Practical personal energy weapons are simply not going to exist until we can get an energy storage technology that is far more energy dense than anything we have on the drawing boards or have the engineering knowledge to begin to build.
At current technology levels, an energy weapon that is as combat effective as a rifle or machine gun requires a warship’s power plant to energize. It’s also about the size of a minivan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_Weapon_System
We simply do not have the understanding of physics to create portable power sources needed for personal energy weapons at this time.
I don’t believe its impossible and i won’t comment that its actually been done but kept in secrecy and in reserve.
Now thinking outside the box i am looking forward to this new movie coming up, Ready Player One.
Virtual reality warfare.
China has the tech for that far beyond other countries.
Japan could too.