The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) may not primarily be a gaming event, yet gamers should still keep an eye on it.
CES 2026 is set to begin this week, happening from January 6 to 9, bringing together top tech brands from around the globe in Las Vegas to showcase their products. For video game enthusiasts, CES offers less of an opportunity to see new games from major publishers and more of a chance to learn about forthcoming video game hardware, particularly in the PC domain. In essence, don’t anticipate much direct input from Nintendo, PlayStation, or Xbox, although their parent companies like Sony and Microsoft will have a presence at the event.
However, that doesn’t imply that gamers should overlook CES completely. Here are some gaming trends that will likely be discussed during CES 2026.
An abundance of gaming laptops, but what will the price be?
Gaming laptops are a staple at CES, and this year is expected to follow suit. Manufacturers like Razer and Asus will be present in various capacities, so powerful new laptops from these brands shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Ahead of the event, reports suggest that Asus is developing a new dual-screen gaming laptop, as the company hinted at it on X in December. This seems to be a revision of the ROG Zephyrus Duo from a few years back. Since Asus hasn’t updated it since 2023, a redesign could be forthcoming. Expect to see this at CES.
Additionally, Lenovo is rumored to be creating a gaming laptop featuring a horizontally rollable display, which may debut at CES this year. Lenovo has previously tested rollable displays in its non-gaming laptops, but this one is reportedly branded with Legion, its line for gaming devices. The display is said to boast a 21:9 aspect ratio when fully extended and will include an Intel core processor.
On the topic of Intel, the company has already announced it will unveil its new Panther Lake CPUs at CES. While not guaranteed, it’s quite possible that some impressive gaming laptops featuring these processors will be showcased. The same applies to AMD, which is set to deliver a keynote on Monday. We might also see devices equipped with its powerful new Ryzen CPU.
The sole issue with all of this is that widespread memory shortages, driven by the rise of AI data centers, have caused significant increases in computer component prices. This will affect both console and PC gaming, making it essential to observe at CES which gaming laptops list their prices and which do not. Will companies raise prices, or opt for lower specifications to keep costs manageable? We will just have to wait and see.
Potential updates to handheld gaming PCs
All these new processors might also find their way into handheld gaming PCs. Lenovo has a new Legion Go with built-in SteamOS for those preferring not to use Windows, which might be revealed at CES.
This market segment is still evolving and seems poised for more devices beyond the Legion Go 2 to emerge at CES. We will be on the lookout for these as we navigate the show.
Eye-catching new gaming monitors
Monitors often go unappreciated in any gaming PC setup, but they are certainly not overlooked at CES.
As usual, anticipate monitors featuring higher resolutions and refresh rates than typically seen. In December, Philips announced a 1440p monitor capable of an extraordinary 500Hz refresh rate. That alone is impressive, but it’s also claimed to have 1080p/1000Hz modes. Those numbers are significant! If they appear at CES, they will definitely be interesting to check out, especially given the timing of the announcement.
Furthermore, Chinese monitor manufacturer HKC recently revealed an RGB mini LED monitor as well. Rather than concentrating solely on elevated refresh rates, this monitor aims for enhanced color accuracy with RGB technology. However, it won’t compromise on other specifications, as it will reportedly operate at 4K with a 165Hz refresh rate—quite commendable.
Visit the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest updates and live coverage from the largest technology event, where Mashable journalists are reporting in real-time.