is a reviewer covering laptops and the occasional gadget. He spent over 15 years in the photography industry before joining The Verge as a deals writer in 2021.
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Dell-owned Alienware is looking to reach a wider swath of gamers, announcing at CES 2026 that it’s working on two new laptops: one with a lower, entry-level price and one with an ultra-slim chassis. There aren’t many details right now, as Alienware is only sharing some basic renders, and the behind-glass nonworking prototypes I saw for myself were barred from being photographed.
But the basics are that the ultra-slim model will come in 14- and 16-inch versions and be around 17mm thin, and while its performance will be limited, it’ll feature discrete Nvidia graphics. Alienware is sharing even fewer details about its upcoming entry-level model, aside from its head of product Matt McGowan saying in a media briefing that it’s targeting a price hundreds cheaper than current offerings. That should put it in sub-$1,000 territory.
The new anti-glare OLED on the 16-inch Alienware Area-51. Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge And on the Aurora 16X. Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
Speaking of current Alienware laptops, the 16-inch Area-51 and Aurora 16X models are getting new anti-glare OLED panel options. Alienware claims they “reduce gloss by 32 percent” and minimize fingerprint smudges (granted, these aren’t touchscreens). The new displays feature HDR True Black 500, peak brightness of 600 nits when displaying HDR content, and have built-in pixel protection to reduce chances of burn-in.