Best Buy Elevates Its Gaming Experience
Best Buy took its in-store PC gaming experience to a new level late last year by debuting physical, interactive gaming stations powered by Intel in select stores.
The “Intel Battle Stations” first rolled out to stores in four major markets in the U.S. (Dallas, Minneapolis, Miami and Westbury, New York) just ahead of the 2024 holiday season.
In 2023, an earlier iteration of Battle Stations gaming experience rolled out to select Best Buy stores in Canada.
The commanding in-store experience resembles a combination of an elite gamer’s set-up and an advanced arcade game, comprising three monitors, chairs, steering wheels and foot pedals.
The setup is positioned below a digital arch displaying relevant graphics and ads on loop for gaming technology with illuminating speakers on each side.
Interactive Customer Experience
The PC gaming allows shoppers to get hands-on experience with the Intel-powered hardware that is “designed to bring immersive, high-performance gameplay,” according to a corporate blog post.
Shoppers can also demo some of the latest PC gaming titles, such as "Fortnite" and "Star Wars Outlaws," using the Intel-powered PCs.
The stations also debuted with the Logitech G29 racing wheel, allowing gamers to demo racing titles with “realistic force feedback, pedal responsiveness and precision control,” per the release. The G29 wheel simulates the feeling of every turn, acceleration and brake “as if you are in the driver’s seat of a race car.”
In addition to the PC gaming experience, shoppers can also envision and plan for their own setup at the station. An AI-powered shopping panel allows shoppers to browse and discover accessories, processors, memory and other devices/gaming tools.
Shoppers can also place an order on the spot by scanning a QR code or talking with a Blue Shirt associate who can explain the purchase process.
From epic battles to high-speed racing, Best Buy said this experience offers games across a wide range of genres with “something for every type of gaming fan,” such as "Assetto Corsa," which features a “hyper-realistic” driving simulator with lifelike physics and graphics.
