Forward-looking: Not that we needed more evidence of gaming's increasing popularity, but here it is: according to a new report, worldwide shipments of both gaming PCs and gaming monitors continue to grow at rapid rates---faster than their parent markets---and they're expected to stay this way through to 2025.
International Data Corporation (IDC), in its latest Worldwide Quarterly Gaming Tracker report, notes that gaming PCs, which includes both desktop and notebook PCs, are expected to see unit shipments grow from 41.3 million in 2020 to 52.3 million in 2025, marking a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8%.
It's a similar story with gaming monitors. They're expected to increase from 14.2 million units shipped in 2020 to 26.4 million in 2025, giving a CAGR of 13.2%.
The vast demand brought about by so many people working, learning, and staying at home has seen shipments remain high throughout the year. The second quarter of 2021 ended with gaming PCs and monitors reaching 15.6 million units, a 19.3% increase compared to the same period in 2020.
"The gaming market was on fire for years leading into the start of the pandemic in 2020 and things only accelerated as most people were spending more time at home and in front of screens," said Ryan Reith, group vice president with IDC's Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. "At this point the global supply shortage is well known and continues to be a moving target, yet demand for gaming hardware (PCs, consoles, monitors, etc.) and titles continues to surge. Many have speculated that as reopening slowly begins around the world, this growth could be in jeopardy, but we are just not seeing that."
By 2025, the combined value of the gaming PC and monitor markets is expected to have reached over $60 billion, up from $43 billion in 2020. IDC research manager Jay Chou puts the increase partly down to gaming PCs' ability to handle tasks beyond just games, though he warns desktops need to innovate to compete with powerful notebooks that offer more portability.
Interestingly, IDC believes the average selling price of these PCs will grow from $925 to $1,007, while monitors are predicted to drop from $339 to $309. That's a trend we've seen for a while; gaming monitors with features such as 4K resolutions and high-refresh rates are no longer reserved for those with deep pockets, while pre-built PCs and notebooks are getting more expensive, partly due to component supply issues.
AMD CEO Lisa Su recently joined the chorus of voices claiming that the current chip crisis should alleviate in the second half of next year, bringing supply and demand levels closer together.