HDMI Blog

Looking To Boost Video Game Sales? Don’t Forget The Sound

(published in TWICE, June 2024)

U.S. consumers spent $57.2 billion on video games, game hardware and accessories last year, up $600 million from 2022 but well off the pandemic high of $59.6 billion in 2021.

One way brick-and-mortar retailers and e-commerce sites can regain some ground may be by suggesting consumers consider their ears as much as they do their eyes as a way to enhance their gaming experiences.
Too often, shoppers focus on game hardware, games and displays to the exclusion of audio. But great game sound elevates the experience in a way many consumers may have overlooked.

That’s especially true today with HDMI® Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) enabled soundbars that deliver outstanding, lifelike soundscapes, immersing players in their game action.

Relying on two to four built-in speakers and advanced immersive audio technologies, such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, these affordable upsells deliver audio that fills the room with sound and places players squarely in their games.

Shoppers can hear the difference a good soundbar with eARC will make. Offering support for high bitrate, object-based audio formats—up to 192kHz at 24-bit, an eARC-enabled soundbar will also enhance watching sports, movies and TV programs because it delivers superior audio fidelity that ensures every sound is precise and clearly reproduced. Part of the HDMI 2.1b Specification, eARC audio enables seamless connectivity and transmission of uncompressed audio with up to 48Gbps bandwidth.
For shoppers with fatter wallets, a multi-speaker Audio-Video Receiver (AVR) system can move the sound needle from good to great while boosting revenue.

AVRs with multiple speakers enable gamers to turn up the volume without introducing sound distortion thanks to their amplification modules. Besides powering immersive audio experiences for gaming with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, AVRs simplify overall system setup and use—two key selling points for consumers who want to spend their time gaming and enjoying the overall experience rather than setting up their own DIY multi-speaker system and fiddling with things.

As an AV hub, they make it simple to integrate game consoles and other components into the system. Multi-speaker AVRs also simplify switching between a variety of sources, which might open up the sales discussion to other electronics, such as TVs with support for the gaming-specific features that are part of the HDMI 2.1b Specification like Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and 4K120 (4K UHD @ 120Hz refresh rate) as well as additional audio speakers.

Whether consumers decide to upgrade their gameplay with an AVR or a soundbar, don’t forget to tell them all eARC-enabled devices should be connected with genuine Ultra High-Speed HDMI® Cables to take full advantage of an AVR or soundbar’s capabilities.

Climbing back to the all-time high video game revenue mark set in 2021 during the pandemic won’t be an easy feat, but showing customers how much great audio can improve their gameplay experience will help generate additional receipts and push this year’s revenue closer to the record.

The terms HDMI, HDMI High-Definition Multimedia Interface, HDMI Trade Dress, and the HDMI Logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. All other trademarks, logos and brand names are the property of their respective owners.