Ikea has revealed its new range of gaming desks, chairs and accessories today. The new collection of over 30 pieces, created in collaboration with ASUS sub-brand Republic of Gamers was first announced earlier in the year but has been kept under wraps until today. The suite of new gear will land in UK stores on October 1 and includes storage, a CPU stand, ring light and mouse bungee as well as ergonomic chairs and desks.
Ikea is looking to make this furniture and equipment more affordable and help it fit into the homes and aesthetics of a wider range of gamers. Gaming chairs are available for as little as £45, but the cheapest item in the range is the Lånespelare mouse pad at just £4.50.
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Perhaps the most telling example is the Utespelare desk. The powered sitting-standing desk complete with deep table top and cable management tray retails at just £99. That's an excellent price for such a versatile piece, especially considering these more premium desks usually go for between £150 and £500. Even the best gaming desks struggle to pack these features into such a price tag.
"We want to make life better for the many, and we cannot forget about the gamers," Ewa Rychert, Business Leader for Workspaces at Ikea told GamesRadar. "We are a democratic company, so we want to reach the customers with affordable prices and also cross-generations, because we see that gaming is not only for youngsters, as some people think."
The aesthetic of the new Utespelare, Matchspel, Uppspel and Lånespelare product range is certainly looking to cater to a range of tastes across generations. Cooler grey and white tones with black accents would fit well in any living space, battering down that ever-present door into the adolescent teenage gaming den. Pair that with competitive pricing that could make the best gaming chair brands cringe, and it looks like Ikea is on to a winner.
"When we started this journey, we spent a lot of time investigating the needs and desires of the consumers and we met with a big group of people, girls, and boys of different ages. We found a lot of commonalities but we also found a lot of differences, especially when it comes to tastes and preferences and what kind of home you already live in - needs and activities are quite often the same, but where it takes place - all the scenery around the gaming activity [was also a focus]."
Ikea's line triumphs function over the traditional gaming aesthetic, an aspect of development that saw the brand's partnership with Republic of Gamers come into its own.
"Republic of Gamers were part of the complete gaming development when it came to their insights and knowledge - we had a collaboration on the totality, the complete experience," explains Sofia Wiktorsson, Product Design Developer at Ikea. "It was the Uppspel range that we co-designed, but we have also utilized their expertise in the rest of the range."
At its heart, then, Ikea's new gaming range looks to bring more functional designs into the homes of all gamers. While the range is currently limited to PC gaming, there's still a lot to get excited about in this collection that champions a subtle design but pairs it with functions and features that are not just industry standard, but sometimes impressively premium.
If you're after more accessories, we're rounding up the best ring lights available right now. Or, if you're refreshing your full setup, check out the best gaming PCs and best gaming monitors on the market right now.
