U.S. gamers spent $4.5 billion on PC hardware and accessories in 2020

PC gaming hardware and accessories saw a huge leap in sales in 2020, according to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group. This is something that PC gaming fans are well-aware of as video cards and processors remain difficult to find.

Hardware and accessories for the PC gaming space reached $4.5 billion in the United States last year. That is up 62% compared to 2019 and more than twice the sales in the 2017 period. NPD also noted that PC gaming content increased 19% to $7.5 billion.

The growth isn’t exclusive to video cards, processors, and games, though. Every PC-gaming category grew year-over-year. This includes audio headsets, monitors, and keyboards.

NPD adviser Stephen Baker credits much of the momentum to pandemic-related behavioral changes.

“COVID-19 lockdown measures played a role in the growth we’re seeing in PC gaming, as consumers looked for ways to stay entertained while spending more time at home,” said Baker.

NPD analyst Mat Piscatella echoed that sentiment.

“[PC gaming is] one of the most accessible segments, as many households have a desktop or laptop computer,” said Piscatella. “Over the course of 2020, there was a significant increase in both the number of PC video game players as well as the time and money those players invested in PC gaming.”

Baker expects this market to continue growing through 2021 — although at a slower rate of around 3%. Beyond that, the industry should settle at around these spending levels.

“We remain optimistic about the outlook for PC gaming hardware and accessories for the future, and expect the segments growth rate will exceed that of the total industry,” said Baker. “We do not, [however], expect ongoing incremental dollar increases but rather a plateauing of demand at these new elevated levels.”