Ahead of Family Month in May... Increasing Consumers Seeking Game Consoles

A customer is examining products at the 'PlayStation Specialty Store' located on the first floor of Lotte Hi-Mart Megastore Jamsil branch.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] As Family Month in May approaches, the number of consumers purchasing game consoles is increasing.

According to Lotte Hi-Mart on the 14th, the sales revenue of game consoles from the 1st to the 13th of this month increased by about 240% compared to the same period last year. The range includes various consoles from those that allow users to enjoy multiple games by purchasing titles separately to VR game consoles. Recently, content requiring actual physical activity has also been released, increasing the usability and attracting many consumers to seek game consoles.

Lotte Hi-Mart is introducing game consoles to consumers in various ways in line with the 'home entertainment' trend. In January, they opened a 'PlayStation Specialty Store' at the Mega Store Jamsil branch. The store is 90㎡ (approximately 27 pyeong) in size. It is the first PlayStation specialty store introduced in a domestic electronics specialty store. At the 'PlayStation Specialty Store,' customers can find console game consoles, popular game titles, peripherals, and merchandise.

In March, Lotte Hi-Mart sold a limited quantity of the PS5™ (PlayStation 5) through the mobile app live commerce 'Heart Live,' selling out all prepared units during the live broadcast. In early April, Meta's VR device 'Oculus Quest 2,' showcased on 'Heart Live,' was watched live by about 140,000 viewers. In addition, various game consoles from Nintendo Switch and Xbox to VR game consoles like HTC Vive are available at over 420 stores nationwide and online shopping malls.

Jung Suyeon, CMD of Lotte Hi-Mart Smart Products Team, said, “Recently, customer needs for purchasing game consoles have diversified to include exercise and high-definition video viewing,” adding, “Lotte Hi-Mart is quickly introducing various new products accordingly and strengthening experience zones in stores nationwide.”