We sometimes think of “gamers” as a specific group of people, but that stereotype is no longer an accurate viewpoint of the gamer ideal.
Video game demographics for 2022, will show you a different viewpoint of gamers that could include you.
Gamers can be serious players that go to great lengths to be involved online, but also in offline events. Gamers that play casually are more apt to play online without engaging in offline events.
Gaming has become a big part of our lives as a mainstream option of entertainment that has become more and more diverse over the years.
We have gathered lots of video game demographics statistics that will enlighten you to the new age of gaming that spans across demographics.
Key Video Game Demographics
- 35 to 44 is the average age range of video gamers.
- There are an estimated 3.24 billion video gamers around the world.
- 61% of young adult gamers use their smartphone to play games.
- 75% of American households have at least one person who is a gamer.
- 80% of adult men between 18 and 34 years old claim to prefer shooter games.
- 77% of women aged 18 to 34 play games on their smartphones.
- 83% of men between 35 and 54 say gaming helps them relax.
- 77% of female gamers between 35 and 54 say playing games helps them relax.
- 87% of men between 55 and 64 say they play to get mental stimulation.
- 82% of women between 55 and 64 say they play for mental stimulation.
- 46% of men 65-plus say they have been gaming for less than 10 years.
- 63% of women 65 and over have been playing for less than 10 years.
Detailed Video Game Demographics 2024
While the intent is to make sure that all of our video game demographics stats are interesting, we plan to start with the most interesting of them all.
We will get to some surprising gaming statistics later.
1. 35 to 44 Is the Average Age Range of Video Gamers.
It’s understandable that people think gamers are mostly young adults or teenage males who make up the largest part of the market share of video gaming.
However, these video game demographics statistics tell another story.
It’s a proven fact that 41% of all American gamers are females with an average age range of 35 to 44 years old.
Are you surprised that this many women play video games? The breakdown of video gamers by age in the US:
- Under 18: 21%
- 18 to 34: 38%
- 35 to 54: 26%
- 55 to 64: 9%
- 65 and older: 6%
This data was based on an Entertainment Software Association ESA survey of 4,000 people in America performed in 2020.
2. There Are an Estimated 3.24 Billion Video Gamers All Over the World.
North America, which includes America and Canada, surprisingly doesn’t have the largest market share of gamers.
Video gamers in North America account for 284.9 million of the 3.24 billion, putting it in 4th place among all regions.
Asia has the highest market share at 1.48 billion, followed by Europe, at 715 million gamers. Latin America follows Europe with 419.6 million gamers.
After North America, MENA has a market share of 168.4 million gamers, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa with 143.6 million gamers. At the lowest end of this spectrum, Oceania has 32 million gamers.
Now you know about the worldwide gaming world’s users.
3. 61% of Young Adult Gamers Use Their Smartphone to Play Games.
This is one of those video game demographics statistics that shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. When you see people with their heads down with their phone in hand, they may not be texting.
It’s just as likely that they are playing games on their phones. The convenience and availability of games apps on mobile phones has given rise to more gamers playing on their phones.
Gaming consoles are the second choice of gamers, at 52%. Gamers who play on their PCs come to 49%.
4. 75% of American Households Have at Least One Person Who Is a Gamer.
The Entertainment Software Association is a major supplier of statistics regarding gamers. Their studies have shown that 75% of American households are home to at least one gamer.
Also, 65% of gamers don’t play alone, but they play with others online, or offline.
There are online guilds where people play games together with clanmates and online friends only. That makes up 17% of gamers.
According to video game demographics statistics, the lowest percentage of gamers who play games with their parents, at 7%.
The highest group, at 42%, includes gamers who play with their real friends. Finally, 24% play with other family members, and 27% play with their partner or spouse.
Video Game Demographics Statistics – 18 to 34 Age Group
Among men and women between 18 and 34, entertainment is only part of the reason they play. This group claims that gaming keeps them connected to their friends and family, and engages their imagination.
5. 80% of Adult Men Between 18 and 34 Years Old Claim to Prefer Shooter Games.
Shooter games include games like Call of Duty and Fortnite. Shooter games tend to be the all-around favorite in this age group.
Also, in this age group, 68% like adventure games like Tomb Raider, and 65% prefer role-playing games like World of Warcraft.
ESA surveys reveal that men between 18 and 34 play mostly on gaming consoles at 75%. Those who prefer to play games with their friends account for 68% of gamers.
According to video game demographics statistics, 51% are most likely to play action games.
6. 77% of Women Aged 18 to 34 Play Games on Their Smartphones.
We know that 61% of gamers play games on their phones, but 77% of women between 18 and 34 use their phones to play video games.
Men in this age group prefer to play via a gaming console, as mentioned in a previous set of video gaming demographics statistics.
Women most commonly play casual games, at 46% of female gamers in this age demographic. Interestingly, 48% prefer to play games with their friends.
These gaming stats make sense because 55% of women in the 18 to 35 age demographic claim that gaming helps them stay connected to their family and friends.
Furthermore, 59% of this group enjoys family games like Super Mario Party. Another 52% like to play action games like Grand Theft Auto or Super Mario Odyssey.
Racing game gamers in this gender and age demographic make up 50% of players.
Video Game Demographics Statistics – 35 to 54 Age Group
Male and female gamers aged 35 to 54, are part of a generation who grew up playing video games. Relieving stress, having fun, and engaging with family and friends play a major role in why they play video games.
7. 83% of Men Between 35 and 54 Say Gaming Helps Them Relax.
According to video game demographics statistics, men in this age bracket prefer to play casual games (67%) like Solitaire and Tetris on gaming consoles, at 70%.
Shooter games are second in this age bracket at 61% of gamers like games like Fortnite and Call of Duty.
Tomb Raider and Uncharted, adventure games make up 54% of what male gamers between 35 and 54 enjoy playing.
Not only do 70% of them prefer to play on a gaming console, 38% most often play action games, and 44% prefer to play games with their friends.
8. 77% of Female Gamers Between 35 and 54 Say Playing Games Helps Them Relax.
The video game demographics statistics reveal that of these female games, between 35 and 54, 78% play games on their smartphone, and 58% prefer playing games with friends, and 67% enjoy casual games the most.
The favorite games of women between 35 and 54 include arcade games like Pac-Man (40%), family games like Super Mario Party (37%), and action games like God of War (30%).
Are you surprised at how many women in this age group play games to relax? Would you consider this to be self-care?
Video Game Demographics Statistics – 55 to 64 Age Group
The pure enjoyment of playing games, connecting with family and friends, feeling like part of a community, and getting mental stimulation are reasons gamers between 55 and 64 enjoy gaming.
9. 87% of Men Between 55 and 64 Say They Play to Get Mental Stimulation.
The video game demographics statistics also show that 56% of men who play games in this age group play their games on their smartphones.
Most of them play casual games, at 48%, and 42% of them prefer to play their games with friends.
The gaming favorites in this age group include shooter, adventure, and action games, at 32%. Next, at 31%, they enjoy arcade and role-playing games.
Finally, at 26%, male gamers in the 55 to 64 age group like racing games like Mario Kart or Need for Speed.
10. 82% of Women Between 55 and 64 Say They Play for Mental Stimulation.
Video game demographics statistics prove that age is a factor in the reason people play games. For both men and women 55 to 64, they list mental stimulation as their reason to play.
In this age group of women, 63% of female gamers play on their smartphones. They also play casual games the most, at 74%, and 37% prefer to play games with their friends.
What are the favorite games among women between 55 and 64? Gaming stats say their favorites are 25% family and arcade games, 16% action games, and 14% adventure games.
Video Game Demographics Statistics – 65 Plus
Video game demographics statistics tell us that men and women after age 65 just love to play to keep their minds sharp and stay young at heart. Playtime is a never-ending cycle for them online or offline.
11. 46% of Men 65-Plus Say They Have Been Gaming for Less than 10 Years.
The 65+ crowd has only begun to embrace gaming, which we think is fabulous. Men in this age group like to play games on their PCs (desktop or laptop).
The types of games are different from the 64-and-younger crowd, and 58% play card games the most. Also, this age group likes to play alone.
Their favorite games, according to video game demographics statistics, are casual games (86%), arcade games (41%), and action, racing, and adventure games (26%).
There is a bit of a difference not only in the devices they use to play games, but also in the types of games and their preference to play alone instead of with family and friends.
12. 63% of Women 65 and Over Have Been Playing for Less than 10 Years.
Women, much like men in the 65-plus age bracket, have only started embracing online gaming for fewer than 10 years.
In this age group of women, 60% play on their desktops or laptops, the same as the men in this age group. Also, 76% enjoy playing card games and 81% prefer to game alone.
Their favorite games are casual games like Tetris and solitaire (95%), arcade games (24%), and family games (13%).
The female demographic in the 65 and over age group is very similar to their male peers.
Location Video Game Demographics Statistics
This part of the video game demographics statistics article will focus on where gamers live and play. You may be surprised to learn that the United States isn’t number one in gamers.
13. China Has 665 Million Gamers, the Highest of All Countries.
Data from 2020 revealed that China gets the top spot for the most gamers in the world, with 665 million players. This shouldn’t be a surprise.
China does have the highest population in the world, at over 1.4 billion people.
In 2021, China put restrictions in place for underaged gamers, which may impact the numbers for the coming year. These are video game demographics statistics
that we will have to wait to see.
14. In Asia 2019, 95% of Female Gamers Played Mobile Games.
We’re still on the Asian continent with these video game demographics statistics, because this region has the most gamers in the world.
In Asia, 63% of mobile gamers are female. Among this gamer demographic, 40% use their PCs to play, while 2% use consoles, and the rest prefer mobile gaming.
Don’t let that confuse you because even the females playing games on their PCs and consoles are also playing mobile games, which they claim to prefer.
At 95% of them making mobile gaming their preference, that’s nearly all female gamers in Asia.
15. According to Video Game Demographics Statistics, 94% of Adults in Vietnam Are Gamers.
In 2020, Vietnam features the most adult gamers in the world, with 94% of its adults gaming.
These figures were gathered via a global Statista survey of between 1,000 and 4,000 participants between 18 and 64 years old, and across 55 territories and countries.
It might surprise you to find that in developing countries like the Philippines, Thailand, and Nigeria, there are large numbers of adult players.
Other stats from Vietnam gaming include that only 6% of the country’s adults don’t play games, and 20% of the 94% play games often.
Gaming Console and Platform Statistics
Gaming consoles and platforms make up a significant part of the gaming market in usage and in revenues. This section is dedicated to these video game demographics statistics.
16. 28% of All Gaming, Merchandise, and Accessories in 2021 Came from Home Consoles.
The gaming console market generated $49.2 billion in 2021, which accounted for an increase during the pandemic. Gaming consoles include various models from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo.
According to research, 73% of gamers own a home gaming console. The demographic that uses game consoles the most in America includes men between 35 and 54, at 70%
Additionally, PC gaming generated $35.9 billion in annual revenues, and mobile gaming generated the most, at $90.7 billion in revenues.
17. Over 100 Million Gamers Use Xbox Live for Gaming.
The use of Xbox Live gaming consoles has risen since the final quarter of 2019. Between the first quarter of 2016 and the final quarter of 2020, usage of Xbox Live consoles has more than doubled.
18. Play Station Plus Usage Is Expected to Reach Over 50 Million Since 2021.
As of March 2021, PlayStation has 47.6 million subscribers, which is a rise of 6.1 million from the previous year. This rise is believed to be partly due to the new design of PlayStation that occurred in 2013.
19. Since Its Release in 2017, the Nintendo Switch Has Sold More than 92 Million Consoles.
The peak time for sales of any Nintendo console happened in 2014 with the Nintendo Wii U, which sold 3.9 million consoles.
Mario Kart, with several numbered versions, is still the best-selling of Nintendo games, but especially Mario Kart 8 for the Switch with more than 35.39 million copies.
20. the Free-To-Play (F2P) Game Market Has Generated More than $70 Billion in Revenue Each Year.
Video game demographics statistics show that F2P games are extremely popular, especially in recent years. In 2020, this market generated $73.8 billion, which is a $15 billion jump since 2018.
Oddly Fascinating Video Game Demographics Statistics
There are just a few of these video game demographics statistics, but they are so oddly fascinating, that we couldn’t leave them out of this article.
21. Dentists Are the Least Likely Demographic Audience to Buy Video Games.
Regarding education-level demographics on gaming, dentists are the least likely to buy games. Only 5.8% of dentists buy video games, according to an Earnest survey.
This is an odd statistic from an odd survey, but it exists and it’s a fact.
Moreover, the education levels most likely to buy video games include high schoolers (18.6%), associate degree (16.9%), bachelor’s degree (14.7%), and Ph. D., 11.6%.
Can you get past the idea that dentists don’t play video games as much as a Ph. D. holder?
22. Only 9.1% of People Making Between $125,000 and $164, 000 Buy Video Games.
Oddly, the people that you would expect to be able to afford more video games don’t spend their money on video games as much as those at lower income levels.
The income level that tends to spend the most on video games and accessories is between $67,000 and $76,000, at 13.5%. Following closely behind is the income group of $42,000 and below, at 13.2%.
23. 62% of Gamers Spend Money on Buying Expansion Packs.
In case you are familiar with expansion packs, these are additional content on a separate disk or download that complements your existing games.
This can include extended plots, new gaming areas, weapons, new objects, and characters, etc.
For instance, SIMS games often have expansion packs with additional content that expands your gaming experience.
24. During the First Week of The Pandemic, American Gamers Spent 45% More Time Playing.
According to video game demographics statistics, the first week of the pandemic turned into a gamefest among gamers in America, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and other countries.
An estimated 29% of US gamers played online more, while in the UK 17% admitted to playing games online more. In France, 12% said they spent more time playing games with their friends online.
That explains some of the gaming industry’s growth, doesn’t it?
25. The Most Addictive Games in The Industry Include Fortnite, World of Warcraft, and League of Legends.
Apparently, multiplayer online games are the most addictive of all the other games. According to research, about 22% of online gamers spend 61% to 80% of their time on these games.
A connection between gaming addiction and depression has been recently established.
A study revealed that among gamers struggling with gaming addiction in elementary and secondary schools are using digital worlds to cope with depression and anxiety.
FAQs
Now that the engrossing video game demographics statistics have been shared with you, we will use this section of the article to offer some frequently asked questions about gaming demographics.
What Is the Global Gaming Market Revenue?
In 2021, global gaming market revenue accounted for $178.2 billion. Revenues are expected to reach at least $196 billion by the end of 2022.
New technology seems to be partly responsible for the growth in revenue, but the pandemic has proven to be a driver of growth in gaming over the past couple of years.
Does Gaming Impact Friendships and Relationships?
Socially, gaming can help you find new friends and enjoy new friendships.
Around 78% of American gamers say that gaming plays a major role in helping them establish new relationships.
Psychological studies also show that while some gamers build new, healthy friendships online, gaming can have a negative impact on self-image, marriages, families, and mental health.
This hinges on if a person becomes addicted.
What Are the Effects of Playing Online Games?
Gamers say that gaming isn’t only about socialization, but it’s also something that makes them feel joy.
Data reveals that 90% of gamers in America claim that they experience joy from gaming. Another 87% of those 90% say they also get mental stimulation.
Other positive effects reported by gamers include stress relief (87%), inspiration (79%), and teamwork skills (81%).
What Are the Percentages of Kids versus Adults Among American Gamers?
The video game demographics statistics say that 76% of younger kids and 67% of adults 18 and over play video games.
After reading about the positive impact gaming can have on a person, this is no surprise.
How Common Is Gaming Addiction or Excessive Gaming?
Male gamers are more prone to partaking in excessive gaming than their female peers.
The average number of gamers who develop compulsive gaming addiction problems accounts for less than 10% of instances.
However, the problem is still higher in men than women who play video games.
What Game Genre Is the Most Popular of All?
According to statistics, casual games are the most popular among gamers. Most casual games are single-player PC or online games like Tetris of solitaire.
Research studies have shown that 63% of all gamers enjoy casual games the most. That doesn’t mean gamers solely play casual games.
Which Online Game Attracts the Most Players?
PUBG, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on Steam, is the gaming platform’s highest ranked game with a peak of 3,257,248 players.
The next most played game is Lost Ark.
Is Minecraft Still Popular?
As of April 2020, Minecraft had sold more than 238 copies. It’s available on 22 platforms and has around 173 million monthly active gamers.
To answer that question, yes. Minecraft is still quite popular.
What Makes Video Games Addictive?
Video games impact the human brain in much the same way as addictive drugs.
How’s that? Just like drugs, video games can release the chemical dopamine (a naturally-occurring chemical in the human body), that reinforces behavior.
The feel-good chemical encourages playing more and more.
Is PC Gaming a Bigger Market than Console Gaming?
Video game demographics statistics reveal that out of 3.1 billion global gamers, almost half of them (48%) use their personal computers (PC), which makes them more popular than consoles, but not more popular than mobile games.
Many mobile gamers also play PC games. The PC versus console concept is outdated, according to data since today’s gamers enjoy playing across different devices.
Conclusion
We hope these video game demographics statistics have surprised you, interested you, or made you think. In today’s society gaming is a big part of our daily lives.
The stereotype of gamers is another outdated concept since teens and kids aren’t the only demographic engaging in video games. Gamers come in all shapes, sizes, ages, races, and walks of life.
While it’s hard to believe the gaming industry can keep getting bigger, new and more sophisticated technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI), we can expect to see more growth in the gaming market.
Are you a gamer? Do you play casual games? What is your favorite game genre? How much do you think the gaming market will grow over the next decade?
Sources
| Cloudwards | Earnest | Entertainment Software Association |
| Finances Online | Mordor Intelligence | Niko Partners |
| Science Direct | Statista | Statista |
| The Recovery Village | VNExpress |
