Game laptops don't always have the best reputation among PC lovers, which is understandable.
You will charge extra for less power in the gaming digital, and the raw performance is often hampered by the challenge of balancing a small object with the form and exhaust heat of high-quality graphics cards. Many of the game's laptops look like Neo threw all the extras from Michael Bay's Transformers films. Size can be a problem, causing many to feel like large chunks of plastic, full of weeping fans eager to keep everything from burning. And they are difficult – and sometimes impossible – to develop.
I get it. There are tradoffs, and the downsides can be huge.
But I'm not sure I'll ever go back to the tower, even if it means saving a bit more money for my next renovation. Having a competent portable gaming PC can do more damage than I expected.
The power of portability
PC gaming is often pursued on its own, even when playing with others online. My friends and I have one or two years' worth of LAN parties, I'm sure, but it can be painful for donkeys to break everything down, safely carry it back, replace it, and repeat the whole process and go back to that evening or the next day. This is especially true if you are thinking about connecting wiring to your playground.
But being in the same physical space with others is a wonderful thing, no matter how much I love playing online. There were many evenings in 2019 when I unloaded a laptop, stuffed it in my bag with a USB mouse and headset, and headed over to my friend's house to try a new game or play an old favorite after ordering some food and chatting, face to face, in the middle of the game.
I always knew this was one of the rebels to get a gaming laptop, but it was professional. Before I had the option, I had no idea how much more satisfying and satisfying a PC game would be in an argument with gaming, gaming physically near others, they are almost completely removed.
Calling gaming laptops "portable" may be a little outdated, especially with some of the large plastic items out there. But even the simplest of them do open some useful doors, especially in a house with many children. Being able to play different things on a PC in bed, with a USB controller and headphones, feels luxurious. So is playing a game in the living room of a laptop while the kids are in control of the TV.
These are not new ideas; it's not like gaming laptops are a new idea. However, there have been a few companies that have been able to build gaming laptops that come with the look of a “standard” shameless laptop while providing enough power to run most games over the past few years. There are many options now dark, and simple, besides the decorative colors and plastic that used to be so popular. At best, this does not always mean a reduction in power, or a large takeover of the price.
Laptops are ideal for VR, while they are often quite expensive, and can add the benefit of carrying them easily to an experience you may not want to lock in a single room in your home, especially if you like to take out your VR headset in-house to show friends and family. (Or I still recommend Oculus Quest for a true VR experience.)
The real reason for writing this was to share the praise with others for the gaming laptops, because my zeal for them is often linked to the uncertainty of some and the hostility from others. There are a lot of downsides to gaming laptops, and I don't want to put down those issues.
But at least others it's worth taking the time to identify things they can do well, and how much more comfortable and socially responsible they can be for PC gaming. Having the opportunity to use one in length in 2019 has changed the way I think about PC gaming in general, and I'm happy to put my voice to the smallest – and often overlooked – chorus of their songs.
