Entertainment
Two-thirds of Americans play an hour or more of video games per week, according to a new report published Wednesday by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
Per the gaming industry lobbying organization, 212.3 million people in the U.S. between the ages of 5 and 90 play video games every week. That stat, found in ESA’s 2026 Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry, is up 3% (or 7.2 million people) compared to the prior year’s report.
Conducted in partnership with YouGov, ESA’s new report found that the average age of players has risen to 37.
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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.
“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,” ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis told Variety. “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.”
ESA’s selected topline data points from its 2026 Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry report include:
- 53% of men and 46% of women actively play video games. Slightly more boys and men play than girls and women in all generations except Boomers (ages 62-80) where 52% of Boomer women play games compared to 47% of men.
- More than 80% of Gen Alpha (age 5-13) and Gen Z (age 14-29) play video games, the majority of adults are powering up as well: 71% of Millennials (age 30-45), 56% of Gen X (age 45-61) and 50% of Boomers (age 62-80) say they play weekly. And 32% of the silent generation (age 81-90) are playing.
- The majority of American parents (75%) actively play video games each week, with most (81%) saying they also game with their children (52% at least weekly).
- Nearly half (49%) of parents whose children play video games believe playing games teaches important skills to their children, such as problem solving and creative thinking.
- Most American adults recognize the positive benefits of playing video games, such as them being fun (85%), bringing joy (81%), offering stress relief (78%), and providing mental stimulation (79%). Younger players (Gen Z) especially believe that video games offer a great way to bring people together (88%) and build relationships (87%).
- Playing on a mobile device is the most popular across all age groups (80%), while PC and console gameplay is more common with Gen Alpha, Gen Z and Millennials.
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Jennifer Maas