While flashy artificial intelligence capabilities grabbed headlines out of CES 2024, many of the laptops announced also included support for the new Wi-Fi 7 standard, which promises dramatically faster wireless connectivity.

This upgrade went largely unnoticed amidst the AI hype, but it is critical – especially for competitive gamers who want low latency connections without being tethered by ethernet cables. Most of the gaming laptops unveiled this week feature Wi-Fi 7, although cheaper mainstream models like HP’s Omen Transcend and Dell’s XPS line also got the nod.

Wi-Fi 7’s key benefit is allowing devices to connect simultaneously across multiple bands to reduce congestion. So when the 5GHz channel gets crowded, your traffic simply shifts to the wide open 6GHz highway. This keeps ping rates low even on busy networks, crucial for competitive online gaming.

The very first laptops with Wi-Fi 7 carry staggering price tags, like the $3,000+ Razer Blade 16 or the $5,000+ MSI Titan 18 HX (A14V). More affordable options are coming in early 2023 though, putting blistering Wi-Fi 7 speeds within reach of mainstream buyers sooner than you probably expected.

While few new Wi-Fi 7 routers made headlines at CES 2024, several leading manufacturers already launched gaming focused models last year. So the infrastructure is quietly falling into place for a smooth upgrade cycle once Wi-Fi 7 equipped laptop prices settle down.

The routers have laid the roads for Wi-Fi 7, the Wi-Fi Alliance recently certified the standard, and now laptops are starting to deliver the new cars designed to cruise at unprecedented wireless speeds.

So don’t overlook Wi-Fi 7 in the understandable AI hype. This big upgrade piping data to your devices faster than ever before has begun rolling out in the shadows and will soon fundamentally change your home and office networks.