Computex 2025 is just about to kick off (the world’s largest computing showcase officially runs from May 20 to May 23), and I’ve landed in Taipei, Taiwan, to see what the future of computing holds.
I’ve always loved Computex – for a start, Taiwan is a beautiful country and Taipei is an exhilarating city to visit. And, as a certified, card-carrying computer geek, I enjoy browsing the latest PCs, laptops and monitors while getting an idea of what the future holds for our digital devices.
So, I’m keen to get stuck in to Computex, but before the show starts, here’s what I’m expecting to see at this year’s event – and like so many modern tech showcases (including the upcoming Google I/O), Computex 2025 will likely be dominated by two words: Artificial Intelligence.
1. AI in (almost) everything
AI is a big deal at the moment – at least, that’s what a lot of companies want to believe. However, despite putting AI into all kinds of products, I just don’t think consumers are that excited. Many of the companies that will be at Computex 2025 will be hoping to change that.
Even ignoring the tagline ‘AI Next’, it was always going to be a safe bet that AI would be a major buzzword at Computex 2025. Nvidia, one of the biggest companies in the world, is hosting a keynote on Monday May 19, which I’ll be attending, and while the company made its fortune with graphics cards, it’s now one of the leading names when it comes to Artificial Intelligence.
Nvidia’s keynote will be followed by Qualcomm (which I’ll also be attending). While not as recognisable a name as Nvidia, Qualcomm is behind a lot of the tech in many of the gadgets we have in our homes. Its Arm-based Snapdragon chips power loads of the best smartphones, and it’s been collaborating with Microsoft and laptop makers for a new generation of Arm-based laptops which are part of Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC initiative.
While I’m not a huge fan of the name, these Copilot+ PCs have been pretty darn impressive so far, with the likes of the Surface Laptop impressing us enough to be included in our best laptops list.
As you might have guessed due to the mention of Copilot, Microsoft‘s AI assistant, these laptops feature chips by Qualcomm (plus Intel and AMD) that feature NPUs (Neural Processing Units) that allow complex AI tasks to be run on the device itself, rather than relying on cloud-based services that need an internet connection.
I expect to see plenty of new Copilot+ PC laptops shown off at Computex – but the problem is that so far, I just don’t think either Microsoft or the laptop makers themselves have really shown off why consumers should ditch their current laptops and upgrade.
Sure, with them you can use AI tools in Paint to turn your scribbles into more recognisable ‘art’ without needing an internet connection, and asking Copilot to analyse data without passing it on to Microsoft, are benefits – but they don’t get consumers excited.
So, at Computex 2025 I don’t just want to see companies stuff AI into every device they can – I want them to show us why we should care.
2. Laptop batteries that last for days
Despite their focus on AI, the most exciting thing about Copilot+ PC laptops, especially the Arm-based ones, is that thanks to the power efficiency of their chips, laptop batteries last longer than ever on a single charge.
No one likes a laptop battery that dies a few short hours after you’ve charged it (unless you’re using a gaming laptop, then it’s sadly to be expected), and battery life is one of the most important considerations people have when looking to buy a new laptop, so it’s great to see that laptops that can last multiple work days without needing to be plugged in are increasingly becoming the norm, rather than the exception.
I’m hoping that at Computex 2025 this trend continues, and we should see some brilliant thin and light laptops that aren’t just sleek and stylish, but come with long battery lives without sacrificing raw performance. To me, as well as many consumers, that is much more exciting than yet more AI features we’re not going to be using.
3. Gaming laptops that can rival desktop PCs
As a dedicated PC gamer I’ve always thought of gaming laptops as a bit of a luxury that allows you to game while travelling and when you can’t get to your desktop PC.
I never considered them as devices that could replace my desktop PC. Their high prices and lack of upgradability compared to the best gaming PCs were bad enough, but the fact that they couldn’t compete when it comes to performance, plus battery lives that were so short it meant you’d need to have a supposedly portable gaming laptop plugged into a wall socket meant I never really considered buying one.
At Computex 2025, I’m looking forward to being proved wrong. This year we’ve seen some exciting advancements in portable gaming technology, including Nvidia’s RTX 50-series laptop GPUs, and I’m excited to see what the next generation of gaming laptops have in store.
I want to see gaming laptops that are thin and light, last more than a few hours on a single charge and can offer the kind of perfomance in games like Cyberpunk 2077 that will rival powerful gaming PCs. Thanks to DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation (two features that are exclusive to RTX 50-series GPUs), this could be the year I finally get to see those laptops.
4. The coolest custom gaming PCs in the world
Even if Computex 2025 delivers some exciting gaming laptops, my heart will always belong to desktop PCs, and previous years have only reinforced my love thanks to the brilliant custom PC builds that are on display.
So, this year I’m looking forward to wandering the show floor and finding the coolest and craziest designs. You’re unlikely to be able to buy these custom PCs, and if you can then expect to pay a lot, but I love the imagination and artistry that goes into making these eye-catching PCs.
They are also testaments to how customizable desktop PCs are, and I often get inspiration for when I next build a PC.
5. More PC gaming handhelds
In recent years, a new device category has burst onto the scene: handheld gaming PCs, and I expect to see more entries in this increasingly competitive space at Computex this year.
While there’s a lot of hype for the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, there are rumors that we could soon see an Xbox-branded gaming handheld soon – and Computex could be the perfect place to showcase it.
I’ll admit I’m not a fan of Xbox, but what does get me excited is that this handheld will apparently be built by Asus, and will act as a follow-up to the excellent ROG Ally X handheld.
Now I am a big fan of that device – in fact, I brought my own to Computex this year to keep me entertained on the long flight from London to Taipei – so seeing a powerful new successor would please me no end. My biggest gripe with the Ally X, as with a lot of other PC gaming handhelds, is that the Windows 11 operating system they use is just not suited to this form factor.
If there is indeed going to be a collaboration between Xbox and Asus, I have high hopes that on Microsoft’s side it will feature a version of Windows that has been simplified to work on gaming handhelds (much like the Linux-based SteamOS has been custom designed to proivide a console-like experience on the Steam Deck).
If Microsoft nails this, and Asus provides a powerful new handheld that can run the latest games in an easily-portable form factor, then forget about the Switch 2.
With MSI, Acer, Zotac and more also at Computex 2025 – companies that have all released handheld gaming PCs – I’m hoping to see a range of new devices that can take on the mighty Nintendo.
- Check out our Computex 2025 hub for all the latest news out of Taipei.
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matthew.hanson@futurenet.com (Matt Hanson)
