PC Gaming Alliance report puts PC sales at number one
PC hardware shipments over double that of all consoles combined in 2009
A report commissioned by the PC Gaming Alliance has claimed that the annual shipment volume for PC hardware in 2009 was over double that for all home consoles combined.
The Horizons Hardware report, available only to PCGA members, expects this trend to continue. Having calculated the revenues from machines shipped with a discrete (ie non-integrated) GPU to be $54.6 billion (£3.44bn) in 2009, the organisation estimated this figure to grow to $61.3 billion (£3.86bn) by 2014.
"One of the biggest trends I'm seeing in the 2009 Horizon's hardware report indicates a strong demand for more capable mobile based systems by PC gamers," said PCGA research committee chairman Matt Ployhar.
"PC Gamers are playing a central role in fuelling healthier margins, and driving innovation in this space worldwide".
The revenue figures are based on the 61.5 million PCs which shipped last year which could be identified as having been purchased with gaming in mind.
The report estimates that there are currently 212.6 million PC users with a discrete graphics solution as part of their machine, a figure which the PCGA expects to climb to 322 million by 2014.
The PCGA is a non-profit organisation which aims to increase the market share and awareness of PC-based gaming.