IDC predicts growth for gaming monitors, decline for gaming PCs in 2023

The big picture: PC gamers are a consumer class traditionally accustomed to higher spending rates compared to regular PC users. However, IDC reports that the PC market is still facing challenging times, even within the affluent gaming segment.

According to IDC’s estimations, the overall PC business is expected to decline by 13.7 percent in 2023. The market intelligence company now predicts that even gaming PC shipments will experience a steep decline by the end of the year. While gaming PCs and monitors had previously shown some resilience amid the slowing demand for new computing hardware, 2023 is expected to be a downturn period for all PC segments.

IDC predicts that gaming PC shipments will decline by 10.5 percent year over year in 2023. The segment is expected to shrink less than the overall PC market, according to IDC analysts, as consumers will take advantage of low pricing offers on previous-generation products and discounts on the current generation “due to excess inventory.”

IDC representative Jitesh Ubrani explains that poor macroeconomic conditions continue to reduce purchasing power “for general consumers and gamers alike.” While the global economy has begun to improve, many gamers remain cautious with their spending. Users are likely to hold onto their existing PCs for a longer period of time or even consider purchasing refurbished gaming PCs in the near future as a cost-cutting measure.

Things are looking much brighter for gaming monitor shipments, according to IDC. The segment is expected to grow by 10.8 percent by the end of 2023. IDC’s research manager, Jay Chou, attributes this stronger recovery to “improved cost structures and continued industry focus.” A typical gaming monitor costs a little over $300, making it a “cost-effective way” to significantly enhance the user experience for both gaming and traditional computer applications.

The gaming PC market is expected to face challenges in the near term, but improvements are anticipated as early as 2024. IDC predicts a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6 percent for gaming PC shipments between 2023 and 2027. Concurrently, gaming monitors are forecasted to experience a 7.7 percent CAGR during the same period.

IDC’s Tracker solutions offer “accurate and timely market size, company share, and forecasts” for hundreds of technology markets from more than 100 countries around the world. Meanwhile, the company’s Worldwide Quarterly Gaming Tracker provides “detailed and timely information” for the global PC gaming market, encompassing desktop systems, laptops, and gaming monitors.