New data shatters stereotypes about who plays video games
New data shatters stereotypes about who plays video games
Marc Saltzman, Special to USA TODAYThu, May 7, 2026 at 5:54 PM UTC
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If you like to play video games, you’re in good company.
About 2 in 3 Americans — roughly 205.1 million people — identify as gamers today, according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which serves as the voice and advocate for the U.S. video game industry.
While this might not be too surprising to many, 36 is the average age of players today — contradicting the common stereotype of a medium dominated by kids, tweens and young teens.
According to data published in the ESA’s annual Essential Facts report, 28% of players are aged 50 or older.
The explosion in mobile gaming helps “level up” the average age of today’s gamer. That is, while millions of Americans game on a PC or own a console — like Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S/X — the smartphone is by far the most popular gaming platform in the U.S., with 54% of Americans choosing mobile as their favorite device for gaming.
This illustration picture shows the video game Fortnite app logo displayed on a tablet.
After all, about nine-in-ten (91%) Americans own a smartphone, according to a November 2025 survey commissioned by the Pew Research Center.
In other words, whether you’re slaying beasts in a fantasy role-playing game on your TV, matching colorful candies on your phone or toiling over a daily Wordle puzzle on a computer, a gamer is a gamer.
Just as interesting, perhaps, is the near-equal gender split of 52% male and 47% female (with 1% of those surveyed choosing not to disclose).
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Bigger than Hollywood?
According to Dentsu and GWI’s State of Gaming Report published in late 2024, the global gaming industry reached nearly $184 billion USD in market value — far exceeding the combined revenue of the film industry (roughly $34 billion) and music industry (almost $29 billion).
Let that sink in.
Granted, there are a couple of caveats to consider here, such as the fact that video game revenue includes in-game microtransactions (in-app purchases) and not just the initial sale of the game, whereas a movie release relies on a one-time ticket purchase. Speaking of movies, this comparison is against only the global theatrical box office and excludes all revenue from TV streaming subscriptions, home video sales and DVDs/Blu-ray discs.
Still, the size and scope of the gaming industry is incredibly huge — and accelerating.
Game industry often ‘overlooked’
Despite its massive size, why don’t video games seem to get the respect and recognition they deserve? Perhaps because it's much younger than other mediums, suggests Stanley Pierre-Louis, President and CEO of the ESA.
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Cosplayers dressed as Spider-Man walk in front of the PlayStation stand at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, November 5, 2023.
“The growth and impact of the video game industry is often overlooked because of long-term focus by traditional media on older forms of entertainment,” says Pierre-Louis, President and CEO of the ESA. “Sound recordings date back to the 1860s, and films date back to the 1880s, while video games were first developed in the 1950s, and not popularized until the 1970s.”
What’s more, Pierre-Louis says early video games focused almost primarily on children’s and general audience themes — until the industry matured in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. “Today, video games explore a variety of themes for a wide range of audiences,” he argues.
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“Video games create unique opportunities for people to connect and have fun together — each of these factors contributes to why video games have surpassed older forms of entertainment in terms of audience, revenue and cultural impact.”
Chris Morris, a veteran gaming and technology reporter, argues the video game industry is a lot more respected and recognized than some narratives suggest. “That feeling of disrespect seems born from the underdog status the industry has historically had — and I think it's largely a feeling that's held by hardcore gamers or console purists.”
“The explosion in mobile gaming is proof enough that this industry is appreciated and respected by a mainstream audience,” Morris adds. “They might not refer to themselves as ‘gamers,’ but they probably don't refer to themselves as ‘cinephiles’ either, even if they enjoy movies.”
Industry ‘iicons’ in Sin City
Hosted by the ESA, the inaugural Interactive Innovation Conference (or “iicon,” for short) recently wrapped up at the Fontainebleau Resort in Las Vegas.
Held on April 28 and 29, this invitation-only summit was designed for C-suite executives and senior leaders to explore how interactive entertainment and video game technologies are transforming business, technology and culture across several other industries — including health, finance, sports, news and education.
Notable headliners included Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot and Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick.
A photo shows the logo of Xbox during the Gamescom video games trade fair at the Trade Fair Center in Cologne, western Germany, on the first day of the fair on August 20, 2025.
Take-Two Interactive is the parent company to highly successful brands like 2K, 2K Sports, Zynga and the jewel in the crown, Rockstar Games, the publisher responsible for the most eagerly anticipated video game in years, Grand Theft Auto VI, slated for a November 19 launch.
“Interactive entertainment is America’s pastime,” says Zelnick. “People love interactive entertainment, and the reason we expect the business to continue growing is that people consume for the rest of their lives the entertainment they fell in love with at the age of 17.”
On the pressure to perform with GTA VI — the latest in the multibillion-dollar franchise — Strauss says they know what’s at stake with this launch. “Our job is to make the best interactive entertainment on earth, to make the biggest hits on earth. Rest assured, it will be breathtaking.”
Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and is the author of the book "Apple Watch For Dummies" (Wiley).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who plays video games? New data shatters old stereotypes
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
