While the overall PC market has recorded a sluggish growth worldwide, Gaming PCs, Laptops and Notebooks sale has surged exponentially in India because of the rapid adoption of Work from Home (WFH) and Learn from Home (LFH) culture. Gaming laptops/notebook are in huge demand in SOHO and Commercial segments and millennials, especially students and working professionals prefer to invest in gaming laptops/notebook for high-end computing and multi-tasking. Experts say the trend will continue with remote working and distance learning becoming mainstream in the country.
The usage of Gaming laptops/notebooks for high-end business applications is not new. Considering the huge scope in this business, brands have also brought several modifications in the configuration of Gaming PCs to make it suitable for high-end commercial usage and multi-tasking. Professionals such as architects, data scientists, graphic/web designers, and animation artists prefer mid-range gaming laptops/notebooks for its high-end configuration and build quality in the price range of INR 50,000 to INR 1.25 lakhs and above. Students go for entry-level gaming PCs/laptops up to INR 50,000 for casual gaming and online learning. Since the Government has released the lockdown, there is a high demand for Gaming laptops across the country for both SOHO and Commercial purposes.
Talking about the trend, Manoj Gupta, owner of Lapcom Peripherals PVT. LTD, Delhi, said that demand was more from commercial hubs such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Bengaluru. “We have seen a sharp spike in gaming laptops in the last quarter because of demand for WFH and LFH. Customers whom we sell Gaming PCs in the price range of INR 50000 – INR 1.25 lakhs are mostly professionals, architects, engineers, graphic designers, website builders, etc. Their requirement is a high-end configuration with Intel i3, i5, i7 processor or AMD Ryzen processor, NVIDIA RTX 2060/2070/2080, and premium build quality to multi-task and run high-end applications. Customers prefer to go for thin and lightweight laptops, which give them the convenience of mobility.”
In the scenario of remote working and distance learning, seamless performance is the prime requisite, customers want to make a one-time investment in a good brand, which will serve their dual purpose of work and gaming. Mr. Shubham Patani, who recently bought a gaming laptop worth INR 1.5 lakhs said, “I am an IT professional working as a software engineer. I am also a gaming enthusiast. So I wanted a laptop, which will serve my dual requirements for office work and casual gaming plus it will be easy to carry on the go.”
Therefore, the gaming laptops/notebooks in the price range of INR 40K to 80 K is quite popular and sold more in the market. Kiran Kodancha, the owner of Amogha Computer Needs, Bengaluru, says customers are well-informed and come with their own research and benchmarking suitable for their budgets.
“Out of total inquiries generated at our stores for gaming laptops, around 40 percent are from professionals, 20 percent are corporate inquiries, 20 percent from students and rest are from amateur & professional gamers. Buyers come with their own benchmarking and configuration. ASUS ROG series, HP OMEN, Dell Alienware, Lenovo Legion series are quite popular among buyers. So I would say gaming laptops/notebooks are certainly a preferred choice for customers for multi-tasking over normal laptops and they are ready to extend their budget for a good brand.”
RP tech India, the leading distributor of gaming PCs, laptops and notebooks in India said that around 50 percent Gaming/ notebooks sold in India was used for commercial purpose and the trend would continue in India. “Brands have brought several modifications in the Gaming PCs over the last 10 years and made it multi-purpose and affordable for different categories of users. Earlier used only for hardcore gaming, gaming laptops/notebooks are widely used in commercial entities for high-end business applications. Around 50 percent of Gaming/ notebooks sold in India are used for commercial purposes. There is a huge demand for gaming laptops/notebooks in Design/ Production Houses, Animation Studios, and High-End Data Processing firms. This has fuelled the demand for Gaming laptops/notebooks along with the demand from the growing The gaming industry in India”, said Rajesh Goenka, Director, Sales & Marketing.
