Circana: Gamers in the U.S. in 2024
Engagement is decreasing, but the number of super gamers increased.
The company surveyed 5,100 active gamers in the U.S., aged two and older. For minors between 2 and 10, parents or guardians responded with assistance from the children. Gamers were defined as individuals who had played on any device in the past month, with the survey conducted in May–June this year.
71% of U.S. residents play games, a decline from 74% in 2020 but still higher than 67% in 2018.
There are a total of 236.4 million players in the country.
On average, gamers spend 14.5 hours per week playing, an increase of 1.8 hours from 2022, with more time dedicated to mobile and console gaming.
People over 45 represent the largest gaming demographic in the U.S., accounting for 37% of all players. This segment has the highest proportion of women and a growing interest in console gaming. Although engagement has decreased, spending in this group remains on the rise.
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Generation Alpha (ages 2 to 12) is playing games less than before, down 6% from 2022. However, Circana analysts note that this group remains highly valuable in terms of both engagement and spending.
65% of the population plays on mobile devices (unchanged from 2022); 36% play on PCs (a decrease of 4% from 2022); 35% play on consoles (unchanged from 2022); and 13% play on other devices, such as VR or handheld systems, which have increased by 2% since 2022.
Among active gamers, 92% play mobile games; 51% play on PCs; and 50% play on consoles.
16% of all U.S. gamers are “super gamers,” totaling 38.3 million (up from 36 million in 2022). This highly active group, primarily aged 13 to 34, plays on the largest number of platforms and spends the most money.
The average American gamer spent $56.20 on games in the past six months, although 46% of gamers made no purchases during this period.