AARP: 45% of 50+ aged in the US are playing games
The category is older gamers is expected to grow in the future.
Almost 7,800 people took part in the survey.
The number of 50+ aged people playing games hasn’t increased much from 2019 (from 44% to 45% in 2022). But the engagement grew by 40% - from 8.5 hours per week to 12 hours on average.
More than 80% of 50+ people are using mobile devices to play games. 30% of them are playing only on smartphones.
The most common gaming partner for 50+ aged is their grandchildren. 53% have mentioned that they’re playing video games with grandkids.
50+ gamers do prefer puzzles, card games, and word games.
The percentage of paying users aged 50+ grew from 27% in 2019 to 38% in 2022. But the average spending decreased from $64 in 2019 to $49 in 2022.
47% of spending in 2022 was on content, 38% on hardware, and 15% on accessories.
62% of people age 40 to 49 are playing games, which means that there will be more 50+ aged gamers in the future.
The majority of 50+ aged gamers are playing games to unwind and relax (54%); to do a mental activity (46%); for joy (39%); to receive new emotions (23%).