PlayX4 2026, one of South Korea’s largest gaming exhibitions, was held at KINTEX in Goyang from May 21 to May 24, 2026.
PlayX4 is one of South Korea’s major gaming exhibitions, organized by Gyeonggi Province. The event began in 2009, and I still remember my first visit several years ago when a friend invited me as part of a participating company.
This year, I wanted to see firsthand how trends within the gaming industry and player interests have been evolving.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t make time for a weekday visit and ended up attending on Saturday instead. The crowd was far larger than I expected.
The registration queue at the entrance.
I’ve attended many exhibitions and conferences over the years, but it has been a long time since I had to wait in a line this long just to get inside. It took nearly an hour before I was finally able to enter.
Given the number of people waiting outside, I expected the exhibition hall to be extremely crowded. Surprisingly, however, it was relatively manageable once inside. Later, I learned that admission was being regulated based on real-time conditions.
The most memorable aspect of this year’s event was how prominent indie games and small development studios seemed compared to previous years.
When I visited in the past, large publishers and arcade game booths felt like the center of attention. This time, however, there were numerous booths showcasing games with unique ideas and distinctive personalities, despite their smaller scale.
More importantly, it wasn’t simply a matter of having more indie booths. Visitors themselves appeared genuinely interested. Throughout the venue, it was common to see people lining up to try games or chatting directly with developers.
While the gaming industry continues to grow larger and more competitive, it was encouraging to see that interest in creative and original indie games remains strong.
Walking around the exhibition also reminded me of something else.
Because indie developers often have limited marketing resources compared to major publishers, I’ve always believed that gameplay ultimately matters most. Personally, I still think a game’s true value becomes clear only after playing it.
However, exhibitions create a different environment.
As I watched visitors move through the venue, games featuring charming visuals and distinctive art styles naturally attracted more attention. Of course, long-term enjoyment and overall quality can only be judged after playing, but first impressions clearly matter. Visual design seemed to play a major role in getting people to stop, look, and give a game a chance.
Perhaps that’s an obvious observation. Still, seeing it firsthand reinforced the idea that while gameplay is critical, design is equally important in convincing people to experience a game in the first place.
The second area where I spent the most time was the Retro Market section.
From the Famicom and Super Famicom to the Nintendo 64, Mega Drive, and Sega Saturn, many of the consoles and games I remembered from childhood were gathered in one place.
Seeing those old favorites again brought back a surprising amount of nostalgia. More than once, I had to resist the temptation to open my wallet.
The area where I spent the most time overall, however, was the indie game section.
Many of the games were modest in scale but packed with unique ideas and personality. It was also impressive to see developers interacting directly with visitors. It offered a very different kind of appeal compared to the polished marketing campaigns of major game companies.
For me, PlayX4 2026 was more than just an opportunity to try new games. It was also a chance to get a sense of the current atmosphere of the Korean gaming industry.
The active participation of indie developers and small studios was particularly noteworthy, and their presence felt significantly stronger than it did just a few years ago.
AI may dominate today’s headlines, but the challenge of creating fun games and capturing people’s attention remains as important as ever.
I’m already looking forward to seeing what new ideas and games will appear at PlayX4 next year.