The best laptop for game development: the perfect device for crafting your vision

three laptops for game development on an orange background
(Image credit: Acer/Asus/Apple/Future)

The games industry is a fun and exciting field to work in, but you'll need powerful hardware to bring creative visions to life. Whether you're a solo indie developer or part of a larger studio, the best computer for game development can make all the difference in your productivity and the quality of your work.

The best computer for game development needs to balance raw processing power, graphics capabilities, memory, storage, and portability. In this article, we'll explore the top laptops that cater specifically to these needs. Of course, you need software too, so read our guide to the best game development software to see which is right for you.

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Key features

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Premium, but competitive

★★★★

Design

Great functionality including ASUS Dial

★★★★★

Performance

Handles complex game dev tasks with ease

★★★★★

Battery life

Impressive for the power

★★★★

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Key features

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Excellent value

★★★★★

Design

No nonsense, practical

★★★★

Performance

Decent for the price

★★★★

Battery life

Up to seven hours

★★★

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Key features

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Premium but justified

★★★★

Design

Slim but some build issues

★★★★

Performance

Exceptional

★★★★★

Battery life

Average for class

★★★

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Key features

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Great value for a 2-in-1

★★★★★

Design

Premium build, versatile hinge

★★★★

Performance

OKay for everyday use

★★★

Battery life

Up to 10 hours for light tasks

★★★★

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Key features

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Premium pricing for high-end specs

★★★★

Design

Sleek and professional

★★★★★

Performance

Handles game engines, asset creation, and rendering with ease

★★★★★

Battery life

Long-lasting, even during intensive workflows

★★★★★

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Key features

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Very expensive

★★★

Design

Subtle for a gaming laptop

★★★★

Performance

Incredible power

★★★★★

Battery life

Quite limited

★★★

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Key features

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Premium price

★★★

Design

Unique form factor

★★★★★

Performance

Impressive power for a hybrid

★★★★★

Battery life

Strong unless you use both screens

★★★★

Asus Zenbook 14 OLED:

Asus Zenbook 14 OLED: This is a fantastic laptop with oodles of power. We think it might even be the best laptop release of this year. It has a bright OLED screen, and an AI boost perfect for game development. We gave it 5/5 stars in our Asus Zenbook 14 OLED review.

Dell Precision 5470:

Dell Precision 5470: This laptop's compact design, excellent battery life and incredible power make it arguably one of the best mobile workstations around. The top-quality build, super power and incredible battery life, all packed into such a slim 14-inch design, makes it a great option for game development. Read our 4.5-star review for more details.

ASUS Vivobook Pro 16:

ASUS Vivobook Pro 16: This fantastic all-around laptop for creatives combines a dedicated GPU alongside a more than capable 13th Gen Intel CPU, providing plenty of processing power. The battery life leaves a little to be desired, but the OLED display provides excellent colour accuracy and vibrancy. Read our 4.5-star review for more details.

Matt Hanson

Matt has been a technology journalist for over 15 years, writing for publications such as T3, MacFormat and Creative Bloq. He's a managing editor of TechRadar, Creative Bloq's sister site, where he can be found writing about and reviewing laptops, computers, monitors and more. He often writes for Creative Bloq, helping creatives find their perfect laptop or PC.

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