HP's Omen X 2S has a second display, à la Razer's OG Blade

The device is fairly thin at 0.8 inches. There’s no official word on the weight as of this writing, but the laptop should be fairly portable. HP will also use liquid metal in the cooling system in lieu of typical thermal paste; this should help with temperature control, throttling, and fan noise.

The X 2S’s primary gimmick is its 6-inch FHS touchscreen sandwiched directly above the keyboard. HP says that this screen can be used to run another application or program independently of the primary display. This may be a boon for streamers; they can play their game using the entire high-refresh-rate display and monitor their chat or stream control on the smartphone-sized secondary display. Others may want to keep communication apps like Discord running on the smaller screen to stay in touch with friends while using the device.

The secondary display can also be used to display part of the primary screen (like a mini-map). Developers may also be able to code games or other apps to utilize the second screen for other purposes.

Razer tried something similar with the Razer Blade all the way back in 2011. The touchpad (mounted on the right side of that device) also doubled as a small touch screen that could be used for enhanced features in some games and could run some programs independently of the primary display. While Razer rehashed that idea in later Blade Pro models, the company ultimately nixed the secondary display in favor of a more traditional laptop build.

HP’s implementation will need to hit the ground running if it’s to stick around. It’s an innovative idea, but whether or not the gaming world needs (or even wants) a smaller secondary display is yet to be seen.

HP hasn’t yet announced when the Omen X 2S will be available.
Update 06/19/2019: The Omen X 2S is now officially on sale.

HP (press release)