The Indian gaming sector is growing at an incredible pace. Though Indians started gaming comparatively late, the country now ranks second worldwide in terms of number of gamers across platforms.

As the market evolves, understanding Indian gamers and their preferences is critical for ecosystem players to deliver technology that drives the segment forward.

The shift from mobile to PC: While gaming in India really began on PCs in the early 2000s, this was followed quickly by a massive growth in gaming on mobiles. However, a recent Intel-Kantar study on the Gaming Ecosystem in India suggests that more than 90 per cent of mobile gamers in the country today show a preference for a shift to a computer as a gaming device.

As the country continued to social distance over the last year, play from home accelerated the move back to PCs with more gamers looking for an enhanced gaming experience with larger screens and better graphics. Gaming is fast becoming the new cricket in India. According to industry reports, the PC gamer population in the country is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5 per cent between 2019 and 2023, which is significantly higher than the estimated worldwide CAGR of 4.7 per cent.

Several PC manufacturers have reported an increase in sales of gaming PCs through the pandemic. Interestingly, this demand is not restricted to the metros. There has been an uptick in demand from Tier 2 and 3 cities, indicating that gaming is now a truly pan-Indian phenomenon.

Understanding the Indian gamer: About 35 per cent of Indian gamers can be described as mainstream enthusiasts — individuals who are passionate about gaming and engaged in the gaming community. Alpha influencers, or highly passionate, knowledgeable, and social gamers come next at 22 per cent, followed by casual and on the go gamers at 15 per cent.

The Intel-Kantar study found that the average age of a PC gamer is 28 years and close to 60 per cent of them started playing when they were 10-15 years old. Hence these are digital natives who are not only familiar with technology but also understand the technology specifications they require. The study also found that these gamers have big demands for their gaming equipment.

Having equipment that support the newest games and deliver a lag-free experience are the most critical considerations and, not surprisingly, CPU, RAM and GPU are the top three parameters gamers consider when buying a gaming computer.

Many gamers are also willing to spend upwards of ₹70,000 for a good gaming PC. Lightweight, robust devices equipped with advanced GPU and CPU architecture are already in the market. PCs are being built to meet the specific needs of gamers to allow over-clocking, multi-tasking, vivid gameplay, better speeds and performance, and long battery life.

Emerging gaming trends: The market in India is still evolving with new trends emerging to change the landscape significantly. Esports is rapidly gaining popularity and this will accelerate the demand for gaming PCs. Bigger screens and enhanced video quality will be key requirements for this segment. The roll out of 5G and increased PC penetration is expected to increase demand for PC gaming across the country and help in identifying and developing talent at the grassroot level. At the same time, being able to play on the go is still an important consideration.

This is a window of opportunity for gaming PC makers. Sleeker portable devices built to deliver desktop-like performance will consolidate the PCs position as the gaming platform of choice. Innovations such as foldables, dual screen devices and even virtual reality powered backpack gaming kits will help deliver the combination of raw computing power and mobility that most gamers want. The PC ecosystem is deeply engaged with developers and publishers to optimise games for PCs and explore co-engineering, and marketing out-of-the-box games.

The sector is also gearing up for the future. While cloud gaming in India is still in its nascent stages, gamer interest is high, and it holds tremendous potential for shaping the future of gaming in the country.

Ten years ago, there were 25 million gamers in India and gaming was not on the radar as a significant growth market. Today, it is one of the fastest growing segments in the media and entertainment sector. It is a high potential market, and the technology ecosystem is ready to help it grow further with comprehensive solutions to deliver exciting gaming experiences.

The writer is VP and MD – Sales, Marketing and Communications Group, Intel India

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