There is an increasing number of choices on the market for furniture created with video game players in mind. Chairs make up a large portion of that, as companies like Secretlab have deals with developers like CD Projekt Red to create seats themed after different games such as Cyberpunk 2077. Swedish furnishing giant IKEA is now preparing to get into this market thanks to a new deal with hardware manufacturer Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG).
About 30 items are planned for the IKEA and ROG "affordable gaming furniture and accessories" line, according to a press release put out by IKEA today. The exact breakdown of what that will include is not specified, but IKEA said the idea was to combine its home furnishing knowledge with Asus' "expertise" in gaming experiences to create products that will increase performance and "blend in beautifully to homes."
This line is currently being worked on by the IKEA Product Development Centre in Shanghai, and it is planned to launch first in China by February 2021 before releasing in other markets that October. IKEA has made another major push toward attracting the gaming populace this year by releasing a 2021 furniture catalog themed after Animal Crossing: New Horizons in Taiwan.
Asus' ROG products have thus far been primarily focused on the technical side with laptops, graphics cards, monitors, and more; though they do offer apparel, backpacks, and gear like the "Chariot Core" gaming chair or rainbow LED strips. The ROG Global Twitter account also announced a deal with German clothing brand Acronym today, the same group responsible for an expensive Death Stranding jacket that sold out almost immediately in April.
The hardware manufacturer is also pushing products in other avenues. This weekend, Asus debuted its Wi-Fi 6E router following the Federal Communications Commission approving the use of next-generation Wi-Fi connections. It has also revealed a line of GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards that will keep the developer in competition with other manufacturers like Nvidia.
Krus Huang, General Manager of the Asus Gaming Gear and Accessory Business Unit, said in IKEA's press release that, "We envision that this collaboration will create synergies that empower gamers to build the gaming space they have always imagined." Other manufacturers like Logitech have also been working on gaming chairs through deals with companies like Herman Miller, so it will be interesting to see how this particular line fares when it comes into circulation next year.