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IKEA China and ASUS team on gaming products, resist urge to call them FRÄG

Chairs, desks, cup-holders, and a weird wearable cushion will reach the west in late 2021

If you’ve ever felt that IKEA lacks a sense of humour, here’s proof: the company’s new collection of gaming furniture and accessories produced in collaboration with ASUS is not called “FRÄG”.

The tax-shy furniture giant and ASUS’ Republic of Gamers offshoot have instead given us the “UPPSPEL” range of furniture that includes a ¥3,999 (US$620) gaming desk with motorised height adjustment features. Another UPPSPEL item, the ¥79 (US$12.20) wheeled CPU stand, looks a price challenger to Apple’s infamous $699 Mac Pro wheels.

There’s also the “LÅNESPELARE” range of accessories to consider, such as the ¥99 ($15.35) “Mouse bungee” that lifts a mouse cord off the desk to leave an optimal length dangling under just the right amount of tension. The LÅNESPELARE range also includes a mug holder that clamps onto a desk, a mug that slots into it, a phone holder with an adjustable stem said to let you “direct and adjust exactly as you like to create the perfect video clip or selfie” and a ring light so you look your best online when using the phone holder for live streaming.

Perhaps the ¥149 ($23) “Multi-functional cushion/blanket”, which appears to fold out into a weirdly long t-shirt-like-object, takes your fancy?

Or maybe the UTESPELARE range is more to your liking? It’s rather cheaper than the UPPSPEL, probably because it lacks features such as motorised raising and lowering, or an integrated USB charger.

IKEA utespelare gaming desk

The UTESPELARE gaming desk. Click to enlarge

Don’t make the mistake of confusing UPPSPEL, UTESPELARE, or LÅNESPELARE with IKEA’s own-brand HUVUDSPELARE gaming furniture. The latter has been around since at least 2019, well before the September 2020 announcement that IKEA and ASUS would collaborate.

When the two announced their team-up, they said that IKEA’s furniture smarts and ASUS’ connection to the gaming community would result in superior products that “increase performance” and blend in beautifully to homes.” IKEA’s blurb for the new kit says that ASUS has helped it to “better understand the daily lives of loyal PC gamers” and the resulting products “can help more players win.”

Try doing that with mere HUVUDSPELARE.

The products were designed in China and are only sold in-store. IKEA has promised they’ll reach “other markets” in October 2021.

The products can be found here. ®

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