Gaming and virtual reality (VR) are two areas highlighted at this year’s Taipei Computer Applications Show, which opened on Thursday at the Taipei World Trade Center’s Exhibition Hall 1.
Apart from their usual product lineup, computer brands that attend this year’s show will also display their gaming laptops and desktops, said the Taipei Computer Association, a co-organizer of the five-day fair.
Some of these computers designed to meet the higher hardware requirements to run video games will also be compatible with recently launched VR headsets, including the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift, the association added.
At this year’s show, Micro-Star International Corp Ltd (MSI, 微星科技) introduced VR-ready models of its Aegis X and Aegis Ti PCs, which are priced from NT$66,900 to NT$129,800, while both Acer Inc (宏碁) and Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) set up an area for visitors to experience VR-ready products under their respective gaming product brands — Predator and Republic of Games, according to the association.
The organizers set up their own VR exhibition called “Tech Bar 4.0,” where visitors can go on a virtual tour of the Glenlivet distillery in Scotland.
This year’s emphasis on gaming is also demonstrated by the inaugural E-Sports Festival in Taiwan, which is held as part of the computer fair, the association said.
The global e-sports industries are forecast to generate US$460 million in revenue this year, and Taiwan is well positioned in the development of this sector, association deputy secretary-general Charles Huang (黃鋆鋇) said.
Taiwan has a large share of the gaming hardware market, its e-sports teams often win global competitions and it is a gaming market that is open to other countries, Huang said.
The show is open from 10am to 6pm and entry is free.
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