The original SYMFONISK table lamp speaker debuted in 2019, marking the first product developed together by IKEA and Sonos. Two years later, IKEA and Sonos are launching a new version of the SYMFONISK table lamp speaker, with an even better sound experience and updated, customizable designs.

IKEA and Sonos recognise the importance of light and sound, and its positive effect on life at home. Both are powerful mood boosters and deeply personal, with most people having their own preferences in terms of volume, brightness, type, and genre. Once again, the new SYMFONISK table lamp speaker combines the functionality of a smart lamp with a smart speaker but has been further developed with regards to both sound and design.

Just over a year ago, IKEA and Asus teased that they were working on something together and from October, you'll actually be able to buy the first products. There will be more than 30 new products in total, ranging from "gaming" desks and chairs, to key "gaming" accessories like mug holders and neck pillows.

It's highly likely that the pandemic has delayed these products, since they launched in China back in January, but now it seems like stock should be arriving globally. In total, there will be six product families, although the press release doesn't go into detail of what product is in each product category. The six families are UPPSPEL, LÅNESPELARE, MATCHSPEL, GRUPPSPEL, UTESPELARE, HUVUDSPELARE, which pretty much are all borrowed from various football (soccer to our American readers) terms in Swedish.

There are 2.5 billion gamers around the world, a diverse group united by their love of e-sports and gaming - and by being an overlooked group from a life-at-home perspective. But that is about to change: the new gaming range developed by IKEA in collaboration with Republic of Gamers (ROG) was launched at IKEA China on January 29, 2021. From May 2021 it will be available at IKEA Japan, and from October 2021 the range will be sales started globally. Gaming is more than a fun past-time. It is a way to wind down and take your mind off everyday hassles, and to connect with people everywhere. For some, it is even a livelihood. With an ever-increasing number of gamers worldwide and a rapidly growing market, getting into gaming was a natural step for IKEA.

At IKEA, we know a lot about smart home furnishing solutions, but we are novices at gaming. So, how to create a properly high-performing gaming range? To contribute to a better everyday life for all gamers, IKEA partnered with ROG (Republic of Gamers), an ASUS sub-brand, keeping the leading position in gaming industry and designing high quality, innovative hardware and gear for gamers. ROG has in-depth knowledge of the gaming industry and want to find new ways to make gaming blend into the home. Combining the best of these two worlds, the collaboration aimed to democratise the gaming experience, by creating relevant, functional, beautiful and affordable products and complete gaming solutions to make it easier for everyone to create the setup and the home they want.

IKEA and ASUS ROG announced a collaboration last September, for furniture and accessories targeted at gamers. The first products from this combine are out. From what we can tell, IKEA has given some of its existing home-office and garage furnishings an ASUS ROG trim, but we can also spot some new creations. Among the gear IKEA showed off are standing desks (both manual and motorized), wheeled desktop tower case stands, mats for your gaming chair, peg-boards with pegs, hooks, and Velcro straps for various kinds of hardware and peripherals; wheeled chests of drawers, and other accessories. What we're yet to see from IKEA x ROG, though, is a proper gaming chair. Perhaps one is in the works, since it would have to be a clean-slate design.

Ikea has created some new PS5 and Xbox Series X shaped enclosures to help customers find suitable Ikea products to house them. These placeholder game console boxes come with some clever comments including; "Which IKEA media storage unit will be able to fit my new, meme-ishly oversized, game console?" on the PS5. These fake consoles include dimensions that help when looking for suitable media cabinets to store the consoles. This is a clever move from Ikea as many people will be looking for a complete media center upgrade along with their new console. This smart marketing strategy has been well received by customers who have been posting about it online.

ASUS Republic of Gamers teased what could possibly be a collaboration or broader strategic partnership with home furnishings giant IKEA for gaming-grade furniture. We imagine this could see ASUS ROG and IKEA design everything from gaming-grade chairs to couches, to desks, tables, or even knick knacks such as peripheral stands. ASUS could leverage IKEA's vast network of stores, coupled with its expertise in furniture packaging. ASUS did not elaborate on this teaser besides a "coming soon" disclaimer. The catchphrase "Welcome Gaming Home" is also teased. We also know this isn't a regional collaboration since it's teased by the global Twitter handle of ASUS ROG.