CES 2026: HP Shows a Keyboard-Based PC and New EliteBooks

CES 2026 is underway, and HP Inc. isn’t betting the show on a single headline device. Instead, the company is spreading its announcements across work laptops, consumer PCs, gaming hardware, and a couple of experiments that suggest it’s still willing to try new form factors.

EliteBook X G2 focuses on AI, battery life, and staying light

HP’s main business update comes in the form of the EliteBook X G2 series. These are aimed at professionals who move around a lot and don’t want to think too much about performance settings or battery anxiety.

What’s notable is the flexibility under the hood. The same platform supports Intel Core Ultra Series 3, AMD Ryzen AI, and Qualcomm Snapdragon chips. Depending on the configuration, you’re looking at NPUs ranging from around 50 TOPS up to the mid-80s, which HP is using for things like on-device transcription, image tools, and background AI features.

Some models weigh under a kilogram, and there are options for high-resolution OLED displays. HP is also keeping its usual hardware-level security in place, which is still a big selling point for enterprise buyers.

OmniBook updates stay practical, not dramatic

On the consumer side, HP is refreshing its OmniBook lineup rather than reinventing it. The changes are incremental. Better efficiency. Better screens. More AI features that run locally instead of calling the cloud every time.

OLED panels are showing up more widely across the range, not just on the most expensive models. Processor options again span Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm, which gives buyers more choice depending on whether they care more about battery life, performance, or price.

HP is also updating its OmniStudio all-in-one desktop, pairing a large 4K Neo:LED display with modern Intel chips and optional NVIDIA graphics. It’s clearly meant for home offices where one screen needs to handle work calls, media, and light creative tasks.

A keyboard PC tries to rethink the desktop

The most unusual thing HP showed at CES is the EliteBoard G1a. It’s a full PC built into a keyboard. No tower. No built-in screen. Just a keyboard that plugs into an external display.

Inside, it runs on an AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processor, with more than 50 TOPS of NPU performance. HP is pitching it at people who move between desks or shared workspaces and don’t want to carry a laptop everywhere.

The keyboard is about 12mm thick and weighs roughly 750 grams. Mics and speakers are built in, and there’s an optional battery for short periods away from a plug. It’s clearly niche, but it’s also the kind of experiment you don’t see much from big PC brands anymore.

New monitors aim to simplify messy desks

To go with these more flexible setups, HP is introducing a new Series 7 Pro 4K monitor. This one is less about high refresh rates and more about acting as a central hub.

It uses IPS Black and Neo:LED tech for better contrast and color consistency. Thunderbolt 4 support delivers up to 140W of power, so a single cable can handle display, data, and charging. For people juggling multiple devices, that matters more than raw specs.

Gaming gets pulled under one roof

HP is also restructuring its gaming business. HyperX and OMEN are now being positioned as part of a single HyperX-led gaming ecosystem.

The OMEN MAX 16 gaming laptop sits at the center of that push. It supports Intel Core Ultra 200HX or AMD Ryzen AI chips, up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, and a 16-inch OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate. HP is also talking up a redesigned cooling system and a faster keyboard response rate.

There’s also the HyperX OMEN OLED 34, a 34-inch ultrawide QD-OLED monitor with a 360Hz refresh rate, USB-C power delivery, and a built-in KVM switch. Add to that a new Xbox-licensed arcade-style controller, and you get a clearer picture of where HP wants its gaming hardware to sit.

More experimental is an early-stage headset developed with Neurable, which uses brain-sensing tech to track focus. It’s not a product you’ll buy anytime soon, but HP clearly wants to signal it’s thinking beyond traditional peripherals.