Daniel J SaitOne of the questions EI has been asking recently is whether the custom installation industry is overlooking one of its biggest growth opportunities, gaming.
For years, our sector has quite rightly focused on dedicated home cinemas, media rooms and distributed entertainment. Yet another category has been evolving alongside it: immersive gaming and simulation. Plenty have got involved, but is it time to make this sector a core deliverable for all installers? The evidence is beginning to stack up.
Recent projects featured by Essential Install have highlighted the growing popularity of golf simulators, (check out this case study featuring Lairds AV) not just in private homes but in golf clubs, driving ranges and hospitality venues. Golf is one of the UK’s most popular participation sports, with millions of regular players and an even larger audience that follows the professional game. Combine that with increasingly accurate launch monitor technology, realistic simulation software and ever-improving projection systems, and it’s easy to see why demand is accelerating.
For installers, this represents an opportunity that extends well beyond the residential market. Golf clubs are investing to attract members throughout the year, driving ranges are modernising their facilities and pubs, hotels and leisure venues are discovering that simulator bays can generate significant additional revenue. Every one of those projects requires many of the same skills our industry already possesses: projection, audio, networking, control, lighting and room design.
Golf, is only the beginning
Driving simulators are also moving beyond their traditional role as professional training tools. Once the preserve of racing teams and commercial driver development, sophisticated simulator systems are becoming increasingly desirable for enthusiasts seeking authentic experiences at home. As hardware becomes more accessible and software more convincing, another specialist installation market is beginning to emerge.
Then there is gaming itself
Too often, gaming is treated as an afterthought in premium home entertainment. A games console connected to a media room display is certainly better than nothing, but is that really the limit of the opportunity?
High-performance gaming PCs are becoming increasingly aspirational pieces of technology in their own right. Companies such as Chillblast are producing beautifully engineered systems that deliver experiences simply beyond the reach of conventional consoles. Their recent partnership with Aston Martin underlines just how premium the specialist gaming PC sector has become. Look out for a comment from Chillblast in the July issue of Essential Install.
These systems deserve the same level of careful integration as any high-end cinema or whole-home audio installation. Low-latency displays, immersive surround sound, acoustic treatment, intelligent lighting and ergonomic room design all contribute to the experience. None of that sits outside the expertise of a professional integrator.
Perhaps the real opportunity is not gaming itself but recognising that immersive entertainment has expanded beyond music and movies.
The skills already exist within our community. The customers are increasingly there. The commercial opportunities are growing.
The only remaining question is whether enough installers are ready to press ‘Start’.