With numerous highly anticipated titles on the way and the recent debut of Nvidia’s RTX 50-series GPUs, it’s an exhilarating period to be a gaming enthusiast.
We recently returned from CES 2025, where we explored the latest and most impressive gaming technology, which we are eager to combine with titles such as Avowed, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Monster Hunter Wilds, all set to release next month.
New titles and technologies signal enhanced graphical detail and frame rates, so we must be ready if we desire the best experience. Here’s a glimpse of what’s on the horizon in the gaming sector and what we’re particularly thrilled about.
Avowed on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
I’ve been enthusiastic about Pillars of Eternity ever since I listened to Critical Role showcasing its soundtrack during their play sessions, but I lacked the bravery to immerse myself in over 200 hours of outdated gameplay systems. That was until Avowed was hinted at the Xbox Game Showcase back in 2020. Since that moment, I’ve undertaken every quest in the Pillars of Eternity realm and find myself more than ready for the Elder Scrolls-like addition to its universe.
We’ve observed some gameplay at this point, and I’m particularly thrilled about the spellsword-like combat. Admittedly, it was some time ago, but experiencing Skyrim as a spellsword felt unrefined. In the latest trailer, the player could rapidly freeze the foe with one hand and strike him with an axe using the other. When a spell required two hands to cast, such as the trapping vines, the transition back to melee appeared seamless. While playing an RPG, my emphasis is on making my build appear and feel as stylish as possible rather than merely maximizing damage output, and I’m delighted to report that this game does offer style.
With Avowed set to launch on February 13, it may not coincide with the release of my preferred gaming laptop at CES 2025. Nevertheless, should I have the chance to experience Avowed on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, it’ll be a delight. I’ve developed a particular liking for the Zephyrus G14 model since its debut in 2020 (what a coincidence?). Hence, I was excited to discover it could support the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU alongside a 14-inch, up to 2880 x 1800, 240Hz, OLED display featuring 100% DCI-P3 and 500 nits of brightness. In other words: It’s beautiful, and I want it.
— Rami Tabari
Little Nightmares 3 on the Lenovo Legion Go S
Little Nightmares stands among my favorite franchises, cementing my fondness for intricately crafted realms inhabited by unfathomable terrors. Both titles send shivers down my spine, from their haunting audio effects to the surreal way in which each villain shifts and behaves. I carry cherished memories of curling up beneath a pile of blankets in my room, transfixed on my Asus ROG Ally past midnight, heart racing while navigating Little Nightmares 2.
Little Nightmares 3 is scheduled for release in 2025, and it’s well-known that I’m thrilled, even if it’s produced by a fresh team instead of Tarsier Studios (which is focused on the visually stunning spiritual successor, Reanimal). What finer approach to honor my journey with the series than to engage in Little Nightmares 3 on another Windows gaming handheld, especially the economical Lenovo Legion Go S powered by SteamOS.
The Lenovo Legion Go S commences at just $499 and is set to debut in May 2025. It can be configured with an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go or AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, integrated AMD Radeon 700M series graphics, up to 32GB of 6400Mhz LPDDR5X RAM, and up to 1TB of PCIe SSD storage all encased in an 8-inch LCD display at a resolution of 1920 x 1200. And since it operates on SteamOS instead of Windows 11, the lightweight Linux-based system will provide enhanced performance. In summary, it’s the ultimate indie gaming machine, making it ideal for a title such as Little Nightmares 3.
— Claire Tabari
The Outer Worlds 2 on the Lenovo Legion Go 2
I have been anticipating two major gaming releases for years: an enhancement to the End in Minecraft and a follow-up to The Outer Worlds. While the former may never materialize, the latter is set to debut this year. The Outer Worlds ranks among my favorite RPGs due to its brisk gameplay, colorful environment, and an unending flow of humor and irony. In 2025, Obsidian Entertainment is at last dropping the sequel.
The initial gameplay trailer indicates that The Outer Worlds 2 encompasses “everything that should have been incorporated into the first game,” which seemingly features additional action, more weaponry, and enhanced graphics. Personally, I’m eager to see some endearing new companion NPCs and even greater chances to disrupt the galaxy via questionable dialogue selections.
What could be better than playing a sequel with a sequel? Specifically, the Lenovo Legion Go 2. Much like The Outer Worlds 2, we are unsure of the exact launch date for the Lenovo Legion Go 2, but a release in 2025 seems promising. I experienced the initial Outer Worlds game on Nintendo Switch, and although I cherished the portability, the graphic quality lacked significant improvement. Therefore, I am already keeping an eye on the Legion Go 2. It offers the handheld design I appreciated while playing The Outer Worlds initially, but with vastly superior gaming technology inside.
The Lenovo Legion Go 2 was announced early last year and finally revealed this week at CES 2025. It will be equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, among the most sophisticated in any handheld gaming PC. Although it weighs 2.38 pounds, it boasts a 74Wh battery, nearly double that of the original Legion Go’s battery. Coupled with an OLED display, the Legion Go 2 could easily emerge as a contender for best handheld gaming device of the year, although we will need to await the outcome.
— Stevie Bonifield
Gunman Contracts on the whatever laptop is connected to the ROG XG Mobile eGPU
Gunman Contracts was initially launched as a Half-Life: Alyx mod back in 2021, transforming the genre of Valve’s VR masterpiece from a sci-fi adventure combined with survival horror to a gun-fu Hollywood spectacle. It offers an immersive experience akin to stepping into John Wick’s shoes without needing to skin Keanu Reeves, boasting exhilarating gunplay intertwined with a generous amount of judo maneuvers in your solo mission to restore order to the criminal underbelly.
While it can be played in conventional first-person mode, I’ll be opting for the PCVR adventure, because while one might be proficient with a mouse and keyboard, it’s just impossible to toss a knife into the air, eliminate three armed adversaries with a firearm, and hip toss the last foe into the trajectory of the falling dagger as executed in VR. Not that I can accomplish that in VR either. But by all means, I will attempt.
Anticipated to launch as a complete standalone title this year, Gunman Contracts will first make its debut on Steam Early Access, which means if I wish to avoid experiencing the game through a strobe light as its creator fine-tunes any minor optimization concerns, it may be time for me to consider an upgrade.
However, maybe I would forego replacing my entire system and choose instead the new ROG XG Mobile eGPU, granting me
“`up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 mobile-level graphics (maximum TGP 150W) featuring as much as 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM accompanied by DisplayPort 2.1 excellence alongside the substantial bandwidth (up to 64Gbps for visuals, and 128Gbps of total throughput) provided by its Thunderbolt 5 connection. Admittedly, that variant is priced at $2,199, whereas the RTX 5070 is available for $1,199.
— Rael Hornby
WWE 2K25 on the HP Omen 16 Max
WWE 2K is my top wrestling video game franchise and WWE 2K25 is scheduled to launch later this year. Following a brief WWE 2K25 teaser during WWE RAW’s Netflix premiere on January 6, I am eager to see what is next for the series.
Aside from conjecturing that Roman Reigns will grace the cover of WWE 2K25 and undoubtedly feature in this year’s 2K Showcase, I am curious regarding the visual enhancements. I reviewed the previous installment, WWE 2K24, and encountered an issue where the gameplay would lag in slow motion. To provide context, my HP Pavilion Gaming PC is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 6-core processor, 16GB of RAM, and AMD’s Radeon RX 5500 GPU with 4GB of dedicated memory.
Sure, I managed to resolve the issue after updating my graphics drivers and tweaking my monitor’s refresh rate, but it was a stark reminder of the increasing demands of modern games. While I’m a casual gamer, I wish to indulge in upcoming titles without the concern of facing problems.
That’s when a high-performance gaming laptop like the HP Omen 16 Max, announced at CES 2025, comes to the rescue. With configurations reaching up to the latest AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 or Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and graphics up to the new Radeon 890M and RTX 50-series, it likely exceeds WWE 2K25’s upcoming recommended system specifications.
Even though I would be transitioning from a 32-inch, 2K, 144Hz monitor to a 16-inch, QHD, 240Hz display, the higher refresh rate would be advantageous. For titles like WWE 2K25 featuring rapid combat, high-flying in-game stunts, and lifelike cutscenes, gameplay would be more fluid than room-temperature butter on the HP Omen 16 Max.
— Hilda Scott