This week in unlikely collaborations, ASUS Republic of Gamers and IKEA are developing a new line of affordable gaming furniture and accessories.
IKEA and ROG engineers have reportedly held workshops with professional and casual gamers to better understand what types of home products we need ahead of diving into design.
"Around one-fourth of the global population (2.5 billion) are gamers, yet the needs of gaming lovers in terms of home furnishing have been so far overlooked," the press release states (opens in new tab). "There are a lot of existing conventions about gaming which are often stereotypical or negative, for example, all the games are built on violence, gaming is asocial and it is predominantly a men’s activity," says Ewa Rychert, global business leader of workspace at IKEA. "In fact, figures show that gaming is among the most truly cross-demographic activities, and it can improve an individual's mental health and general well-being. It's a source of relaxation, independence, fun; through gaming, people develop skills within problem solving, teamwork and communication."
Republic of Gamers is a leading brand in gaming accessories, so it'll be very interesting to see how this design shapes up in both form and function. This is IKEA's first foray into a line of products designed specifically for gamers, and as someone who is constantly trying to marry her gaming swag with her mid-century modern decor, I'm seriously hoping they'll make a gaming chair that could easily be disguised as an armchair.
The line will feature about 30 products and will launch first in China in February 2021. From October 2021 onward it will be available in other IKEA markets.
To hold you over until the IKEA x ROG release, here are the best gaming chairs (opens in new tab).
