The PC gaming industry grew to more than $5.74 billion in 2021

[Jimmy2x]

Why it matters: A market analytics report by the NPD Group highlighted another big growth year for the PC gaming hardware and accessories industry. The more than 25 percent revenue increase was largely driven by continued Covid-related restrictions, forcing more people to seek alternative methods to work, play, and socialize. These increased revenues also contributed to an overall rise in digital content consumption and time spent on PC gaming.

The report highlighted the growth in consumer spending on gaming hardware and accessories, which ballooned to more than $5.74 billion in 2021. The considerable 25 percent revenue increase comes on the heels of 2020's massive 62 percent, $4.5 billion increase over 2019's figures.

The report breaks down the growth across several product categories, which were led by overall increased demand for desktop computers, laptops, and microphones. PC microphones and monitors once again topped the charts in volume growth, mirroring patterns from 2020's reported increases.

The rise in hardware revenues continues to be driven by ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, regulations, and precautions forcing users to look for new ways to work, socialize, and entertain from the comfort and safety of their own home.

Not surprisingly, NPD reported a five percent increase in digital content consumption over the last year, bringing the 2021 total to $7.9 billion. The rise in digital content also revealed an overall increase in PC gaming time, with figures rising one hour from 2020's average to 7.7 hours per week.

Rather than continuing this enormous pattern of growth, NPD's 2022 forecast predicts a decline in the gaming and hardware trend line. This decline can be attributed to the extremely high volumes moved across the 2020 and 2021 reporting periods. Based on current market saturation and Covid-based restrictions (hopefully) being lifted, it is reasonable to expect a drop in the overall demand for PC hardware and accessories as users return to life outdoors.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/93183-covid-fueled-demands-drove-another-big-increase-2021.html

 

[Dimitriid]

Translation: Never expect another GPU for under 500 USD.

I don't want to hear ifs, then or buts about it: you all made this happen and there's no turning back: You all made PC gaming substantially worst than console gaming by introducing a *huge* price premium by not being able to tolerate things like gaming on a 5 year old GPU or just APU graphics.

And yes I am also including sites like this specially on the affiliated youtube review side: Even a few days ago you still never mention APUs for gaming as viable and pushed the cycle of hype created by hardware companies like Nvidia and AMD by constantly promoting bad products: yes even if begrudgingly and being critical and trying to "explain the options" the better option was to just not do any videos at all about the new GPU releases.

NONE. Not a word from any of the reviewers that still came out and basically provided free advertising every time, even while being critical, creating the impression of "Well it sucks, but you gotta pay this scalper prices" instead of showing people "You actually don't need to obsess about 1080p 60 FPS at high detail as the bare minimum barrier of entrance for having fun with gaming".

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Translation: Never expect another GPU for under 500 USD.

I don't want to hear ifs, then or buts about it: you all made this happen and there's no turning back: You all made PC gaming substantially worst than console gaming by introducing a *huge* price premium by not being able to tolerate things like gaming on a 5 year old GPU or just APU graphics.

And yes I am also including sites like this specially on the affiliated youtube review side: Even a few days ago you still never mention APUs for gaming as viable and pushed the cycle of hype created by hardware companies like Nvidia and AMD by constantly promoting bad products: yes even if begrudgingly and being critical and trying to "explain the options" the better option was to just not do any videos at all about the new GPU releases.

NONE. Not a word from any of the reviewers that still came out and basically provided free advertising every time, even while being critical, creating the impression of "Well it sucks, but you gotta pay this scalper prices" instead of showing people "You actually don't need to obsess about 1080p 60 FPS at high detail as the bare minimum barrier of entrance for having fun with gaming".

If AMD or NVIDIA did what APPLE does and force people to preorder, check their ID and then sell direct to the consumer...there's no reason why both gamers and miners couldn't be happy.

The prebuilt manufacturers benefitted by being able to get cards direct from the manufacturer and their prebuilds didn't take the massive price increases we saw on the street.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

NONE. Not a word from any of the reviewers that still came out and basically provided free advertising every time, even while being critical, creating the impression of "Well it sucks, but you gotta pay this scalper prices" instead of showing people "You actually don't need to obsess about 1080p 60 FPS at high detail as the bare minimum barrier of entrance for having fun with gaming".

Until my computer stops being able to work with games - which will probably be 5 years from now - I don't see any reason to obsess over the newly released, vastly inflated equipment either. But for some people, this is all they do and all they think about.

 

[paul1122]

The PC gaming industry grew to more than $5.74 billion in 2021. All of it from GPU prices on ebay. hehe.

 

[Lionvibez]

If AMD or NVIDIA did what APPLE does and force people to preorder, check their ID and then sell direct to the consumer...there's no reason why both gamers and miners couldn't be happy.

The prebuilt manufacturers benefitted by being able to get cards direct from the manufacturer and their prebuilds didn't take the massive price increases we saw on the street.

This helps alittle but doesn't fix the problem. Both AMD and NV can do this for the cards they produce directly. However their AIB partners will choose to sell however they want. Which means selling directly to miners buying in bulk because who is going to say no to money up front over dealing with the retail market. The boutique's that sell prebuilt machines also order in bulk just at a smaller rate than the bigger partners. So they also avoid the retail markups since they just add it to the cost of the total build.

 

[Nobina]

Translation: Never expect another GPU for under 500 USD.

I don't want to hear ifs, then or buts about it: you all made this happen and there's no turning back: You all made PC gaming substantially worst than console gaming by introducing a *huge* price premium by not being able to tolerate things like gaming on a 5 year old GPU or just APU graphics.

And yes I am also including sites like this specially on the affiliated youtube review side: Even a few days ago you still never mention APUs for gaming as viable and pushed the cycle of hype created by hardware companies like Nvidia and AMD by constantly promoting bad products: yes even if begrudgingly and being critical and trying to "explain the options" the better option was to just not do any videos at all about the new GPU releases.

NONE. Not a word from any of the reviewers that still came out and basically provided free advertising every time, even while being critical, creating the impression of "Well it sucks, but you gotta pay this scalper prices" instead of showing people "You actually don't need to obsess about 1080p 60 FPS at high detail as the bare minimum barrier of entrance for having fun with gaming".

It's mostly miners and scalpers that have contributed to this, still counts as "gaming industry". Anyway, who could've seen this coming, people not being patient and all? Gamers are mentally too weak to resist the hype. They made gaming the biggest industry in the world, or if it's not it's going to be. You can easily slap RGB on a mug with Razer logo on it and sell it 10x the price to a gamer.

 

[Dimitriid]

It's mostly miners and scalpers that have contributed to this, still counts as "gaming industry".

Let me stop your right there:

1) It doesn't specify which part was for GPUs only
2) We know that the margins on GPUs are close to the worst on anything that goes into a consumer PC under most circumstances.

Now I can concede that the gpu margins are probably a tad better now, but if we're just talking overall it tells me that a lot of pcs were sold and/or built. Which means a lot of parts were bought and this are trends that do check out as the sales overall being way more with more people building.

So the conclusion isn't "Miners are making the industry rich" but far more likely "The industry overall grew" means "People bought GPUs at scalper prices to complete their builds"

 

[TeddyBertrand]

There's no doubt that the gaming industry, or E sport, itself is growing rapidly these days. With the demand blooming, and supply shortage due to the pandemic, there goes the pc gaming industry boooooom

 

[McMurdeR]

PC gaming isn't niche anymore, mores the pity. The media tends to highlight the frivolous high-end now - PC hardware that plays the latest AAA games with more graphical bells and whistles than consoles. One of the things that's neglected is the wealth of content available to older or lower end hardware.

Back in the 90's and 2000's it was about playing games that you would simply never see on console. That was the difference.

 

[Sausagemeat]

Everyone and their mums play PC games now. When I was 18 it was just me and a small handful of my friends who I knew who played, all rocking out pentium 4s and Athlon64 systems. Now practically everyone I know and work with plays games. Even my 65 year old colleague who’s never played games before in his life was excitedly telling me how much he loves playing RDR2 on his shiny new gaming laptop the other day.

 

[wiyosaya]

No wonder why there are so many free games out there now.