Gaming PCs remained one of the most important drivers of growth in the computer market globally, as well as in Asia Pacific in the first half of 2017.
The continuing boom in the world of electronic games have been stimulating strong consumer demand in this segment, generating 39 percent growth in terms of volume,
and a corresponding 36 percent incremental sales value across APAC over the same period a year ago.
Although traditional notebooks and tower desktops are the most sought after computing devices by consumers, the latest GfK report 1 revealed that new form factors such as
convertibles, ultra-thin, large all-in- one, and gaming PCs are gaining traction, generating
sales amounting to €6.1 billion within Asia Pacific in January to June this year.
“After several challenging years competing with new technologies like tablets and
smartphones, gaming PCs have finally developed from a niche segment to a strong selling
mainstream product,” highlighted Gerard Tan, senior director, Technology Retail Tracking,
GfK Asia.
“Gaming enthusiasts are increasingly willing to splurge on enhanced gaming
devices to enjoy better graphical experiences and smoother runs.”
Global revenues of all gaming PCs (desktops and notebooks) in the markets measured by
GfK (excluding North America) amounted to €1.5 billion, with Asia Pacific registering a
share of 34 percent (revenue: €522 million). Within Asia Pacific, China is the largest
contributor of gaming notebooks, with Korea and Thailand coming in at second and third
positions respectively.
The growth potential of gaming PC has been attracting more players in the market which
today stands at 24 brands with their total offering of over 1,700 models, compared to only
810 three years ago.
“In addition to existing dedicated PC gaming models, mainstream computer manufacturers
are also coming up with their own gaming series with competitive specs and pricings to
target the mass market,” observed Tan. “With all these exciting developments, fuelled by
the growing interest in virtual reality and the roaring success of e-sports, we foresee that
the PC gaming segment will continue to remain robust in the foreseeable future,” he
added.
PC gaming accessories (monitors, keyboards, headsets, mice) are also enjoying robust
sales among consumers as a result of the thriving PC gaming market. Worldwide, this
segment achieved a 56 percent increase in sales over the previous year for the period of
January to June. Overall, revenues for the first half of 2017 amounted to 1.1 billion euros.In Asia Pacific, significant growth in consumer spend
In Asia Pacific, significant growth in consumer spend were similarly registered in the
gaming centric models of monitors (154%), keyboards (9%), headsets (29%), and mice
(21%). GfK will share the global insights for the IT market at the IFA 2017 in Berlin, 1-6 September
GfK will share the global insights for the IT market at the IFA 2017 in Berlin, 1-6 September 2017.