Video gaming is no longer just a hobby of teenagers - thanks to developments in gaming technology and the accessibility of many games, the activity has become very popular among both genders and young and old alike. During a June 2021 survey in the United States, 89 percent of respondents stated that they had made friends through playing video games.

Video gaming is a popular way for gamers to connect with friends and family, and many gamers have formed relationships through video games. During a February 2025 survey, 78 percent of responding gamers in the United States agreed that playing games can introduce people to new friends.

In April 2025, total video games sales in the United States amounted to **** billion U.S. dollars, representing a one percent year-over-year increase. Generally speaking, the video game industry has its most important months in November and December, as video game software and hardware make very popular Christmas gifts. In December 2024, total U.S. video game sales surpassed **** billion U.S. dollars. Birth of the video game industry Although the largest regional market in terms of sales, as well as number of gamers, is Asia Pacific, the United States is also an important player within the global video games industry. In fact, many consider the United States as the birthplace of gaming as we know it today, fueled by the arcade game fever in the ’60s and the introduction of the first personal computers and home gaming consoles in the ‘70s. Furthermore, the children of those eras are the game developers and game players of today, the ones who have driven the movement for better software solutions, better graphics, better sound and more advanced interaction not only for video games, but also for computers and communication technologies of today. An ever-changing market However, the video game industry in the United States is not only growing, it is also changing in many ways. Due to increased internet accessibility and development of technologies, more and more players are switching from single-player console or PC video games towards multiplayer games, as well as social networking games and last, but not least, mobile games, which are gaining tremendous popularity around the world. This can be evidenced in the fact that mobile games accounted for ** percent of the revenue of the games market worldwide, ahead of both console games and downloaded or boxed PC games.

Video gaming is no longer a hobby exclusively enjoyed by the young. As generations have grown up with video games a normal part of life, the age of the average gamer also increases. During a 2023 survey, 25 percent of video game players still come from the 27 to 42 years age demographic, and 19 percent are 59 years and older. Time spent gaming In 2023, Americans aged between 15 to 19 years spent 98.4 minutes on gaming or leisurely computer use during an average day. The age demographic which devoted the least amount of time to gaming was the 55 to 64 years category. Members of this age demographic spent an average of just 17.4 minutes playing on the computer during an average day.

According to a survey conducted in March 2024, 76 percent of adults in the United States played video games on at least one platform. In comparison, 24 percent of U.S. adults did not play video games at all.

In May 2025, Elden Ring: Nightreign was the top-selling video game in the United States based on dollar sales. Doom: The Dark Ages ranked second. The video game sales charts that month were dominated by blockbuster franchise games.

In 2024, total U.S. consumer spending on video game content amounted to **** billion U.S. dollars, a significant increase from ***** billion U.S. dollars in the preceding year. Video game spending surged in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of June 2024, 27 percent of adults in the United States spent one to five hours per week playing video games. A further 10 percent of respondents stated that they spent 11 to 15 hours on video gaming in an average week. Overall, 19 percent of respondents were non-gamers and did not spend any time on video games.

In 2025, women accounted for 47 percent of gamers in the United States, up from 46 percent of U.S. gamers identifying as women during the previous year.

What percentage gamers are female? Almost half of gaming audiences in the United States are female. This development has been ongoing for years, and whereas women are under-represented in games media and the industry, they make up a sizable chunk of gamers and spending power. There are some differences in terms of genre preferences but as a whole, female gaming audiences in the United States are just as engaged as their male counterparts.

A survey conducted in the third quarter of 2024 found that over 92 percent of female internet users aged 16 to 24 years worldwide played video games on any kind of device. During the survey period, 93 percent of male respondents in the same age group stated that they played video games. Worldwide, over 83 percent of internet users were gamers.

Over the last two observations, the number of users is forecast to significantly increase in all segments. Particularly striking is the exceptionally strong increase of the segment Video Games towards the end of the forecast period. The value amounting to 27.8 million users stands out significantly from the average changes, which are estimated at 12.5 million users. Find other insights concerning similar markets and segments, such as a comparison of number of users in Russia and a comparison of revenue in the United Kingdom. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

In 2022, social and casual gaming sector without advertising generated more revenue than the video game advertising sector. The mobile-heavy segment saw approximately ** billion U.S. dollars in annual global revenues, while traditional gaming generated ** billion U.S. dollars in annual sales. Digital revenue is dominating the gaming segment, as physical gaming sales are declining for a variety of reasons.

As well as being one of the leading gaming market in terms of revenue in 2020, the United States is also considered by many as the birthplace of gaming as we know it today. In 2023, the number of employees in the video gaming industry in the United States reached over *** thousand.

The COVID-19 pandemic that spread across the world at the beginning of 2020 was not only a big threat to public health, but also to the entire entertainment industry. While cinemas and theaters closed their doors to try to stem the spread of the disease, many people turned to home entertainment during periods of self-isolation. During a March 2020 survey, video gamers in the United States reported that they spent ** percent more time playing video games amid the quarantine than in the previous week.

A September 2023 survey found that while 32 percent of consumers in the United States played video games regularly, there were certain consumer groups who were more likely to do so. It was found that 47 percent of LGBTQ+ consumers played video games, ahead of Gen Z consumers and men in general.

As of March 2025, 26 percent of video gamers in the United States were aged 30 to 39 years, making this age group the biggest gamer demographic. Additionally, 24 percent of U.S. gaming audiences were aged 20 to 29 years.

In May 2025, the retail gaming revenue in the United States amounted to **** billion U.S. dollars. When examining specific segment revenues, accessories were the lowest-performing segment at retail overall, while video gaming content accounted for the majority of consumer spending. Video game spending habits in the United States More than four in ten U.S. gamers across all platforms were willing to spend a maximum of ** to ** U.S. dollars on a video game. A November 2022 survey found that more than four in ten PC and console gamers stated so, while over three in ten mobile-only gamers said they only played free games. Console gamers were most comfortable spending money on their hobby at this price point. In 2023, total U.S. consumer spending on video game content amounted to **** billion U.S. dollars, a one percent increase from **** billion U.S. dollars in the preceding year. Game releases are planned around the holiday season What is very specific to the industry at large is that the highest monthly revenues occur around the holiday season in November and December of each year. The entire market revolves around maximizing sales during the season, and most new game releases of high-budget, high-profile titles (so-called AAA games) are planned shortly before the winter holidays. Many of these annual blockbuster releases see releases from late Q3 onwards: EA Sports FC usually releases in late September, and new games in Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty series are launched between late October and early November.For the holiday season 2023, blockbusters Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield had already started the season of major video game releases. Other AAA titles that are also taking advantage of the Christmas shopping release window are the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 as well as the Nintendo Switch release of Hogwarts Legacy and the PS5 port of mobile gaming title Honkai Star Rail by Genshin Impact publisher MiHoYo.

In 2024, football simulation game EA Sports FC 25 was one of the top-selling video game in every European country. Its predecessor, EA Sports FC 24, was ranked second based on physical unit sales for PC and console. Can the success of the FIFA series last? First released in 1993, the FIFA football video game series ranks among the best-selling video gaming franchises worldwide and regularly tops the year-end charts across Europe. However, change is on the horizon – in May 2022, it was announced that the game’s publisher Electronic Arts (EA), and the sport’s governing body FIFA's partnership was set to end after failing to reach an agreement over licensing fees for the use of the FIFA name. The FIFA 23 release at the end of September 2022 was be the last under the current agreement, and EA’s future football simulation games will be published under the new series title of EA Sports FC. The football association body FIFA is planning to find a new publisher for FIFA-branded games.EA's change in branding has paid off, and the latest iteration of the series, EA Sports FC 25, was a best-seller in virtually every European country. The enduring popularity of Call of Duty Call of Duty is another familiar name in the video game sales charts. A popular first-person shooter franchise with annual releases each autumn, Call of Duty and EA Sports FC usually battle it out for gamers' hearts, attention, and wallets. In the United States, Call of Duty is more successful than in Europe, as the series has claimed the top spot in almost every year in the last decade. In contrast, EA Sports FC often ranks behind NBA 2K and Madden NFL games, showing that regional market preferences still play a role in which games end up on top.

We asked U.S. consumers about "Video game purchases by store brand" and found that ******** takes the top spot, while *************** is at the other end of the ranking.These results are based on a representative online survey conducted in 2025 among 6,979 consumers in the United States. Looking to gain valuable insights about video gamers worldwide? Check out our reports on customers of video game stores and subscription services. These reports give readers a thorough picture of the people who use these platforms, including their identities, preferences, opinions, and methods of communication.

Video gaming is no longer just a hobby of teenagers - thanks to developments in gaming technology and the accessibility of many games, the activity has become very popular among both genders and young and old alike. Despite its popularity, the anonymous nature of online gaming leaves some gamers open to harassment and negative experiences. During an August 2023 survey in the United States, 67 percent of respondents stated that they had been called offensive names while playing video games. Overall, 76 percent of responding gamers had encountered online harassment, down from 83 percent two years prior.