I review gaming laptops for a living — and I’d recommend these 7 over a PS5 Pro

MSI Cyborg 15 next to PS5 Pro
(Image credit: MSI / Sony)

Sony officially revealed the PS5 Pro, leading some gamers to say they’d rather buy or build one of the best gaming PCs instead of paying $700 for the console. If that sounds familiar, that’s because the same thing happened when the PS4 Pro was announced in 2016. Granted that system didn’t cost nearly as much as the PS5 Pro, but the discussions still centered around getting the most bang for your buck from a gaming machine.

I sympathize with preferring a gaming PC over a PS5 Pro. As I said recently, I’ve been a PlayStation fan for over 20 years but I’m skipping the PS5 Pro because I already own a gaming rig. However, I understand that not everyone can afford a gaming PC or might not have room for a big desktop. Because of that, I think it’s actually better to buy one of the best gaming laptops instead.

Sure, gaming laptops aren’t as powerful as their desktop counterparts, but if you want to enjoy games at higher refresh rates and higher frame rates than either the PS5 or Xbox Series X generally deliver, you can enjoy that experience even on machines with modest components. And even if you have to wait a year or two for PS5 exclusives like Astro Bot to arrive on PC, gaming laptops let you play the majority of third-party games at launch.

An image of the PS5 Pro on a colorful background

The PS5 Pro (pictured above) boasts better internals than its predecessor but a gaming laptop offers more for your money. (Image credit: Sony)

These laptops aren’t also just strictly for gaming either, unlike a console. Yeah, you can stream YouTube and Netflix on PS5, but surfing the internet on the PS5’s limited web browser is frustrating. And don’t even think about using Google Docs on the system. Sure, you’re not buying a gaming console for basic computing, but if you can buy a machine that lets you work and play, why not have the best of both worlds? And unlike a PS5, you can take a gaming laptop wherever you go and continue playing.

Objectively, the PS5 Pro is a great value if you’re a dedicated PlayStation player who only plays games on the company's consoles. But if you truly want to get the most for your money, then a gaming laptop is a much better choice. To that end, I’ve listed 7 gaming laptops I’d recommend over the PS5 Pro.

Most of these portable rigs cost less than or around what the PS5 Pro will cost when you include the $80 disc drive attachment. The notebooks I’ve selected might not be the latest and greatest, but if you set the resolution to 1080p (which looks great on gaming laptops’ displays) and keep graphical settings on medium to high, most games will run at 60 frames per second or above—which even the PS5 Pro might not consistently pull off. I’ve also included a couple of pricier considerations for those who can afford them, though even these won't nuke your bank account.

Don’t bother buying a PS5 Pro. Get one of these gaming laptops instead!

7 gaming laptops I recommend over PS5 Pro

MSI Bravo: was $999 now $749 @ Best Buy

MSI Bravo: was $999 now $749 @ Best Buy
The MSI Bravo has all the hallmarks of a gaming laptop, minus the high price tag. It features a 15.6-inch 1080p LCD with 144Hz refresh rate, AMD Ryzen 5-7535HS, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and RTX 4050 GPU.

Asus TUF Gaming A16 (2024): was $1,099 now $749 @ Best Buy

Asus TUF Gaming A16 (2024): was $1,099 now $749 @ Best Buy
The Asus TUF Gaming A16 packs some respectable specs under the hood. This configuration comes in Black and is powered by the formidable GPU/CPU pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS and Radeon RX7700S (respectively). This 16-inch laptop has a sharp IPS screen with a max refresh rate of 165Hz, making it an ideal option for fans of first-person shooters.  

MSI Cyborg 15: was $999 now $799 @ Best Buy

MSI Cyborg 15: was $999 now $799 @ Best Buy
The MSI Cyborg 15 features a 15.6-inch 1080p 144Hz LCD, Core i7-13620H CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and an RTX 4050 GPU with 6GB of RAM. You might not be able to crank the settings up on the latest games, but if you play at medium and high settings at 1080p, you're going to have an enjoyable gaming experience. We also found the machine was great for everyday productivity.

Lenovo LOQ 15 (RTX 4050): was $999 now $799 @ Best Buy

Lenovo LOQ 15 (RTX 4050): was $999 now $799 @ Best Buy
This is one of the best RTX 4050 gaming laptop deals you can snap up right now. This configuration of the Legion LOQ 15 packs an RTX 4060 GPU, an AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS CPU, 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, alongside a 15.6-inch FHD panel with 144Hz refresh rate.

Acer Nitro V: $849 @ Amazon

Acer Nitro V: $849 @ Amazon
While this Acer Nitro V isn't technically on sale, its lower-than-$1,000 price still makes it an incredible deal. It packs an Intel Core i7 CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It also boasts a 15.6-inch QHD display with a 144Hz refresh rate for a consistently smooth gameplay experience.

Asus ROG Strix G16 (2024): was $1,399 now $1,280 @ Amazon

Asus ROG Strix G16 (2024): was $1,399 now $1,280 @ Amazon
This 16-inch gaming laptop comes in “Eclipse Gray,” with its most exciting component obviously being its RTX Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. Team Green’s GPU is backed by Intel's 13th Gen i7-13650HX CPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD.

MSI Katana 15 (RTX 4070): was $1,299 now $1,134 @ Amazon

MSI Katana 15 (RTX 4070): was $1,299 now $1,134 @ Amazon
This MSI Katana 15 comes packed with power — 13th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, a beastly RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Combine all this with plenty of connectivity and top-notch thermal management with Cooler Boost 5 technology, and you’re onto a well-priced winner.

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Tony Polanco
Computing Writer

Tony is a computing writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on X/Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.