HP Now Rents Gaming Laptops
3 54HP has quietly launched a gaming laptop subscription service called the OMEN Gaming Subscription that lets customers pay a monthly fee to use one of several gaming laptops but never actually own the hardware, even after paying well past the machine's retail price.
The service ranges from $50 a month for an HP Victus 15-inch laptop with an RTX 4050 to $130 a month for an Omen Max 16 with an RTX 5080. At current sale prices, subscribers would exceed the cost of buying the laptop outright within 16 to 19 months; at MSRP, that window stretches to roughly 25 months. In exchange for giving up ownership, subscribers get yearly hardware upgrades, next-day replacements, 24/7 support, and an ongoing warranty. There is a 30-day trial period, but cancelling in the second month triggers steep early termination fees -- $550 for the Victus 15 and $1,430 for the Omen Max 16. Cancellation becomes free only after the 13th month. HP also offers accessories like the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless headset as add-on rentals for $8 a month.
3 comments
Subscription, or lease? (Score: 5, Insightful)
by flibbidyfloo ( 451053 ) on Wednesday February 11, 2026 @11:06AM (#65982442)
With such steep and restrictive early termination fees, I don't think this qualifies as a "subscription" - it's a lease, like you'd have for a new car. Even the most hardcore gamers don't buy a new laptop every year, and new hardware releases don't require such, so this seems like a terrible deal.
Re:Subscription, or lease? (Score: 5, Insightful)
by jhoegl ( 638955 ) on Wednesday February 11, 2026 @11:57AM (#65982524)
Rent to own is famously a tax on the poor. Its never good, its always a scam, and it preys on the poor, often ruining credit.
Re:Subscription, or lease? (Score: 5, Insightful)
by anoncoward69 ( 6496862 ) on Wednesday February 11, 2026 @12:52PM (#65982628)
I've never heard of a lease that ends with definite ownership. Pretty much all apartment rentals these days are "leases" you don't own your apartment after your 12 month lease is up. Yes car leases usually have an option to buy out the car at the end but you're not getting that car for "free" at the end of the lease. You're basically going to be paying used car prices to buy it. Dealers usually offer this cause it saves them the hassle of having to clean/restore the car to put it on their used car lot to sell or put up for auction.