In 2025, more than 212 million Americans ages 5 to 90 played video games, in keeping with the most recent Leisure Software program Affiliation information.
The ESA’s 2026 Important Info in regards to the US Video Recreation Business report was performed by YouGov from February 11 to 25, 2026, surveying 13,545 respondents.
This included 9,932 individuals who play a minimum of one hour per week and three,613 who play much less than one hour or under no circumstances.
The report discovered the typical age of US gamers is 37, with half of all gamers aged 35 or older. Lively gamers are 53% male and 46% feminine.
Previously 12 months, 83% of US households used a minimum of one gaming gadget. Gamers spent 21% of their weekly display screen time on games, averaging 12 hours weekly.
Cellular was the preferred platform, utilized by 73% of households and 80% of gamers aged 8 or older. Almost a 3rd of gamers use cellular solely.
Cellular gaming stays in style throughout all age teams and is more frequent amongst feminine gamers. PC and console utilization declines with age and is more frequent amongst male gamers.
Total, 52% of gamers use PCs, 44% use consoles, and 10% use VR units.
“The enjoying expertise on console and PC remains to be very, very significant to core players,” says ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis. “As a result of of the power to play with others, to attach and in addition the expertise you may have on these machines, that are simply so modern and technologically highly effective.”
75% of mother and father play video games weekly, and 81% of these report having fun with games with their kids.
Half of mother and father permit their kids to play games for ability growth. About 40% accomplish that to encourage social play or as a result of they get pleasure from enjoying collectively.
Mother and father reported that games account for 1 / 4 of their kids’s weekly display screen time. Most favor their kids to spend time on video games relatively than social media.
Previously 12 months, 58% of gamers downloaded a free sport, whereas 43% bought a sport.
Worth and gameplay are the highest elements when gamers select a sport, adopted by story, style, graphics, and single-player availability.
Most youthful gamers – Alpha (69%), Gen Z (78%), and Millennials (67%) – have bought in-game content material, spending an common of $20 month-to-month.
Amongst adults surveyed, 85% cited enjoyable, 79% psychological stimulation, and 78% stress reduction as advantages of gaming. Youthful generations worth games for bringing folks collectively (88%) and constructing relationships (87%).
“We have seen a shift the place all Americans view video games positively”
ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis
Most adults agreed that video games assist develop problem-solving abilities (76%), teamwork and collaboration (67%), adaptability and resilience (58%), STEM abilities (53%), and communication abilities (52%).
“A majority imagine that games present psychological stimulation, stress reduction, and may be instructional,” explains Pierre-Louis. “That was placing to us as a result of non-gamers have a notion of how they’re considered in society. We have seen a shift the place all Americans view video games positively.
“That is nice in a society the place games had such notoriety simply 30 and 20 years in the past, simply to see the shift that is occurred and simply reveals the impression of games.”
Almost 90% of gamers who take part in a sport each just about and in actual life say enjoying the sport improves their real-world efficiency.
Pierre-Louis famous that NBA and NFL gamers “closely play these games” in their downtime.
“There are coaches who discover that gamers are coming to coaching camp, understanding that the playbook’s higher as a result of whenever you play Madden, there’s an NFL playbook that has completely different sign calls that we do not actually use in on a regular basis life.
“You have obtained youngsters who’re rising up enjoying with a playbook who develop into adults, they usually play this stuff, and they also know that there are particular phrases of artwork. That realism truly helps in adaptation for real-life athletes.”
Total, Pierre-Louis stated that the ESA’s newest research “demonstrates that games proceed to be the preferred and profitable type of leisure that this nation – and the world – produces.”
“We wish to make it possible for our business is creating one of the best expertise and demonstrating the eagerness and the artistry in essentially the most highly effective strategy to attain as many individuals as doable. And for at this time, meaning about two in three Americans and one in three folks worldwide. It is a good begin.”