laptops, exemplified by Gigabyte's redesigned Aero series.

These Ultrabooks offer a compelling balance of portability and gaming capabilities. For users who don't demand maximum settings in the latest games, they provide a highly portable option suitable for both gaming and productivity tasks. Adding dedicated graphics cards is also possible without compromising portability, as demonstrated by the Asus TUF Gaming A14.

Furthermore, the improved performance of integrated graphics in modern CPUs, coupled with upscaling technologies like AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution and Intel XeSS, allows for playable frame rates in many demanding games, potentially reducing the need for lower-end dedicated GPUs like the RTX 4050M. Cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now further enhance this trend.

The gaming laptop landscape is evolving rapidly. This overview highlights some of the most exciting developments, and we will continue to explore these trends throughout the year. Share your thoughts in the comments!