Can I upgrade my HP EliteBook for gaming?

You definitely can play PC games on laptops, as long as you're not expecting high performance from a regular office laptop. For real gaming, just make sure to invest in a dedicated gaming laptop; they aren't cheap, though!

Don’t stress too much about gaming on laptops—they're versatile but generally won't match the performance of a gaming desktop. Most gaming laptops have integrated graphics for everyday use but come with dedicated GPUs for gaming. If you want to game on the go and are okay with lowering graphics settings, laptops can work fine.

You're correct that many indie games and older titles can run on integrated graphics like yours, but big AAA games will be a challenge. Games like Borderlands 2 or XCOM can be played with less graphical power, but if you really want to play newer titles, you'll need a dedicated gaming laptop or desktop.

Intel integrated graphics are pretty basic and not designed for gaming, so you’ll struggle with more demanding titles like The Last of Us. Unfortunately, you can't upgrade the graphics on a laptop like yours; those require a dedicated graphics card, which isn’t an option here. Your best bet would be to get a desktop with a good graphics card that'll meet the gaming requirements. They'll give you the option to upgrade in the future, unlike laptops.

If you're really interested in gaming without upgrading hardware, you might want to check out cloud gaming options like GeForce Now. They let you play demanding games over the internet on lower-spec machines. Just keep in mind it requires a good internet connection!