HP’s HyperX Omen 15 isn’t quite the budget-friendly gaming laptop its predecessor was
The HP HyperX Omen 15 gaming laptop offers decent performance for modern games but comes at a significantly higher price point than its predecessor. While it includes hardware upgrades, the increased cost makes it less competitive in the budget gaming market.
Why it matters
It reflects broader trends in the consumer electronics market where entry-level hardware prices are rising due to component costs.
The HP HyperX Omen 15, which I first saw at CES, replaces the HP Victus 15, a longtime bestselling budget gaming laptop. The Victus cost just $800, or less when on sale, and was a good entry point to decent laptop gaming.
The Omen 15 has nice little upgrades over the Victus. Its RTX 5050 Laptop GPU can play 2026’s latest games, albeit on low-ish settings. But it’s also got a brighter 16:10 aspect ratio display with higher refresh rate, and a 1080p webcam to make it a little better for non-gaming stuff.
I’d call it a working-class gaming laptop, but thanks to RAMageddon, the Omen 15 starts at $1,200 — a far cry from the $800 that made its predecessor so appealing. But laptop prices are way up across the board, and if you want current-gen gaming hardware, this is about as cheap as you’re going to find it.
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