India’s gaming hardware market is squeezed from every direction right now

India’s gaming hardware market is being squeezed from multiple directions at once. Consoles are in short supply, a price hike is expected to land soon, and even the fallback option of building a gaming PC has become more expensive — all while anticipation builds for the release of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) later this year.

Retailers describe a near-total console drought. “It is not just Mangaluru, there is practically zero stock across India. The last batch of around 18 units we received was sold out within a day,” said one authorised retailer. A staff member at another store said they take four to five calls a day from customers hunting for consoles, adding, “There is demand, but no stock. Even if we arrange a piece, it comes at a higher price and not at MRP.”

Compounding the shortage, global prices for a major console brand have already been revised upward, and retailers expect India to see that increase soon. “The next restock will likely come at a higher price,” one dealer said, a prospect that has already triggered consumer hesitation and online backlash even as enquiries hold steady, with some stores fielding up to 10 calls daily according to Yashas of Smart Hub Enterprises.

With consoles hard to find, some buyers are eyeing gaming PCs instead, and retailers report growing interest in high-end graphics cards and custom builds. But Nagendra Prabhu of Suprabhata Computers said rising prices for RAM, SSDs and processors over the past six months have made PC building less attractive too, leaving many customers to enquire without buying, while gaming lounges pick up some of the resulting demand.