> At a Glance
> – MSI skipped flagship Titan updates and spotlighted business-first Prestige laptops
> – Prestige 14 AI Plus and 16 AI Plus tout OLED, all-day battery, user-serviceable design
> – Gaming refreshes: Stealth 16 AI Plus, Raider 16 Max HX, Crosshair 16 Max HX
> – Why it matters: Pros get thin, powerful, repair-friendly notebooks while gamers see mid-tier speed bumps
MSI’s CES 2026 booth felt upside-down. Instead of flexing its apex Titan machines, the company pushed the Prestige business line to center stage and sprinkled modest updates across the Stealth, Raider and Crosshair gaming families.
Prestige Takes the Lead
Both the Prestige 14 AI Plus and Prestige 16 AI Plus drop the gamer vibe for rounded aluminum chassis and subtle logo placement. MSI promises easy panel removal for DIY RAM and SSD swaps-a rarity in slim productivity laptops.
Display choices split by size:
- 14-inch: 1,920×1,200 OLED, Gorilla Glass touch layer
- 16-inch: 2,880×1,800 OLED, 120 Hz, Gorilla Glass
Battery endurance tilts toward the smaller model:
| Model | Rated Uptime |
|---|---|
| Prestige 14 AI Plus | Up to 6 hrs longer than 16 |
| Prestige 16 AI Plus | All-day, exact figure n/a |
Shared internals cap at Intel Core Ultra X9, integrated Arc B390 graphics, 64 GB RAM and a single PCIe Gen 5/4 M.2 SSD.
Gaming Gets a Trim, Not a Turbo
Stealth 16 AI Plus sheds weight-dropping from roughly five pounds to four-and returns to a 16-inch OLED, 2,560×1,440, 240 Hz panel. The 2026 edition swaps AMD for Intel Core Ultra 300H and adds dual Thunderbolt 4 ports missing last year. Configurations top out at dual RTX 50-series GPUs, 128 GB RAM and twin PCIe Gen 4 SSDs.
Raider 16 Max HX keeps its hinge RGB and per-key lighting but adds a quick-remove back door for memory and storage. It pairs an Intel Core Ultra 200 HX with RTX 50-series graphics, up to 128 GB RAM and dual Gen 4/5 SSDs behind a 2,560×1,600 OLED at 240 Hz.
Crosshair 16 Max HX tones down the flair: a small blue dragon emblem and 24-zone keyboard RGB instead of per-key bling. Screen specs land at 2,560×1,600 OLED, 165 Hz. Internals mirror the Raider except for the lower refresh panel.
MSI has not announced pricing for any model; all are slated to ship this year.
Key Takeaways
- Titan fans leave empty-handed; MSI targets pros and value gamers
- Prestige laptops emphasize repairability, battery life and crisp OLED screens
- Mid-tier gaming rigs gain Intel’s latest chips, RTX 50 GPUs and modest design tweaks
By elevating its understated Prestige line and refining-not redefining-its gaming staples, MSI signals a strategic shift toward broader audiences rather than pure performance bragging rights.
