- Video game usage has increased by 3% in the U.S., with 212.3 million people playing weekly.
- The average age of gamers has risen to 37, with many being full-time working parents.
- Gamers view video games as the most entertaining value for their money compared to other media.
No surprise that Americans are turning to video games to check out from the madness going on in the country and across the globe, but a new study reveals exactly how much time.
A new report published on Wednesday by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and reported on by Variety revealed that two-thirds of Americans spend an hour or more playing video games per week.
According to the report, 212.3 million people in the U.S. between the ages of 5 and 90 pick up the sticks every week.
Per the 2026 Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry, that number is up up 3% (or 7.2 million people) compared to last year’s report.
The ESA’s report, which was conducted in partnership with YouGov, also found that the average age of gamers has risen to 37.
The report also detailed that Americans are turning to gaming as a form of entertainment rather than other media, and that they are full-time working parents.
Per Variety:
Additionally, the data shows that 63% of players surveyed say video games “deliver the most entertainment value for their money, compared to video streaming services for music, TV and movies, as well as books, magazines and news articles.”
The results also found that 39% of adult gamers are employed full-time and 35% have children, making them more represented in both categories compared to the general U.S. population, which stands at 34% and 30%, respectively.
ESA President and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis Talks About What This Report Tells Him
Speaking with Variety, ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis further expounded on what information they are getting out from the report.
“There are a lot of small nuggets, which are pretty interesting, in the report. For example, the level of employment and the engagement that people who play games have in society,” Pierre-Louis told the website.
“I think one of the things we’re trying to do with these reports is to grow the understanding of the impact games have in society. There’s a perception people had 10, 15, 20 years ago, around games, and when you look at the actual facts about who today’s gamer is, whether you call it a gamer or someone who loves playing games, we are really mainstream. We are really part of every part of society. We are part of the fabric of society, and data like the Essential Facts Report allow us to not only make that claim but to produce data that supports the fact that games are a part of the fabric of society.”
So basically, if anyone ever says to you that video games are just for kids, this report definitely shuts that down.
