Lucas Noah 
Thanks to 2020 that kept many of us inside and confined to our homes, online gaming saw a sharp rise in popularity.
Online gaming comes in many shapes and sizes. The obvious image that is conjured up is that of players competing on their consoles at home, playing the likes of Fortnite or Call of Duty. However, online gaming can also relate to mobile devices, people playing games against their friends such as Words with Friends or Candy Crush. Both are types of online gaming and both fall under those ever-increasing global numbers.
The laptop and PC gaming market accounts for a significant portion of the overall global gaming market too. The global PC gaming market is expected to be worth $42.4bn by the end of 2022, accounting for a significant portion of the industry. A gaming PC is usually thought of as a standalone device, a tower of some description fixed into a room or location. However, increasingly gaming laptops are beginning to creep into the market too.
GizmoChina.com reports that two leading manufacturers saw a significant uplift in sales through 2020, up 20% from the previous year. Whilst a general increase in sales is not uncommon, a significant shift upwards must be aided by the pandemic in some small part. The increased exposure of some eSports tournaments is bound to have added value to the market: many top sports stars took part in online gaming over the course of 2020 and that has alerted many new fans to the possibilities. Also, literal online gaming, such as poker and slots have risen in popularity, due to physical venues being closed.
Indeed, in March 2020, the four states with legalized poker operators saw huge increases, as reported by TheGuardian.com, with New Jersey reporting a 90% increase in revenue, year-on-year. That came despite 987 of the 989 casinos across the US remaining closed. The pandemic is still affecting poker events across the country; some large casinos have not opened their poker rooms even by fall 2021. However, even if some casinos are still restricting games, Poker.org reveal millions still play around the globe. That means people will be driven towards setting up an online gaming station at home, as they cannot get to a physical casino to enjoy their games, nor follow smaller tournaments virtually.
However, for many, buying a gaming laptop is a big commitment, even if there are plenty of great gaming models available for under $600. When choosing between a PC or a laptop, portability is the biggest reason for choosing a laptop. Once restrictions ease, which is expected to be gradual throughout this year, you will be able to take your gaming laptop to a friend’s house, on the bus, to work, or anywhere you choose. That is not the case with a PC, and hence one of the main reasons you might choose a laptop.
Also, a gaming laptop might not offer the same customizable options as a gaming PC, but the price reflects that. When you buy a laptop, the spec is pretty much set in stone, you know what you’re getting and that you cannot add to it at a later date. That might not appeal to the hardened gamer, but to a newcomer who is interested in playing, not the technical aspects of a gaming machine, it is an easier route. Also, laptops tend to cost less, so you can find yourself at a poker table, or in a multiplayer shooter, with far less outlay.
The choice between a laptop and a desktop is down to the end-user, as both will allow you to enter the world of online gaming on some level. It does appear with those buying trends though that more and more people are turning to a powerful but portable laptop for their gaming needs, making it every bit as much a vital piece of the online gamer’s kit as a comfortable gaming chair, desktop, mobile phone or console.
If you are looking for a gaming chair, then we’ve got you covered with our article ‘Why a Good Chair is an Important Part of Gaming’; so be sure to check it out.