Ikea is developing furniture for gamers

Ergonomics, the domain of intricate office chairs and carpel tunnel-mitigating computer mice, is coming to Ikea—and not in the way you might expect. The retailer recently announced plans to develop a new line of hyper-personalized furniture designed for gamers.

Ikea is partnering with 3D printed prosthetics firm UNYQ and the e-gaming company Area Academy to design the products, which are expected to drop in 2020. “Gamers themselves have increased their ambitions by practicing better, eating better and getting better equipment but the solutions around seating and table, including accessories like lighting, can be improved,” said Ikea in a press release.

Early prototypes show a simple white chair that looks like a lovechild of the Aeron and an artist’s stool. The curvaceous seat is molded from plastic and cradles two cushions that have been crafted to fit your booty. How does Ikea achieve this, you ask? Let’s just say it would require your butt, a scanner, and an industrial grade 3D printer.

By venturing into personalized furniture for gaming, Ikea is chasing a massive audience of around 2 billion gamers around the world. Meanwhile, the rise of esports is also spurring significant investments in physical stadiums and adaptive reuse projects.

Via: Fast Company