HP is exploring new form factors for gaming devices, says HP India's Vickram Bedi

The Indian gaming industry is witnessing a period of exponential growth at the moment. As per reports, it is poised to touch $5 billion mark by the end of 2025. This growth is being aided by several important factors including the availability of high-speed internet in small towns and cities and cheaper data plans and a wide portfolio of gaming devices to pick from across pricing segments. HP has responded to this change in tide by expanding its gaming PC portfolio in India.

In 2023, the company brought both AMD and Intel version of its popular gaming laptops including the HP Omen Transcend 16, Omen 16, and Victus 16 to India in addition to launching a bunch of Chromebooks and high-performing PCs such as the Envy x360 and Dragonfly G4 in the country. On the sidelines of these developments, we sat down for a conversation with HP India’s Senior Director for Personal Systems, Vickram Bedi, to understand how the company is adjusting to the changing requirements of gaming enthusiasts in the country and its plans for future.

Changing trends of the Indian gaming market 

During our interaction, we touched upon various facets of the Indian gaming market, right from the major changes in the past couple of years, to the changes in the mobile market to the versatile needs of the gamers. While talking about the changes in the India gaming market, the HP India executive said that the ‘gaming landscape in India has gone through a notable transformation’ in the past five years. “In 2016, India was selling roughly 40,000 gaming laptops each year, but by 2022, this figure had surged to almost one million units, reflecting a remarkable growth of about 2000 percent within a span of just six-seven years,” Bedi told Techlusive in an email interaction.

“While the overall PC market has shown demand softness, gaming PC sales is bucking the trend and after strong growth in 2022, gaming PC sales has registered y-o-y growth in the first quarter of 2023,” he added.

The HP India executive also said that ‘there is a notable shift from mobile gaming enthusiasts to a growing number of PC gaming enthusiasts.’ “This transformation can be attributed to several key factors. Firstly, the increased affordability of gaming PCs has made them more accessible to a wider audience, with entry-level systems offering decent performance now within reach for many gamers,” he said.

“Secondly, PC gaming offers superior graphics, higher frame rates, and overall better performance compared to mobile gaming, resulting in a more immersive and visually appealing gaming experience,” the HP executive added.

Another shift that the company has witnessed is the increasing demand of an all-rounder machine that not only aces gaming performance but is also well equipped to handle the day-to-day needs of working professionals. “In recent conversations with our customers, we noticed a significant shift in the preferences of gamers. They no longer seek devices exclusively tailored for gaming purposes. Instead, they are moving towards a more versatile approach that is a blend of work and entertainment,” Bedi told Techlusive.

“This emerging trend emphasizes the seamless integration of various activities. Rather than toggling between distinct devices for separate tasks, gamers now express a desire for laptops that effortlessly transitions between gaming, productivity, and more.”

What HP is doing about it?

To cater to the growing gaming market in the country, HP has not only opened dedicated stores across dubbed as the Omen Playground stores wherein gaming enthusiasts can experience the company’s ecosystem of devices all at once before making a buying decision, but it has also added new devices to its portfolio, which in addition to gaming laptops includes the company’s 27-inch HyperX gaming monitor — all of which are capable of handling both gaming and productivity requirements of users. You can read our detailed review of the HP Omen Transcend 16 here.

In addition to this, the company is also bringing some of the premium features its flagship Omen lineup into more affordable options like the Victus laptops, which in turn is making gaming PCs a tad bit more pocket-friendly.

“…there’s a growing demand for devices that can seamlessly transition between work and play. Many gamers use their devices not only for gaming but also for productivity tasks like work or school. Having a device that can cater to both these aspects, creating a hybrid environment, is incredibly valuable. This means that the same device can excel at handling office tasks during the day and deliver exceptional gaming performance in the evening,” he added.

Expanding its gaming portfolio beyond PCs, laptops, and monitors

Smartphones and PCs have remained a popular choice for gaming enthusiasts for a long time. However, of lately, there has been an interest handheld gaming consoles, especially in India with companies like Asus filling in the void. When asked if HP to launch its own handheld gaming console owing to its rising popularity, Bedi said that the company was exploring new form factors for gamers in the country.

“We are constantly exploring and evaluating new form factors for gaming devices, and we remain focused on providing the best experiences to the gamers,” he said.