Exclusive: Asus to make consumer, gaming PCs in India starting 2024, says Arnold Su

Asus India kicked off 2024 by launching its first consumer PC in India today. The company launched the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED in India today. This new laptop will go on sale in India starting January 30. On the sidelines of this development, we sat down for a chat with Asus India, Vice President – Consumer and Gaming PC, System Business Group, Arnold Su. During our conversation we took a deep dive in the Indian gaming market and the company first handheld gaming console, that is, the ROG Ally. Here are some of the most interesting snippets from our conversation. Also Read: 6 Best Under 1 Lakh Laptops That Handle Gaming, Editing, And More With Ease

ROG Ally successor is coming Also Read: Asus ROG Xbox Ally, ROG Xbox Ally X Gaming Handhelds Launched In India: Price, Features, Availability

Asus introduced its first handheld gaming console, that is, the ROG Ally [REVIEW] in India and globally last year. The device runs the Windows 11 and it capable of providing a complete Windows experience along with all the benefits of a gaming PC. During our conversation, Arnold shared that Asus is planning to bring a successor to the device sometime this year.

“…we most likely will launch a second generation [handheld gaming console] this year. We will still keep the Windows features, but we will focus more on gaming,” he told Techlusive.

He also talked at length about the kind of response that ROG Ally has received in India in less than a year since its launch. “…in India we sold around 70,000 – 80,000 units,” he said adding in India it was mostly the early adopters who purchased this gaming console as opposed to the developed countries that have a higher PC penetration rate.

Gaming desktop vs gaming laptops

An interesting insight that the Asus India executive shared during our conversation is that while the gaming market in India and elsewhere around the globe is growing, it’s the gaming laptops that are getting more attention.

“If you look at DIY gaming desktops, it’s still quite a big portion…If you talk about the DIY market, it is close to 1 million units. But for branded, it’s really very small,” he said, adding, “If you are casual gamer, they preferred to buy a gaming laptop that you can also use for you day-to-day usage.”

Arnold also shared that gaming laptop market has already outpaced the gaming desktop market in India and globally. “Already outpaced…The hardcore gamers, they still prefer desktops, but for most of the casual gamers, they will not for desktops.”

Made in India PCs by Asus

Apart for gaming and gaming devices, Arnold also touched upon the subject of the company manufacturing its PCs in India. For the unversed, Asus, in September last year, shared its plans of manufacturing its PCs in India. Shortly after, the company started manufacturing some of its PCs in India. This year, Asus plans to expand its manufacturing capabilities further. “…in 2023, our volume was small…But in 2024, it will increase. The main difference is that until 2023 only the non-gaming PCs were made in India, and in 2024 we are going to add gaming PC to be made in India.”