Judy Johnson / Director of Gaming & Esports
87 % of Generation Z said they play video games on devices such as smartphones , gaming consoles , or computers at least weekly , compared with 83 % of millennials and 79 % of Generation X .
HP has learned our Gen Z customers want more intimate gaming experiences that nurture their relationships — whether bonding with family or presenting opportunities for friendly rivalries . Their expectation is that their virtual world will become an expansion of their offline life , a place where they connect with their friends in immersive environments of almost every kind imaginable . This finding dovetails with the phenomenon of “ digital campfires ,” where people gather online in smaller groups to private message one another , connect to a like-minded community , or participate in a shared experience .
Earlier this year we started testing a new feature of the OMEN Gaming Hub called
OMEN Oasis , a free-to-download and easyto-use add-on that makes invite-only game streaming , casting , or just hanging out with friends easier than ever .
“Gaming will become even more mainstream and deeply social , and will attract ever more diverse audiences .” gaming on your connected device from anywhere , with people from all over the world whom you ’ ll likely never meet in person . Any connected device with a screen will become a gaming PC . This up-and-coming Netflix-like experience is underpinned by technologies like direct-to-consumer gaming software , cloud gaming , VR , 5G , and edge computing . Generation Z will inspire new social experiences , but all gamers will benefit from being able to play together , watch together , chat together , and share together .
Whether you ’ re gaming on your phone , TV , or PC , you ’ ll need great gaming peripherals . That ’ s part of the reason why earlier this year , HP acquired HyperX , Kingston Technology ’ s well-known brand of gaming accessories , to complement our PCs with innovative and gamer-championed peripherals to grow our gaming ecosystem .
Businesses will need to make it easier for gamers to play on all devices , create cross-device ecosystems , and optimize local and cloud game play where it makes sense . HP is competing with the biggest names in gaming to be the dominant player in this space . As the building blocks for the future of gaming are being developed , it ’ s a precipitous moment for innovation , and the companies that will flourish are those that adapt quickly to user trends and take risks .
Where we ’ re headed In the coming years , as Gen Z continues to move into adulthood , we predict that gaming will become even more mainstream and deeply social , and will attract ever more diverse audiences .
We ’ ve headed away from playing Madden in your living room with friends and toward
HP / INNOVATION / SUMMER 2021 9