Back in the day, gaming was a simple affair, and all you needed was a console hooked up to a dinky CRT TV to enjoy the best that the interactive entertainment boffins could cook up at the time.
Flash forward to the present day, and things are very different indeed. No longer is this a pursuit just for kids with limited cash to splash on their favorite pastime, in fact, the average gamer is in their 30s – which means that they’ve got a taste for the finer things, and the disposable income to indulge in this desire.
To show that this really is associated with luxury lifestyles and not basement dwellings, here’s a look at some clear examples of the gaming scene coming of age.
Boutique Builds
Rather than having to play games on an anonymous gray or beige box, it’s long been possible to pick from a cavalcade of impressive builds made by boutique brands – many of which started as independents before being bought out by big players looking to capture this market niche.
The best-known of the bunch is undoubtedly Alienware, which has been under Dell’s umbrella for what seems like eons. There are many more out there, and in terms of pricing and features, the sky’s the limit – with customization another priority.
It’s really a global phenomenon, with gamers from San Francisco to South Africa and beyond able to order pre-built gaming PC bundles from reputable suppliers like PC International that are totally tailored to their preferences.
The Component Arms Race
While the peak of the chip shortage during the pandemic saw even the most modestly-specced GPU and CPU jump up in price inordinately, we’ve not seen much of a fallback from this high water mark, with the likes of Nvidia, AMD, and Intel all managing to command a premium for their top-tier releases across both categories.
From a graphics card perspective, true luxury and bragging rights are still defined by the GeForce range, with the RTX 4090 both leading the pack from a critical perspective and also taking the cake in terms of price. Expect to pay at least $1,700 for this behemoth on its own – while the more OTT editions from third-party brands can easily exceed $2,000 or more.
For processors, the Core 19 13900K is another head-turner, both in terms of specs and price. It may have been doing the rounds for a little while now, but it still justifies itself with market-leading gaming performance.
Perhaps the most crucial point about luxury gaming components is that they adhere to the law of diminishing returns that plays into the hands of all luxury brands, regardless of the market they’re targeting.
In a sense, the price is the selling point – and even if you’re paying 5 times more than you would for a mid-tier card without getting anywhere near 5 times the performance, that’s simply not the point.
The Accessories Explosion
The final facet of gaming’s transformation into a luxury pastime is the rise of incredible accessories that can enhance the experience of enjoying the latest titles, while also ticking all the boxes in terms of social clout and even bling.
There’s a lot to consider here – starting with PC monitors and smart TVs which are duking it out to offer either gamer aesthetics, vast screen sizes, blistering fast refresh rates, incredible color accuracy, or a combination of all of these.
Again it’s Alienware that deserves special notice here, with its ultrawide QD-OLED AW3423DWF kicking the stuffing out of the competition, and looking great while it does so.
Next, gaming chairs are an intriguing genre of home furnishings in their own right – and have spread beyond their niche to appeal to people just looking for a stylish, modern place to relax whether at the office or in the den. Brands like Secretlab and Herman Miller have got you covered here.
Then lastly there’s the likes of gaming headphones, which once again can be had at a budget price, but also run right up to the other end of the spectrum for those seeking luxury. Brands like Bose and Sennheiser have entered the fray to take on the likes of Logitech and Razer, so it’s a great time to be a gamer and an audiophile.
Final Thoughts
The homes of the rich and famous of today have definitely pivoted towards including gaming rooms – and even the average luxury lifestyle aficionado can follow suit to a lesser or greater extent.
So as this industry grows, expect to see even more amazing products rising to prominence.
