Do All Gaming Laptops Have Cameras?

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to cameras on your gaming laptop. You may prefer a laptop with a camera to partake in video chats with gaming friends, or you may prefer a camera-free gaming laptop due to privacy concerns. Whatever your preference, you may be wondering whether all gaming laptops have cameras.

Not all gaming laptops have cameras. Gaming laptops can meet any gamers’ preferences. There are a variety of high-performing gaming laptops with built-in cameras or packaged with an external webcam. There are also plenty of camera-free gaming laptops to choose from.

If you’re struggling to decide between a gaming laptop with or without a camera, I’m here to help. This article walks you through the pros and cons of gaming laptops both with and without cameras, and I’ve provided a few recommendations for both styles.

Pros and Cons of a Gaming Laptop With a Built-In Camera

Deciding whether to include a camera in your gaming laptop is a daunting activity. Gaming laptops are pricey, and the fear of making the wrong purchase can add stress to your shopping experience.

Thankfully, I’m going to list the pros and cons of gaming laptops with cameras to cut down your stress. Let’s start on a positive note with the pros of gaming laptops with cameras:

• Ease of use. Tech troubleshooting is the most frustrating activity I regularly take part in. If you purchase a gaming laptop with a camera, you can avoid the headache of connecting an external camera to your gaming laptop.
• Cheaper than an external camera. Generally, the additional cost of a gaming laptop with a built-in camera is more affordable than purchasing a camera-free gaming laptop and an external camera.

Now that we’ve taken the pros of a gaming laptop with a camera into account, it’s time to weigh the cons:

• No flexibility with camera placement. With a built-in camera getting the perfect camera angle can be challenging because of the camera’s static position. The challenge of nailing your camera angle can be even more difficult with some gaming laptop manufacturers placing the camera below the screen.
• Privacy concerns. Everyone has heard horror stories of people having their laptop webcam hacked. Unknowingly having someone peering at you through your laptop camera is an eerie thought. However, you can easily avoid being watched unknowingly through your laptop by placing a piece of opaque tape over your camera.

Before you decide based on these pros and cons, we have to look at our alternative option—a gaming laptop without a camera.

Pros and Cons of a Gaming Laptop Without a Camera

Like gaming laptops with built-in cameras, there’s a give and a take of gaming laptops with a built-in camera. Let’s start by diving into the pros of gaming laptops without cameras:

• No privacy concerns. A major point in the camera-free gaming laptop is privacy. When there’s no camera on your laptop, there’s no potential for hackers to gain access to your camera.
• Sleeker design. Laptop manufacturers offer a sleeker design without a built-in camera. Gaming laptops with cameras leave a screen-free space above the screen to make space for a camera. Gaming laptops without cameras take advantage by expanding the screen to the end of the laptop body.
• Cheaper. Gaming laptops without cameras are typically cheaper than equivalent gaming laptops with cameras. Although, if you decide to include a camera later, an external camera offsets the price.

You have to admit, those are some pretty enticing points for a camera-free gaming laptop. However, there are a couple of cons that may stop you from hitting check out on your camera-free laptop just yet:

• Windows 11 will require front-facing cameras. According to The Verge, Microsoft requires front-facing cameras on gaming laptops to upgrade to Windows 11 in January 2023. If you’re planning on using Windows 11 on your gaming laptop, these new requirements may sway you towards a laptop with a camera.
• More expensive if you add an external webcam. A gaming laptop without a camera plus an external webcam will run you a higher price than a gaming laptop with a camera.

Now that we’ve touched on the pros and cons of gaming laptops with and without cameras, we can move on to the best gaming laptops for your camera needs!

Best Gaming Laptops With Cameras

Two options available on Amazon.com stand out above the rest by extensively researching gaming laptops with cameras:

• HP Omen 17 Gaming Laptop. Omen laptops are always a go-to choice for balancing value and performance. The Omen 17 Gaming Laptop boasts impressive specs with an RTX 3060 and Intel i7 – 11800H.
• HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop. If a 3060 and i7 – 11800H is above your gaming needs, the HP Pavilion is a fantastic lower-end gaming laptop. The HP Pavilion houses a GTX 1650 and an Intel i5 – 9300H.

If neither of these gaming laptops tickles your fancy, don’t worry! There are plenty more gaming laptops with cameras to choose from. A simple Amazon search will yield you loads of results.

Best Gaming Laptops Without Cameras

If you weighed the pros and cons and decided a gaming laptop without a camera was more your speed, I can help you with that. Gaming laptops without cameras are tough to come by, but there’s one solid option available on Amazon.com:

• ASUS TUF Dash 15 Gaming Laptop. The Asus Tuf Dash 15 offers a sleek design and powerful components because of the lack of a built-in camera. The only drawback to the Dash 15 is it only comes with eight GB of RAM. Fortunately, RAM is easy and cheap to upgrade.

Final Thoughts

Everyone has different criteria for gaming laptop specifications. Luckily, the gaming laptop market is packed with laptops to fit everyone’s needs. Therefore, whether you’re looking for a gaming laptop with or without a camera, I’m sure you’ll be able to find the perfect gaming laptop for your needs. Hopefully, my recommendations lead you in the right direction on your buying journey.