When it comes to gaming, most consumers focus on the visual aspect of the experience as they create the best setup for their needs. Consumers rely on headsets to communicate with online users and to hear the game audio, but there’s a difference between playing a game and being fully immersed in it. The gaming market is booming with the recent release of new consoles, which means now is a great time for manufacturers and integrators to tap the gaming market for audio upgrades and installations.
The Benefits
Many gamers are transitioning from using a regular PC setup to larger spaces like living rooms and home theaters as they look for a better overall experience. In a larger setting, gamers will benefit from surround sound systems that provide an immersive experience as opposed to a simple headset or TV speaker. Immersive audio improves not only the overall gaming practice, but it improves gameplay as well. With the added benefits of accurate object-based location, the sound puts gamers right in the game rather than in front of it. Gamers enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with playing their favorites and creating the proper environment for the experience – especially including high-end audio – will enhance the overall experience. For games where the sonic environment is critical to the game play, improving the audio setup can set players up for a tactical advantage.
Why Should Manufacturers and Integrators Care?
The gaming market may be a new sector for most AV integrators but it’s mostly untapped and one that’s expected to grow as content and console quality continues to improve, and new games are developed. Adding audio components to the home of an avid gamer goes beyond gaming alone, it improves the entire home theater and living area audio setup making it a worthy investment for homeowners. Integrators can use the gaming audio angle to pitch new business and as the homeowner enjoys the new upgrade, it will likely lead to additional home theater improvements and installations. Integrators can outline the advantages improved audio brings to gaming while linking these benefits back to the home theater and living area experience as a whole.
Looking Forward
Overall, the importance of audio plays in any entertainment area is a beneficial starting point for an integrator to invest their time. As far as gaming goes, more consumers will begin to see the value in the audio aspect of the experience. We’ve seen game content developers and creators begin to acknowledge the importance of audio when it comes to experiencing the medium as they always intended, and this will only broaden moving forward. Publishers will get more creative about how audio is used in each game and manufacturers and integrators must respond. Wireless audio in particular will be popular for homeowners. If integrators are going to pitch the idea of multi-channel audio for gaming customers, it needs to be easy to integrate with existing setups while providing the true experience users are looking for.
As integrators look towards new business opportunities, the gaming sector is the way to go. With gaming as a profession and pastime continuing to increase in popularity, gaming audio will act as a gateway to a better understanding of what multi-channel audio can bring to the home. As consumers begin to understand the quality that high-end audio brings to gaming, they will be eager to make additional upgrades to their home entertainment spaces.
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