Abko's Webcam Sales Soar 374% Year-on-Year in H1... "Boom from Remote Work, Online Classes, and Solo Media"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] As COVID-19 resurges, remote work, telecommuting, and online classes have become routine, leading to a surge in demand for webcams. The demand for broadcasting webcams in the rapidly growing 'one-person media' industry within the contactless culture is also steadily increasing.

Abko Webcam Product Lineup (from left to right: APC480, APC900, APC930, APC1000)

On the 24th, Abko, the nation's top gaming gear specialist company, announced that webcam product sales in the first half of this year reached approximately 4.9 billion KRW, a 374% increase compared to the same period last year.

They explained that since the outbreak of COVID-19, sales of webcams necessary for non-face-to-face work, remote classes, and one-person broadcasting have significantly increased. Webcam sales in the first half of last year were about 1 billion KRW.

An Abko representative said, "Sales are increasing mainly among customers who want higher image quality than the webcams built into laptops and those using desktop PCs without webcams," adding, "As contactless-based living environments such as video conferences and online classes are expected to become established even after COVID-19, webcam sales are likely to continue growing steadily."

Abko has a lineup of webcams with various specifications. The popular product APC930 features QHD 1944p resolution at 30 frames per second, two high-sensitivity stereo microphones, facial recognition, and autofocus that automatically detects and focuses on subjects, making it the best-selling model. Demand is also rising for affordable entry-level webcams like the APC480 and APC900, as well as the premium high-spec APC1000.

A company representative stated, "The rapid growth of the one-person media industry on platforms such as AfreecaTV and YouTube has also increased demand for broadcasting PC products," adding, "We have launched a variety of broadcasting equipment product lineups, including microphones and microphone boom arms, that general creators can use easily and conveniently, not just webcams."

They continued, "Along with the growth of the home gaming market due to COVID-19, demand for home PC peripherals including webcams is increasing, so we are also focusing our capabilities on the B2C business."