J. Clement
Research lead covering internet and gaming
Video gaming in the United States - Statistics & Facts
Gaming is consistently gaining popularity across all age groups in the United States, and consumers are increasingly willing to enjoy video games as a social activity and spend significant amounts of money while doing so. In 2024, revenues of the video game market in the United States are projected to surpass 113 billion U.S. dollars.
Approximately two-thirds of U.S. gamers have been gaming for at least 4 years, and about four in ten console or PC gamers have been at it for at least a decade, highlighting the enduring popularity of gaming as a hobby.
Video gaming in the United States has long since shed its image as a hobby just for kids, and the gaming spending and usage trends reflect this mature market.
Gaming expenditure trends in the United States
Digital gaming channels are outpacing physical sales in terms of revenue and the average annual gaming spending differs strongly by platform. Gamers in the United States are also increasingly more willing to spend money on online gaming services, with recent survey data indicating that at least half of all gamers in the United States subscribe to at least to one gaming service. The most popular subscription gaming service in the United States is Xbox Game Pass, followed by PlayStation Plus Premium and Nintendo Switch Online.Who are the U.S. gamers?
In 2024, there were an estimated 201 million gamers in the United States, and annual growth of gaming audiences is set to remain stable until 2029. Women currently account for 48 percent of gamers in the United States. Approximately 25 percent of gamers in the United States are millennials aged between 27 and 42 years, and Gen Z users aged 11 to 26 years make up the biggest gamer demographic.U.S. user engagement and gamer activities
Despite the predominantly young skew of gamers in the United States, daily user engagement with playing video games and using computers as a leisure activity has increased across almost all age groups. More than a quarter of gamers in the United States played approximately one to five hours of video games per week, and a further 17 percent spent six to ten hours on weekly gaming.Approximately two-thirds of U.S. gamers have been gaming for at least 4 years, and about four in ten console or PC gamers have been at it for at least a decade, highlighting the enduring popularity of gaming as a hobby.
As gaming audiences evolve, so do their needs
Many gamers cited filling time and stress relief as their most important reasons for gaming. However, with gaming audiences in the United States aging, their gaming needs are also changing. Nearly half of U.S. gamers stated that increased work or family responsibilities were factors that contributed to a reduced enjoyment of PC and console games. Less free time to play was the second-most-cited reason for less gaming fun. As gamers now often have less capacity for particularly time-consuming games, many turn to short-form entertainment. This is also reflected in the most popular gaming genres in the United States: puzzle and arcade gaming.Video gaming in the United States has long since shed its image as a hobby just for kids, and the gaming spending and usage trends reflect this mature market.
