Are gaming laptops worth it? The answer might change in the next few years

I get asked every time I tell someone I review gaming laptops: are they worth it compared with more powerful, upgradeable PC towers? My career so far has been spent finding the best gaming laptops for all kinds of use-cases, so of course I think they're worth it — but that might change in 2026.

Intel's Panther Lake, AMD's upcoming Gorgon Point, and rumors of Nvidia's N1X point to 2026 as the year of the system-on-chip gaming laptop. Those demos are happening on workhorse business machines that traditionally cost far less than the top-tier gaming flagships, suggesting a future where a dedicated gaming model isn't strictly necessary.

The high-end RTX 5090‑toting powerhouses will still lead the pack, but chunky, budget-friendly laptops that prioritize squeezing the latest GPUs into the cheapest chassis could be on the back foot. Models such as the MSI Katana, Lenovo LOQ and IdeaPad-style rigs should be thinking about pricing and positioning if integrated options match their performance with slimmer, brighter designs.

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