Despite overall weak PC sales in recent years, Jon Peddie Research has projected that the computer graphics industry will exceed $235 billion by 2018, with a growth of 6.3% per year. This is due partly to the fact that the computer graphics industry is rooted in cross-platform sectors such as mobile, consoles, PC gaming, software, and workstations. For reference, the 2014 computer graphics industry was ~$184 billion (total of applications and hardware). Jon Peddie research attributes this to the move to 4K and a big boost from mobile, along with emerging technologies like 3D scanning/printing, augmented reality, and VR.
For computer graphics hardware, the total market was worth $118 billion in 2014 and is expected to exceed $129B by 2018. A large part of the growth in hardware is from workstations and monitors used for graphics, but mobile and gaming PCs also make up a significant portion. In 2014, gaming PCs made up $25 billion, and in 2018 are estimated to make up $32 billion. The CAGR (compound-annual growth rate) from 2014 to 2018 for gaming PCs is 6.5%. The mobile sector is seeing similar gains at $72 billion in 2014 and an estimated $93 billion in 2018, giving it a 6.3% CAGR.
The total PC gaming hardware market is estimated to be worth over $30 billion and is predicted to have a 6.5% CAGR, despite the overall PC market having dropped 12% over the past year.
Also interesting, gaming consoles are predicted to see negative growth. Currently at $12 billion, they are expected to drop to a little less than $10 billion, a CAGR of -5.9%.
The computer graphics hardware side of things has a CAGR of 5.3% and is projected to be worth $145 billion in 2018.
While hardware is good, software also plays an important part in the computer graphics industry. The majority of the computer graphics software market, and the majority of its increase, is made up of PC gaming and simulation -- hopefully this means more Goat Simulator. In 2014, PC gaming and simulation was worth $54 billion total, but it is expected to increase to $76 billion by 2018. The PC gaming and simulation sector has a CAGR of 8.8%, which is higher than any other computer graphics software sector. Jon Peddie attributes this to rises in 3D, VR, augmented reality, new APIs, and general gaming.
The computer graphics industry (including both hardware and software) was worth $184B in 2014 and is forecast to exceed $235 billion by 2018. For many, what may be most promising about Jon Peddie's research is that the computer graphics industry is expected to steadily grow for the foreseeable future.
- Michael "The Bear" Kerns.