If there was ever a period when gamers could be spoiled for choice in gaming hardware, it looks like 2025 could be the year. And that’s because CES 2025 included PC gaming hardware reveals and previews with Nvidia’s new line of RTX 5000 series GPUs stealing the show. However, I would say that the portable gaming PCs have been the highlight of the event.
It’s undeniable that Valve breathed new life into the portable gaming scene when it launched the Steam Deck in 2022, and the competition is growing rapidly each year – we’ve seen mid-gen upgrades from Asus with ROG Ally and Valve’s Steam Deck with an OLED variant. .
While we wait for news on the successors to the Asus ROG Ally So, here’s my pick for the best gaming laptop PCs at CES 2025.
1. MSI Claw 8 AI+
While this was technically announced last December, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ had a significant presence at CES 2025, and rightly so, because from what I’ve seen so far, this is shaping up to be one of (if not he) the best gaming laptop PC in recent times.
MSI’s first attempt with the Claw A1M used the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, which was not well received. This time around, MSI is using the more efficient Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (which uses the integrated Intel Arc 140V GPU), providing longer battery life and gaming performance based on MSI’s 17W claims and multiple previews.
ETAPrime introduced Claw AI 8+ running graphically demanding CD Projekt Red Cyberpunk 2077 with the ray tracing ultra preset enabled via Intel’s XeSS upscaling method, and the frame rate stayed around 40fps consistently.
It’s available for pre-order from MSI’s US store for $899.99, though sadly there’s no word on availability or pricing in the UK and Australia.
2. Lenovo Legion Go S
The original Lenovo Legion Go is another example of a new portable gaming PC that doesn’t work right the first time. It originally featured a 1600p display and used AMD’s Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor. While that hardware is certainly powerful (the Z1 Extreme is also used in the Asus ROG Ally), it wasn’t enough to handle the 2560×1600 resolution, forcing players to lower the resolution in-game.
The Lenovo Legion Go S arrives, which is a mid-generation update and now uses an 8-inch VRR display with 1920×1200 resolution and 120 Hz, in addition to 32 GB of RAM. It will have multiple configurations, allowing you to choose between SteamOS or Windows 11, and comes with the Ryzen Z2 Go or Z1 Extreme chip.
While the lower resolution and screen size may seem like a negative, it will be of great use to gamers as both processors will likely be able to handle the 1200p resolution with relative ease.
Windows 11 Z2 Go models (16GB or 32GB) are now available for pre-order at Best Buy starting at $729.99 with shipping this month, and SteamOS models will launch in May. Meanwhile, the Legion Go 2 is scheduled to launch sometime this year using the new Z2 Extreme, but for now it’s just a prototype.
3. Acer Nitro Blaze 8
I would love to have put the Acer Nitro Blaze 11 here, as I think it will be Acer’s biggest hit, but it’s too big for a portable gaming PC. It’s also priced at $1,099, which is absurd for a portable gaming PC. Fortunately, the alternative to this is the Acer Nitro Blaze 8, which may still end up having the same performance issues as the original Lenovo Legion Go due to its ambitious 1600p display (for a handheld), but is much more portable and comfortable to hold. .
Using the same specs as its larger counterpart, it will use AMD’s Ryzen 7 8840HS processor that has the same Radeon 780M iGPU seen in the Z1 Extreme, an 8.8-inch 144Hz display, and 16GB of RAM. This appears to be Acer’s attempt to catch up with current handhelds, but it may lose out to the Legion Go S and MSI Claw 8 AI+ with their newer components.
Either way, this will be an impressive portable option for gamers, available in the second quarter of this year starting at $899, in the midst of what looks to be a great year for all laptop PC enthusiasts.
