The gaming industry: A growing market ripe for innovation

As part of its growth strategy, JBL is entering the video game industry with the launch of the JBL Quantum series of seven headsets, according to the company it is the very first JBL headphones created exclusively for gamers.

“JBL has a proven track record of meeting customers where they are, while foreseeing where they want to go next. That’s how JBL became the fastest-growing headphone brand in the world,” said Dave Rogers, President, Lifestyle Audio at HARMAN.

“With our technological expertise and user-centric vision, we have the ability to make a major contribution to the gaming industry while further advancing JBL’s leadership in the headphones market.”

On the cutting edge of audio trends

For more than 70 years, JBL has blended a bold vision of the future with the passion and talent of engineers and designers around the world to remain at the forefront of sound innovation.

JBL has a track record of forecasting the next big thing in headphone development like the wireless revolution, the waterproof trend, the rise of noise cancellation technology, and was amongst the first to recognise the potential of voice control.

Now, JBL is turning its attention to a new frontier: the gaming industry.

A growing market ripe for innovation

With a worldwide audience topping 2.4 billion people, video gaming is one of the fastest-growing entertainment sectors today. Advancements in cloud computing, voice-enabled technology, and virtual reality have mingled with the convergence of media, entertainment and IT to significantly expand this once niche industry.

Today’s video games are more lifelike than ever, and when it comes to making the experience truly immersive, sound is a critical element. Understanding the vital role that headphones play - especially when accuracy is the name of the game - JBL has developed the QUANTUM, the series of gaming headsets featuring JBL QuantumSOUND Signature technology, which delivers immersive audio quality and pinpoint accuracy to deliver a competitive advantage.

The QUANTUM effect

As every gamer knows, sound accuracy often separates the winners from the losers - making the right decision can depend entirely on assessing where a sound is coming from and how close it is.

The JBL Quantum gaming headset series features the newest JBL QuantumSURROUND sound technology, a realistic spatial soundstage to facilitate next-gen cinematic game immersion. The flagship JBL QUANTUM ONE is built with JBL QuantumSPHERE 360 technology, featuring proprietary algorithms and integrated head tracking sensors that allow gamers to hear sounds and movements around them.

Calibrated to suit each user’s ears, JBL QUANTUM headsets feature HARMAN X 3D technology for clear sound that it makes users feel like they’re right inside the game. In developing the gaming headsets, JBL’s motto was 'go big or go home'.

With passion and dedication, JBL’s acoustic engineering teams defined the most accurate soundscape ever created for the sector. The design was tested and retested with gamers around the world, leading to the most advanced predictive algorithms available for gaming headsets today.

“The overall gaming headset market is forecasted to see strong growth of 19% CAGR in retail value, reaching $2.8bn by 2023,” said Luke Pearce, Research Analyst at Futuresource Consulting.

“Considering the rise of cloud and subscription gaming, the release of next-generation consoles and their spotlight on immersive audio, as well as the influence of rapidly expanding esports viewership, there is a real opportunity for JBL to reinforce its position as a key headphones player while bringing substantial added value to the gaming market.”