The popularity of e-sports remains unbroken, and its economic impact is also extremely significant. The estimated annual turnover of the domestic e-sports market reaches 80 billion forints, which includes hardware and peripheral purchases, video game purchases, in-game transactions, and spending on subscriptions and related products. K&H’s e-sports research shows that Hungarians are happy to spend on e-sports-related equipment. As the holidays approach, the volume of purchases of video game-related equipment may increase.

In Hungary, e-sports-related spending approached 80 billion forints in 2024, of which the largest part went to hardware purchases (40 billion forints) and game subscriptions (11.7 billion forints), while 9.2 billion forints went to in-game content and 1.4 billion forints to gift items. The growth is driven by the stabilization of the gaming market and the continuous increase in demand for video games. K&H’s e-sports research, conducted among 1,000 people aged 20-65 in Hungary, clearly shows that those actively interested in e-sports prefer to spend on related equipment. More than half of those surveyed spend over 10,000 forints annually. In fact, nearly 10 percent of them estimate their annual spending at 50-200 thousand forints.

“The dynamic curve of e-sports’ economic growth reflects the enormous potential inherent in the sport. The year-on-year increase in the number of e-sports players not only increases participation in competitions, but also has a significant impact on the market. That is why we are unwaveringly supporting domestic e-sports, thus ensuring the progress not only of the sport, but also of the players,” said Nóra Horváth Magyary Voljč, Head of Communications at K&H Group.

The dominant player in the e-sports platform 8-10 years ago was the PC. In recent years, however, laptops have been catching up, they have increasingly higher performance, and with additional hardware and games running in the cloud, the difference between the experience provided by the two devices is barely noticeable.

This year’s K&H survey shows that nearly 75 percent of those who play or watch e-sports have a laptop, and 23 percent also have some kind of game console.

With the holidays approaching, many department store chains are promoting their products by piling up promotions. Holiday discounts can boost not only the turnover of department stores, but also the retail trade in Hungary. According to the forecasts of the Central Statistical Office, the turnover of IT and other industrial goods may be exceptionally high in the last quarter, which could further increase the domestic e-sports economy.

Source: K&H press release