How gaming has emerged as a viable career option

Indian consumers are embracing gaming in unprecedented ways. It is not just restricted as a hobby anymore, as it is now being considered as a career option and becoming a part of wider societal discussions around combating stress, skill development, and social interactions.

Vickram Bedi, Senior Director, Personal Systems, HP India Market in an interaction told Business Today, "Consumers have also started embracing gaming as a profession in India. Apart from participating in esports tournaments, gamers also have the options to earn via streaming, or "casting" games which are now fast expanding in India as well. Across demography, users are taking gaming more seriously and considering it as a viable professional avenue. We're excited to see this positive sentiment for the PC gaming industry and believe we are at an interesting growth phase for the Indian PC market." According to the HP India Gaming Landscape Report 2021, gaming has emerged as a viable career opportunity with over 90 per cent of respondents agreeing that the gaming industry is a viable career option.

The gaming industry had begun witnessing strong growth, even before the pandemic started in 2019. In the last few years, the Indian PC gaming market has been rapidly growing. In some segments, the growth has been more than 50 per cent (y-o-y) which is the highest across all PC categories. "In the last 18 months, the pandemic has caused a lot of stress but it's heartening to see gaming helping people to manage their stress and help them connect with their friends and families remotely," adds Bedi.

There is also a growing shift in perception around gaming in recent times - it is now called out as a key to improving cognitive skills. HP's survey also revealed that 92 per cent of the respondents agree that gaming enhances the ability to multitask, and 90 per cent voted in favour of gaming helping improve decision-making and problem-solving skills. As a result,  gaming also represents a significant growth opportunity for the Indian PC industry and continues to be a key driver of laptop gaming companies, including HP. "In fact, we have been witnessing the growth of the PC gaming industry by 50 per cent CAGR for the last few years and this tops all segments of PC sales in India," explains Bedi. According to IDC reports, HP has maintained its number one share in gaming notebooks in India for the first two quarters of 2021.

For someone looking to get a gaming laptop for the first time, Bedi says, "Today's gamers need the right experience and technology to get the most out of gaming. Innovative thermal technology and winning horsepower, stunning visuals supported with great accessories to bring games to life by enhancing the overall experience. In my view, any new gamer should focus on graphics and performance, better processors and faster charging battery with longer backups in a gaming device."

HP's existing gaming portfolio includes the Omen and Pavilion series- HP OMEN 15 with Intel and AMD processors for the high-end gamers and Pavilion gaming 16 for the casual gamers. The company recently announced the introduction of the next-generation mainstream gaming PC portfolio Victus, for both casual and experienced gamers.

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