Gaming console shipments to cross 72,000 units in CY 2020: techARC report

Sony’s PlayStation 4 dominated the gaming console market as it accounted for 92% of units shipped in the first three quarters, according to techARC’s India Gaming Console Market scan report.

Market likely to see 21% dip in sales in 2020 over previous year owing to poor start due to Covid-19 pandemic (Sony/YouTube)

Research firm techARC on Monday released India Gaming Console Market scan report for the third quarter (JAS). According to the report, more than 42.8K units were shipped during the first three quarters, which is less than 30% less than the volumes in the corresponding period for 2019. The research firm estimates total shipments for the calendar year 2020 will go past 72,000 units, which will be about 21% lower than the last year.

The report further said that the third quarter of CY 2020 saw a 13.5% growth YoY, making it the first quarter to register growth during the year. The previous quarters, Q1 and Q2, saw a declining trend in shipments with the first quarter being the worst. The quarter was hit by the global lockdowns owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the report, Sony's PlayStation 4 was the top seller with an average of 92% gaming consoles shipped of this model in the first three quarters. Sony's PlayStation Pro and Microsoft's Xbox One S were among the top three selling consoles this year.

Evolution of gaming console (techARC)

Evolution of gaming console (techARC)

The report pointed out that the Average Selling Price (ASP) of gaming consoles is continuing to show a declining trend. In the first three quarters of 2020, the ASP stood at ₹33,605 against ₹35,064 in 2019 and ₹40,294 in 2018 respectively, added the report. The trend, however, is likely to help push the adoption of the gaming device and widen its consumer base in India.

“While the market for console-based gaming has been squeezing over past few years, we feel there is still potential of selling over 100 thousand devices in a calendar year. The exposure to digital gaming through smartphones along with rising trend of having immersive experience will drive this potential,” Faisal Kawoosa, Founder & Chief Analyst, techARC said in the report.

“However, increasingly Microsoft Xbox is losing the grip of the market and Sony's PlayStation is sweeping the opportunity. There is definitely scope for a few more brands to foray in the category with value for money proposition,” added Faisal.