Gaming monitors have become the fastest-growing PC accessory as of H1 2017

Gamers worldwide are celebrating their favorite pastime this week now that IFA 2017 and PAX West 2017 are live and at full speed. PC manufacturers also have reason to celebrate in the increasingly lucrative gaming market. According to a study by market research firm GfK, revenues from desktop PCs and laptop gaming PCs for the first half of 2017 have grown 55 percent and 24 percent, respectively, compared to H1 2016 for a total of 1.5 billion Euros. Markets across Western Europe were responsible for 44 percent of the total revenue followed by Asia and Eastern Europe (plus Russia) at 34 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Curiously, the worldwide data excludes North America.

Gaming accessories like mice, keyboards, headsets, and monitors have been growing in popularity in tandem with gaming PCs. Revenue from gaming monitors in particular were up 114 percent YoY due to high demand for large monitors (24-inch and up) with unique features including 120/144 Hz refresh rates, fast response times, G-Sync/FreeSync compatibility, and even curved panels. In total, gaming monitors accounted for 57 percent of all revenue from PC gaming accessories.

The uptick in PC gaming gear comes at a period of relatively stagnant notebook and PC sales. Major manufacturers like Lenovo and HP are well aware of this market trend and have recently begun pushing their Legion and Omen gaming families, respectively, with more aggressive designs and eSports sponsorships in response. The high processing demands of VR and the recently unveiled mixed reality headsets are expected to keep PC gaming afloat and encourage more gamers to upgrade to the latest hardware.

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