Mangaluru: Enquiries for gaming consoles have seen a noticeable rise in the city, even as most outlets report little to no stock availability. The uptick in interest comes ahead of the much-anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI), expected later this year. However, retailers say the surge in demand has not translated to sales due to supply constraints.A staff member at a gaming store said they receive around four to five calls daily from customers checking for gaming consoles availability. “There is demand, but no stock. Even if we arrange a piece, it comes at a higher price and not at MRP,” the staffer said.Another authorised retailer confirmed that supply has been inconsistent across the country. “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,” an executive said.A retailer also pointed to a price hike by a brand as a key factor affecting the market. While global prices have already been revised, the increase is expected to reflect in India soon, said a retailer. “The next restock will likely come at a higher price,” a dealer said, adding that this has led to some consumer hesitation and online backlash.Enquiries have remained steady over the past two to three months, with some stores reporting up to 10 calls a day. Demand is there, but supply is very limited. Whatever stock comes gets sold quickly, said Yashas from Smart Hub Enterprises.A dealer noted that while GTA VI has generated interest, the demand for consoles is not driven solely by the game. With consoles largely unavailable, some consumers are shifting towards gaming PCs. A computer retailer said there has been growing interest in high-end graphics cards and gaming setups. Meanwhile, gaming parlours in the city are also witnessing good growth.Rohith from Gizmo Computers said that people, mainly non-gamers and those doing both gaming and editing, are preferring building PCs, as they give high end editing options. An executive from Infinity Gaming Lounge in the city said that most people prefer to come to gaming lounges or buy consoles for games, as building PC’s takes time and are costlier.An executive of Keera gaming lounge said that many don’t buy consoles as its costlier, and even games cost more, and prefer gaming lounges. Nagendra Prabhu of Suprabhata Computers said that with prices of RAM, SSD and processors surging, not many prefer building PCs for the past six months. He said this has discouraged customers, and people only come and enquire, but do not buy nowadays.
