Considering how popular video games are, it is not surprising to see different gaming machines available. Multiple choices are great from a consumer’s point of view. Gaming consoles, custom-built desktop computers, and laptops are arguably three distinguishable groups of devices used for gaming. Each device has its pros and cons. If there is an example of a problem that stands out, it would have to be the fact that you need to charge certain devices to keep their battery life up.
Mobile gaming is notorious for this, particularly when you consider how much battery modern mobile games consume. A similar thing can be said about laptops, but there is more to it. Why do gaming laptops have bad battery life? There are quite a few reasons behind it, and if you are interested in finding the answer to that question, continue reading.
Some Laptops Are Not Meant for Video Games
Let’s start with something that should be quite clear from the get-go. Do not expect that certain laptop models will do well with video games. If you take MacBooks, for example, it is not really recommended to play video games on these computers. Sure, some video games are compatible with macOS, but you would be putting yourself in an awkward place.
Mac users begin looking for reasons and fixes to troubleshoot battery problems on their laptops without realizing that video games are the main problem. And despite what should be pretty obvious, they continue, which results in needing to plug the charger into an electrical outlet more often than they would like. And it is not just MacBooks. If a laptop is not really fit for gaming despite manufacturers advertising it as such, you should expect to see battery problems.
Modern Video Games Are Demanding Resource-Wise
One of the reasons why many gamers prefer custom-built PCs and gaming consoles instead of laptops is the hardware. If you take a custom-built desktop computer and a gaming laptop for the same budget, the former would have much better hardware. Considering how demanding modern video games are visually, it should not be surprising to see even relatively good gaming laptops struggling with resource management, including battery lifespan. Can you really blame the video games, though? Unlikely, since like other industries, video games are also moving forward to offer the players better experiences, and it can be hard for certain laptop manufacturers to keep up with the demands. One of the possible options to circumvent this issue is to play video games that are not too demanding in terms of resources. However, that is not really an option if you want to play the best available video games, right?
Hardware Integration
Perhaps the biggest reason why gaming laptops do not have a great battery lifespan is the combination of the integrated hardware.
For instance, if you take a look at graphic cards, most gaming laptops come with dedicated GPUs. These graphic cards are fine for handling detailed images and other visually intensive processes. However, despite offering better overall performance, dedicated graphic cards consume quite a lot of battery. In addition, they generate more heat than usual, which makes the internal laptop fans work more, and that also affects the battery. Speaking of fans, gaming laptops come with more powerful fans than usual because it is crucial to prevent the internal hardware from overheating. As you can see, it all adds up. Video games cause the internal hardware to overheat, and the internal fans have to keep up with the hardware demands. It is not surprising that the battery struggles when it has to keep multiple laptop fans spinning.
Visual Effects and Audio Quality
There is this trend in gaming laptops to include backlit keyboards. You are unlikely to find such a feature in a regular laptop, but gaming laptop manufacturers believe that gamers play in the dark and appreciate an extra source of light.
In the case of audio, quite a few video games require high-quality audio to be enjoyable. Sure, it is visuals that often drive video games, but you cannot underestimate the audio part. Naturally, high-quality speakers are more demanding resource-wise, which, once again, does not bode well for the overall battery lifespan.
External Accessories
The last reason to mention in this article is the fact that you are likely going to add third-party peripherals while gaming on a laptop.
By itself, a gaming laptop is not really that great. You are unlikely to play using a trackpad. In such cases, a computer mouse becomes mandatory. Then there are other accessories like external hard drives, VR headsets, cooling pads, extra monitors, external keyboards, and so on. These peripherals consume the laptop’s battery, and the more third-party accessories you connect, the worse the battery problem will be.