Sony launches PC gaming gear, expanding beyond PlayStation

TOKYO

Japan’s Sony is launching a new brand that will offer PC gaming gear, the company announced yesterday, as it tries to compete for a share of the lucrative gaming peripherals market.

Sony is looking to expand beyond its flagship PlayStation console and boost revenue from other sectors, including PC and mobile gaming.

The gaming peripherals market of items used by players was valued at $3.88 billion globally in 2019 according to Grand View Research.

Sony’s first offerings from its new Inzone brand will be three wireless headsets and two monitors, the priciest of which will retail for a suggested $899.99 in the United States.

“The market has been expanding with a higher interest in gaming with the spread of esports tournaments and the advancement of gaming entertainment,” said Yukihiro Kitajima, head of Sony’s game business and marketing office, in a statement.

Sony is “very late” to the “hopelessly crowded” sector, said Serkan Toto, CEO of game industry consultancy Kantan Games.
Rival Microsoft is already well-positioned, along with competitors like Razer, though Sony will bring unique hardware features, he told AFP.

The firm’s decision to enter the market now is linked to its “aggressive plan to boost sales from PC and mobile for its PlayStation unit to around 50 percent by fiscal 2025,” Toto said.

It “apparently believes that the goal is easier to achieve by leveraging its position in hardware to raise awareness among PC gamers.”