It’s a cross-platform world — 61% of U.S. gamers play across multiple devices | exclusive CTA survey

According to the survey, gaming has become a multi-platform world Consumer Technology Association found that 61% of American gamers play on multiple devices.

The survey has a lot of good data, including how the life cycle and habits of players change over time as they get older and have more competition.

The CTAwhich hosts the huge tech event CES in Las Vegas in January, surveyed 2,703 US adults and teenagers (with parental permission) to find out consumer preferences when it comes to video games. They found that the US gaming market continues to grow, with 65% of Americans aged 13 (182.7 million people) and older playing video games on a device in the past three months.

American consumers prefer video games to most traditional sources of entertainment, and according to the Future of Gaming American study, gaming is second only to watching TV and movies at home.

“This time we decided to take a break and go deeper into the gaming population,” Steven Hummel, senior manager of market research at CTA, told GamesBeat in an exclusive interview. “We thought about how games fare in terms of entertainment value compared to TV shows and movies, and one of the main insights we found was that for gamers, video games came in second in terms of the relative value of going to the movies or movie. watching a TV show on average. But for GenZ and Millennials, gaming comes first.”

Types of players

The CTA said mobile gaming continues to dominate as the most widespread platform, driven by older casual gamers. Almost half of all gamers (49%, 77.1 million) chose mobile as their primary gaming platform.

Eighteen percent (28.6 million) of gamers are younger hardcore gamers who engage the most and purchase the most games and content. Hardcore gamers are likely to be young millennials (29 years old on average) and more male (73%) than gamers as a whole. They are the most active; they play 42 hours a week, spend the most time playing paid games, spend the most money, and are the most likely to buy and enjoy playing new titles. GenZ is now the largest cohort of gamers, Hummel said.

Virtually all (91%) hardcore gamers are multi-platform gamers and most likely to play on consoles and PC. They are more likely to adopt and play new gaming technologies such as VR headsets, smart
TV/streaming media player apps or cloud gaming services. About 71% are game subscribers and 51% are content creators. They like multiplayer games, prefer first-person shooters (FPS) and open-world action games (OWA), and generally play a greater variety of genres. And they will most likely play for a sense of accomplishment, social connection, and a way to express creativity.

Hummel said research has confirmed that many players are playing games that are five years old or older.

“It wasn’t really a shocking finding, but it was fascinating to know how many players, even the toughest ones, are still playing proven titles,” Hummel said.

Core gamers, another group that doesn’t buy as many games and is less affluent, make up about 46% of all gamers, or 72.1 million. And 36% (55 million) are casual gamers who are older (age 41) and least engaged.

The CTA looked at when people gambled the most, and it wasn’t too surprising that it peaked during COVID, Hummel said.

“About 52% of people said they played the most before last year. And among them we saw this big increase in 2021 and in 2020, but the big contribution was that like most players, regardless of age, they start playing at a very early age, between the ages of five and seven.”

It peaks at different ages, such as 6 to 12, and then during high school and early college. Then it really narrows down.

Games are second only to TV/Movies in entertainment value

Video games are second only to watching TV/movies at home in terms of providing entertainment value, ranking ahead of music, watching movies in theaters, and print media. Video games are number one among Gen Z and Millennial gamers, while Gen X and Boomer/Mature gamers still prefer TV shows or movies at home.

Gamers spend almost 40% of their free time playing video games, and 40% agree that they prefer playing video games to watching movies. Almost 60% of gamers use alternative forms of game-related content; the most common is watching gameplay videos or live streams, such as on Twitch or YouTube.

Gaming is already a highly social experience, with more than two-thirds (68%) of gamers typically playing video games with others. Specifically, 60% play games online with others and 39% play in the same room with others, either online or offline. Notably, playing games with others is motivated by younger and hardcore gamers, while 81% of boomer/mature gamers typically prefer playing alone.

Most gamers expect that video games will continue to become even more social (75%) and that they will see more games played live in the next five years (77%).

Two-thirds agree that video games can introduce them to new friends, driven primarily by younger hardcore gamers. In-game chat support is important, with most players preferring the in-game communication channel over other third-party options.

Purchase intention

The study found that hardware is top of mind for gamers, with nearly two-thirds (64%) planning to buy a new gaming device in the next year.

More gaming products are being sold as three in five gamers (62%) intend to purchase gaming peripherals in the next year to enhance their experience.

Gaming headsets with a microphone are one of the most widely used gaming peripherals and one of the most planned purchases to enhance the gaming experience and facilitate communication with others while gaming.

“The growth of the gaming industry cannot be ignored as it reflects a cultural and economic shift towards interactive and immersive entertainment,” said Hummel. “Gaming brings diverse audiences together and shapes how we perceive technology. Whether it’s mobile games supporting accessibility or hardcore gamers pushing the boundaries of innovation, the opportunities for developers and hardware manufacturers to expand their customer base are huge.”

About 23% of gamers said they want better gaming hardware. That’s good considering Nintendo plans to launch the Switch 2 next year — the Japanese company’s first new hybrid console since 2017. In the next 12 months, 26% of gamers said they plan to buy a game console, Hummel said. About 20% of gamers said they own handheld consoles, but it’s not yet the dominant primary device. Virtual reality is held back by the prohibitively high cost of equipment, Hummel said.

Tariff uncertainty

But there are clouds on the horizon. With US President-elect Donald Trump saying he will impose tariffs on China the day he takes office in January, the gaming industry could be hit as a result, Hummel told GamesBeat.

A recent CTA study on the impact of tariffs, including 60% tariffs on imports from China and 10% to 20% on imports from other countries, as proposed by Trump, found that video game console prices could increase by 40% ($246). CTA’s gaming study found that players are generally satisfied with their gaming platforms, but price remains a sticking point. And 41% of non-console gamers say it’s too expensive.

Aging players

Most gamers (57%) enter the market between the ages of 5 and 12, while gaming activity peaks in high school (ages 15 to 17) and declines significantly after college (over 22), when work and other activities predominate life obligations. About 63% say they don’t play as much as they get older because of time availability.

Regardless of age or gender, gamers play video games primarily for relaxation and relaxation; however, older players (ages 60 and up) are much more likely to play to improve and keep their minds sharp through word, puzzle, and other brain-stimulating games. As gamers age, they become more casual and turn to mobile devices for gaming.

Gamers are generally satisfied with their current gaming platforms, but price, controller ergonomics, customer support, and backward compatibility represent the biggest opportunities to improve platform satisfaction. Gamers most frequently cited better gaming hardware (23%) and games/content (19%) when asked how to improve gaming in the next five years.

Digital generation, subscription, free-to-play and game IP

Most gamers (69%) prefer to play digital downloads over physical discs, especially PC and mobile gamers, and expect to buy almost twice as many digital games as physical games over the next year.

Forty percent of players currently use or have a membership to a paid game subscription service, and 49% of those have purchased one in the past six months. Gaming subscriptions are poised for growth as 29% of gamers are interested in paying for a subscription within the next year, thanks in large part to younger Gen Z and Millennial gamers.

Many gamers (68%), especially those who are older (60+) and more casual, prefer playing F2P over paid titles, as well as older games that have been out for several years over newly released titles.

Despite being most watched by Gen Z and Millennial gamers, TV shows and movies based on game IP still have a positive impact on all gamers – 44% would be “extremely” or “very” interested in playing a video game based on their favorite game. shows/movies.

Among the priorities for players: they care about accessibility and inclusiveness. Slightly more than half say they see themselves represented in video games. And accessibility features in games (such as graphics for color-blind people) are quite popular.

Gaming will feature prominently at CES 2025, which begins the first week of January in Las Vegas. The exhibition will showcase the latest technologies, content and innovations that are shaping the industry. Attendees can explore a dedicated gaming area featuring world leaders in gaming hardware, software and content creation. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will deliver a keynote address at Mandalay Bay on Monday, January 6 at 6:30 p.m.

Other big names exhibiting gaming technology at this year’s show include AMD, Hisense, HP, Intel, LG, MSI, TCL and more.