Why PCs are back in the game

The demand for gaming PCs is heating up across the Middle East, and industry experts have continued to express their confidence in the growth of the gaming hardware segment in the coming years.
According to a Superdata research report, the worldwide gaming market was worth more than $90 billion in 2016, with PC gaming raking in over $36 billion. Experts at Intel expect the gaming PC hardware market to grow at 26 per cent annually, while other researchers predict that the PC gaming hardware market will reach $30 billion in 2018. 
While high-end desktop PCs and gaming laptops continue to be the strongest segment, the affordable segment has also shown a steady growth over the years. Users with limited budgets are just as passionate about gaming as those with larger funds to spend. Brands and retailers alike are focusing on expanding the mid-market segment to cater to the growing number of avid gamers in the UAE.
Speaking to Khaleej Times at the Gitex Shopper 2017 exhibition, Arun Mittal, regional consumer sales manager for the Middle East and Africa at Dell, noted that there is a growing demand for more affordable gaming systems that don't compromise on quality.
"We are looking at a double-digit growth in this industry," he said. "The promise that Dell is making is that you can end up with an affordable system, without having to compromise on performance. The Alienware division and the Inspiron Gaming series have proven to be popular with gamers globally and in the region. In terms of prices, we are looking at a wide range between Dh7,000 to Dh14,000, so there is something for everyone."
Gamers interested in making their foray into the PC gaming world, will be nothing short of pleased with the Alienware 15 gaming laptop available at the Dell stand, said Mittal. With 16GB RAM and a 6GB NVIDIA GTX 1060 graphics card, the laptop is priced at Dh7,999.
Hunter Cheng, product manager at the MSI stand at the exhibition, also noted the growing popularity of affordable gaming laptops in recent years. "MSI has had a lot of success in the region, and gamers know it as a brand that they can turn to for a great gaming experience. We have several laptops available with prices ranging from Dh3,999 to Dh8,000."
A popular choice for gamers has been the MSI GL62M 7RD. An entry-level device, the gaming laptop comes with a Kaby Lake quad core processor, 4GB GeForce GTX 1050, and is priced at Dh3,999. Another laptop that has caught the attention of gamers at the stand is the MSI GP72MVR Leopard Pro, priced at Dh5,999.
Experts also noted that the increased focus on the gaming segment can be attributed to the rising popularity of HD and UHD monitors, in addition to the latest Virtual Reality (VR) systems. In fact, Cheng noted that the new trend in the market has been systems that are VR ready and compatible with the latest VR systems such as the HTC Vive.
Jerry Canlas, sales promoter for HTC, echoed that sentiment, noting that sales have picked up for the HTC Vive. Priced at Dh2,599, the VR system is available at the Dell, Emax, and MSI stands. Canlas expects the interest in VR to continue in the coming years.
"The trend has shifted to features within products now," says Ashish Panjabi, COO of Jacky's. "VR is still seen as a single user experience right now, sort of like 3D glasses back in the day. You bought four glasses, and then a fifth person shows up. What do you do?"
"Right now, the VR segment is still in its infancy," he said. "Where I see VR as really taking off is in the sports category. Imagine watching a cricket or football game live with 360 degree views in a stadium. Right now, most of the content for VR is recorded; the breakthrough is going to be when you can watch events in real time. As more people realise the potential that this technology holds, we will begin to see a pickup in the market."
rohma@khaleejtimes.com