Nvidia thinks that its gaming laptops are going to be more popular than the PS5 and Xbox Series X and we’re not convinced.
Decades ago, nobody would have ever dreamed that video games would become a $120-billion-a-year industry. Each year, gaming companies see more and more growth when it comes to their respective consoles or PCs. Riding high off of Nvidia’s Q4 earnings, CEO Jensen Huang was asked about the new line of Nvidia RTX gaming laptops and he responded with a rather bold claim.
“Our notebook business has seen double-digit growth for eight consecutive quarters and this is unquestionably a new gaming category. Like… it’s a new game console. This is going to be the largest game console in the world I believe. And the reason for that is because there are more people with laptops than there are of any other device.”
There’s no question that gaming laptops are fantastic pieces of machinery. Nvidia GTX models can currently run a 2060-2080 GPU, a far leap from current console GPUs, but with that comes a hefty price tag. The allure of PlayStation, Switch or Xbox is the ability to play one’s favorite games, but not break the wallet in doing so. Recent predictions for the PlayStation 5’s pricing estimate it around $499-$599. As it stands with an Nvidia RTX gaming laptop with a 2060 GPU, you’d have to spend a minimum of $1500. For perspective, you could build a low-to-mid range PC for that price. Not really a feasible price-point for the average gamer.
The Xbox Series X and PS5 consoles that are set to be released towards the end of 2020 are going to boast some of the most impressive graphics processing power yet. Capable of running ray tracing and 120hz with the potential for 8k. Consoles are set for an outstanding 2020 and Nvidia is going to be hard pressed to steal the console market anytime soon.
The statements made are clearly the words of an excited CEO who wants to see their products selling well. But stating that a $1500 laptop will outsell or “become the new console” when it’s easily $1000 more than the competition is a laughable thought. Gamers also have brand loyalty and the console wars will rage on for years to come. Laptops have a long way to go before butting into that cage match.
Source: techradar
