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.

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.

The global number of users in the 'Games' segment of the media market was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.4 billion users (+15.5 percent). After the seventh consecutive increasing year, the number of users is estimated to reach 3.02 billion users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Find more information concerning Brazil and the United States. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

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 268 thousand.

Video gaming is a popular way for gamers to connect with friends and family and many gamers have formed relationships through video games. During an October 2023 survey, 82 percent of responding gamers in the United States agreed that playing games can introduce people to new friends.

In January 2025, total video games sales in the United States amounted to 4.5billion U.S. dollars, representing a 15 percent year-over-year decrease. 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 7.54 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 51 percent of the revenue of the games market worldwide, ahead of both console games and downloaded or boxed PC games.

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 January 2025, the retail gaming revenue in the United States amounted to 7.54 billion U.S. dollars. When looking at particular segment revenues, accessories were the lowest-performing segment at retail overall, while video gaming content accounted for the gross 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 41 to 60 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 57.2 billion U.S. dollars, a one percent increase from 56.6 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.

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, 93 percent of respondents who played Minecraft stated that they had positive social experiences in the game. Positive in-game experiences include helping other players, making friends, and feeling the belonging to a community.

In 2023, total U.S. consumer spending on video game content amounted to 48 billion U.S. dollars, a slight increase from 47.5 billion U.S. dollars in the preceding year. Video game spending surged in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

A September to November 2024 survey of UK adults aged 16 years and older found that 85 percent of respondents aged between 16 and 24 years played video games, down from a 92 percent gaming penetration among the same age group in 2020. Overall, gaming uptake increased in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Video games industry in the UK In 2023, consumers in the United Kingdom spent over 3.16 billion British pounds on digital and online games. In regard to the annual contribution of the video games industry to the UK Gross Domestic Product, it amounted to 3.68 billion British pounds in 2023. Mobile games The popularity of mobile gaming increased over the last decade and overtook games consoles and TV for the first time in 2014. As of 2024, approximately 34 percent of UK adults reported playing games on their mobile phone, the highest rate ever reported. The most downloaded gaming apps in the UK include puzzle and casual titles such as Supermarket Simulator and Block Blast.

In 2023, the overall video game industry accounted for a total of 5,684 establishments and about 104,080 employees across the United States. Of these figures, 2,756 establishments were gaming software developers employing approximately 35,954 gaming industry workers.

As well as being one of the leading gaming market in terms of revenue, the United States is also considered by many as the birthplace of gaming as we know it today. In 2023, the video game market size in the United States was estimated to be 106 billion U.S. dollars, not quite reaching the 2020 record of 110 billion U.S. dollars.

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.

Released in September 2024, PS5-exclusive Astrobot was the highest rated video game of the year based on aggregate critic score. The 3D platformer was released in celebration of PlayStation's 30th anniversary and generated a Metascore of 94. In second place, also with a Metascore of 94, was Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree.

According to a survey by the Media Activity Guide, people in Germany spend around 37 minutes a day playing video games. This was a slight decrease compared to the previous year. 2021 saw a spike in game playing, probably because people were spending more time inside and alone due to the lockdowns. Video game market The worldwide gaming market is currently valued at around 455.27 billion U.S. dollars and is predicted to continue to grow by over 200 billion U.S. dollars by 2029. In Germany, the gaming market saw some rapid growth from 2016 to 2021, with revenue tripling, and although the increase has slowed in the last few years, it is still going up. This increase is probably due to the fact that it is now easier than ever to play video games because they can be played not just on consoles, but also on smartphones and PCs. Playing on a smartphone was how most Germans preferred to play video games in 2024, however, not all games can be played on all devices, so sometimes a more traditional gaming console is still needed if gamers want to play certain games. Gamers in Germany Although the stereotype suggests that teenagers are the demographic most interested in gaming, figures confirm that it is people aged 30 to 39 and 50 to 59 who are the biggest gamers. But what are gamers playing? The most popular games include EA Sports FC 2024, Hogwarts Legacy, based on the Harry Potter series, and Diablo IV.

In 2022, social and casual gaming sector without advertising generated more revenue than the video game advertising sector. The mobile-heavy segment saw approximately 86 billion U.S. dollars in annual global revenues, while traditional gaming generated 56 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.

Global video game purchase revenue is projected to amount to 52.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. The market size of video game purchases is set to decline to 45.8 billion U.S. dollars per year by 2025 as free-to-play titles and in-game purchases are set to account for the majority of market revenues. Many major game publishers have started to include mobile and F2P titles in their content lineups, with Activision's Call of Duty Mobile being a current, commercially successful example.

In 2023, women accounted for 46 percent of gamers in the United States, down from 48 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.