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Believe it or not, I’ve nearly pulled the trigger on a gaming laptop more times than I care to admit—even though I’ve openly talked smack about them in the past. Gaming from the couch? Hell yeah… until I’d talk myself right out of it. What if it gets too hot and melts my thighs? What if it’s too bulky to lug around the house?
But honestly, the biggest reason was always how loud they looked. No offense to the teenage boy demographic out there, but I’m a 37-year-old woman with zero interest in the stereotypical gamer aesthetic. Spicy red accents, edgy fonts, angular designs, aggressive brand names, etc. You know the look.
I remember looking at a high-end gaming laptop at my local retail store once and having an inner dialogue with myself: Is this really me, though? If there’s one gaming laptop that has the ‘too much’ gene, it was this one. It had all the hardware I wanted, but I just couldn’t get past the aggressive design.
Fortunately, the times are a-changing. While you can still find plenty of neon-soaked, ultra-in-your-face notebooks on store shelves, you’ll increasingly find options available that would look just fine in a work meeting. Gaming laptops are finally growing up.
Why design matters
The design matters because it tells a story about who the laptop is for and how it feels when you use it. For many years, the story gaming laptops told was loud and juvenile and, if I’m being completely honest, stereotypically male. That’s fine if that’s your thing but for someone like me, I feel left out like the last kid to be picked at a soccer game.
I don’t want to ever feel like I’ve got to tuck my laptop away when friends come over or work pops up. I also don’t want to feel like I’m powering up a spaceship, drawing unwanted attention to myself — my introverted self just can’t handle it. I want powerful specs, but I also want something more subtle.
I envision myself playing city management games in the evening (with a cup of tea!) and editing articles during the day on the same machine. Having that versatility without sacrificing the design factor would make it feel more justified.
Good design doesn’t just hide the guts, it quietly says, “Yeah, I love to game, but I also like to sip tea and write away the hours.”
The shift to minimalism
IDG / Mark Knapp
Thankfully, the laptop industry as a whole is evolving to meet gamers where they’re at in life. Not everyone wants something that looks like some bizarre tool in a science fiction movie. Gaming laptops with more minimalist designs prove you can have power and mature style.
The Razer Blade 16 or Asus Zephyrus G14, for instance, are more mature-looking in design. They blend right in at a coffee shop or modern office. Matte finishes and simple logos? Yup. That’ll do it.
But if you want heavy firepower in a truly professional chassis, gamers have another option now: the surging rise of creator-centric laptops built around gaming-class components and no-nonsense design.
The rise of creator-focused laptops
Creators (editors, 3D artists, etc) need as much raw power as gamers, but they usually need different specs like high-resolution screens with wide color gamuts (a broader range of colors) and more RAM for larger projects. Better yet, they’re designed to look professional, too–this is especially important if you’re face-to-face with your customers.
Take the Asus ProArt P16, for example. It’s packing serious power underneath the hood and yet it’s wrapped up in a cool, low-key design.
IDG / Matthew Smith
The only thing about creator laptops is that most come with displays with lower refresh rates and that’s not something gamers typically want. That might seem like a drawback, but it’s actually by design–it all comes down to priorities. High refresh rate displays typically sacrifice color accuracy. Yeah, gameplay’s smoother, but you miss out on those rich, true-to-life colors. Gaming laptops focus on speed and responsiveness whereas creator laptops prioritize color accuracy and heavy creative work.
I should note that you can definitely play on a 60Hz display, but it depends on the type of game. It’s not ideal for twitchy shooters, but for story-driven stuff? Totally fine.
More inclusive design for all sorts of gamers
For years, power used to mean in-your-face designs. But gamers aren’t a monolith. Anyone who isn’t just a “some dude kickin’ back in a gamer chair” stereotype deserves gear that actually matches who they are. Manufacturers are (finally) catching on with more minimalist designs and quieter keyboards.
It’s also validating to see my interests and identity finally align. I love to play games, but never felt comfortable in the culture. Design is more than just a cosmetic thing to me. The aesthetics of your setup can have an emotional pull, too — witness the wild RGB setups to Hello Kitty keycaps used by major streamers. Vibes matter!
And that’s why I’m so thrilled to see laptops grow up. Sure, it took longer than it should’ve, but after decades of living with laptops shouting in fiery angst, I can finally be me.
Author: Ashley Biancuzzo, Associate Editor, PCWorld
Ashley Biancuzzo manages all laptop and Chromebook coverage for PCWorld. She’s been covering consumer tech since 2016, and her work has appeared on USA Today, Reviewed, Polygon, Kotaku, StarWars.com, and Nerdist. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, reading science fiction, and hanging out with her rescue greyhound.
