The gaming industry is bigger and more diverse than ever. Video games have become billions of people’s favorite leisure activity in the last decade. With new titles coming out every day, trends and user interests frequently change, so staying on top can be challenging.
We’ve prepared a set of the most interesting statistics to show you how the biggest entertainment industry has changed over the years. You’ll learn about gamer demographics, the most popular franchises, developers, and much more.
Top Video Gaming Industry Statistics: Editor’s Choice
- Around 3.2 billion people are gamers.
- Approximately 41% of gamers in the US are female.
- Chinese gamers play video games for approximately 12.39 hours a week.
- The video game industry was worth $197 billion in 2021.
- PlayStation has 93% of the console market.
- Tencent earned $8.3 billion in Q3 2021.
- Minecraft had 16.6 million monthly active users at the end of 2020.
- Mental stimulation is the reason why 80% of people play video games.
Video Gamers Demographics
Gamers nowadays come from all sorts of backgrounds, ages, genders, and ethnicities. So, the data we gathered on the demographics in the field will give you an idea of what the average gamer looks like.
1. There are over 3.2 billion gamers in the world.
In other words, around 40% of the global population are gamers. Asia is home to most gamers, with 1.47 billion, based on the video game industry statistics for 2021. Europe is second, with 715 million gamers, followed by Latin America, with 419.6 million.
2. Around 59% of US gamers are male.
Today, female gamers are significantly more than they used to be—about 41% of all. The latest research reveals the most predominant age groups are from 21 to 35 and 35 to 50, with 15% each. Women from 51 to 60 years are the least represented, with 9% of all gamers.
3. An average male gamer is 34 years old.
Online gaming statistics for 2021 also show that the average female gamer is 36 years old. According to the latest data, around 23% of all gamers are between the ages of 10 to 20, and 33% are from 21 to 35. 29% of users are between 36 and 50, and 16% are in the 51 to 65 age range.
4. Video game industry statistics in 2021 show Chinese gamers spent around 12.39 hours a week playing video games.
Chinese are on top of the list with the most dedicated gamers globally. Vietnam follows, with 10.16 gaming hours per week, on average, and India comes third, with 8.61 hours. Furthermore, other countries where gaming is popular include Indonesia, with 8.54 hours, the US, with 7.71, and Germany, with 7.13 hours.
5. Video gamers demographics show 36-to-45-year-olds spend the most time gaming, with 9.26 hours per week on average.
However, the 26 to 35 age group isn’t trailing far behind as they spend 9.12 hours gaming per week. Interestingly, seniors spend more time playing games than the younger generations. Namely, gamers aged over 60 play 8.33 hours on average, while the 18 to 25 age group spend 7.97 hours.
6. Fortnite demographics reveal 72.4% of players are male.
Fortnite is more popular among the younger generations. Namely, over 62% of gamers are between 18 and 24 years old. Additionally, 22.5% of Fortnite players are between 25 and 34, 12.7% are in the 35 to 44 years range, and only 2% are aged 45 to 54.
The increase in the number of gamers worldwide created a bigger demand for software and hardware. Consumers regularly buy computers or consoles to game on, a variety of accessories and peripherals, and even a number of in-game purchases.
We’ve prepared a few stats regarding the industry’s revenue across different sectors to show you just how big it is.
7. The global video game industry is worth over $197 billion in 2022.
That presents a significant increase compared to 2020 when the global market was valued at about $155 billion. The North American region is one of the biggest contributors, and it’s expected to generate more than $62.34 billion in 2022.
Other regions with high video game industry revenues are the Far East and China, with $59.31 billion, and Western Europe, with $45.34 billion. What’s more, analysts predict the market value will reach over $268 billion by 2025.
8. Cloud gaming generated $584.7 million in 2020.
Cloud gaming allows players to connect to remote servers and stream games (usually the most popular via YouTube or Twitch) to their devices. That’s ideal for people with outdated hardware. Cloud gaming achieved a 244% year-on-year growth compared to 2019. Moreover, analysts predict that it’ll reach $4.8 billion in 2023.
9. PlayStation dominates the global console market, with a market share of 93%.
Currently, Xbox has a market share of 6.89%, while Nintendo has only 0.08%. Interestingly, before the PS5 and Xbox Series X releases, PlayStation had a market share of 52.11%, and Xbox had 47.89%.
10. People spent $1.2 billion on gaming software, hardware, and accessories in 2020.
Although the world lost about $3.3 trillion in consumer spending, the gaming industry in the US had the highest revenue in 2020 since the launch of the Nintendo Wii in 2009.
The lockdown forced gamers to purchase predominantly online, so 91% of sales in 2020 were digital. What’s more, the US gaming industry revenue for 2021 was 7% higher than the previous year.
11. China’s video gaming industry generated nearly $41 billion in revenue in 2020.
China has around 720 million gamers, making it the world’s most lucrative gaming market. However, the US isn’t trailing far behind in terms of revenue.
Video gaming industry revenue annual statistics for 2020 show that the US gaming market generated $36.92 billion. Other countries with high gaming revenue include Japan, with $18.68 billion, South Korea, with $6.56 billion, and Germany, with $5.97 billion.
12. Tencent was the highest-earning gaming company in the Q3 of 2021, with a revenue of $8.3 billion.
Other top gaming companies in terms of revenue for the same period include Sony, with $4.34 billion, Apple, with 3.6 billion, Microsoft, with $2.9 billion, and Google, with $2.8 billion. Additionally, NetEase generated $2.4 billion, while Activision Blizzard earned $1.9 billion and Nintendo—$1.6 billion.
13. Video gaming industry revenue annual statistics show eSports generated $584.1 million from sponsorships in 2020.
In addition, media rights brought over $163 million and publisher fees—$108 million. $52.5 million came from selling merchandise and tickets and around $21.5 million from digital sales. Lastly, streaming contributed nearly $20 million in revenue.
Popular Video Games Statistics
There are thousands of games for PC, consoles, mobile, and tablets. Some of the most popular video game genres include shooters, action-adventure games, MOBAs, and racing, allowing gamers different experiences and game styles.
We have gathered information about some of the most popular titles, now and throughout history. Let’s take a look.
14. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive averages over 894,000 daily players, making it one of the most popular Steam games.
Steam is the most popular gaming platform in the world. It allows users to buy games, receive automatic updates, trade in-game items, add friends, and much more.
Based on the latest data, CS:GO is currently the most popular game on the platform, based on concurrent and peak number of players. The game is closely followed by the newly-released titles Elden Ring and Lost Ark. Dota 2 has remained in the top five choices for quite a while, too.
15. Tetris is the most bought game, with more than 500 million copies sold.
According to the latest data, no other game comes even close to this success. Namely, the popular choices include Minecraft, which sold more than 238 million copies, GTA V, with over 150 million, and Wii Sports, with around 83 million.
As far as 2021 goes, some of the most profitable games were Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War with 5.7 million copies sold in the first month, MLB: The Show 21, with over 2 million copies by July, and Resident Evil: Village, with 4.5 million copies in the first two months after its release.
16. Fortnite players cumulatively spent 3.8 billion days playing Fortnite.
During the battle royale craze, the number of players made Fortnite the most played game of all time. However, gamers also played two billion days of cumulative time of World of Warcraft in 558 million days of Overwatch in 2020.
GTA V and Witcher 3 follow, with 266 million and 124 million days of cumulative game time.
17. The cost of an average AAA title game is $60.
The price of video games over time has remained stable. While the deluxe version of a game may cost you more than $60, you may be able to catch a sale and pay significantly less. More importantly, the market isn’t composed of only AAA games and blockbuster titles, so you may also find video games for as little as a few bucks or free.
18. Star Citizen is one of the highest budget games, with $275 million for development.
Star Citizen has been in production since 2011 and is the most expensive game to this date. The developer raised millions through various high-funded crowdfunding projects, and the cost will undoubtedly increase by the time of its release.
The list of other expensive video games includes Star Wars: The Old Republic, with a budget of 200 million, and Cyberpunk 2077, with $174 million.
19. Minecraft was the most popular PC game at the end of 2020, with 16.6 million monthly active users.
While new games may have a high number of MAU after their release, games like Minecraft continuously have millions of active players. According to the latest data by Statista, League of Legends had 13.7 million MAU during the same period.
Despite the shaky launch riddled with bugs and glitches, the long-awaited Cyberpunk 2077 managed to snatch third place, with 11.7 million monthly active users.
Video Games Trends, Statistics, and Facts
Video games are a favorite leisure activity for millions of people and are often an integral part of their lives and career choices. Check out the following stats to learn who are some of the best gamers and more about the gamer culture and appeal.
20. N0tail earned around $7.1 million playing Dota 2.
N0tail is, undoubtedly, one of the best Dota 2 players. However, total earnings aren’t necessarily the best metric to determine the best gamer in the world. People enjoy various genres, and every game has a different set of mechanics, requiring a distinct set of skills.
Earnings aside, the list of exceptional gamers includes names like s1mple, NiKo, and Zywoo, who play CS:GO. Maru, Clem, Rogue, and Serral are successful Starcraft II players. The best League of Legends players list features Chovy, Showmaker, Odoamne, and Rekkles. Finally, Tekkz, Msdossary, and Shellzz are popular FIFA talents.
21. PlayStation 2 is the most popular video game console, with nearly 158 million units sold.
Even though it was released over two decades ago, PS2 is the most sold console to this day. It’s followed by Nintendo DS, with 154.9 units sold, PlayStation 4, with 115.7 million units sold, PlayStation, with 102.5 million, and Wii, with 101.6 million.
For comparison, the latest generation of video game consoles like PlayStation 5 and XBOX Series X have sold only 13.4 million and 8 million units, respectively.
22. PC vs. console statistics reveal 254 million gamers globally used consoles in 2021.
Approximately 42%, or 106.7 million, of console gamers are in North America. Consoles are also popular in Europe, with 99.6 million users, 26.6 million in Asia, 11.5 million in Latin America, and 8.9 million in Oceania. For comparison, there are roughly 1.77 billion PC gamers worldwide.
23. Video gaming industry statistics show 80% of people play because games offer mental stimulation.
Additionally, 79% of people play games to relax and relieve stress, while 63% use them as means for solving problems. Connecting with friends is the primary reason for 55% of gamers, and 50% say they spend more time with family when playing video games.
24. Magnavox Odyssey, developed in 1972, is the oldest console in the world.
While PlayStation has the biggest gaming console market share nowadays, the grandfather of all consoles had no rivals in its time and sold 350,000 units. Nowadays, Magnavox is a subsidiary of Phillips and specializes in producing home electronics.
Some of the gaming hardware manufacturers and developers we know today have been in the industry for decades. That’s impressive, considering that only 50% of startup businesses manage to survive their fifth year in business.
25. Twitch viewers watched over 17 billion hours of content in January 2022.
Twitch is a platform on which content creators host streams of their gameplay to other gamers. While some of them opt for the most popular Steam games, others focus on vintage classics or indie games. Viewers often create small interactive communities around Twitch streamers.
Based on the latest data, Twitch has 1.39 million daily streamers and a total of 8.5 million streamers in 2022. Additionally, the platform averages three million concurrent viewers, all of which enjoy watching over 2,600 different games. A good way to get some of that traffic to your channel is by raiding—learn how to raid on Twitch from our comprehensive guide.
Video Gaming Industry Statistics: The Takeaway
Video games are widely accepted and more popular than ever. Not only that, but the number of players will likely increase as advancements in technology make games and hardware more accessible.
These industry statistics show only positive development signs, without any indications of future decline in interest. The lucrative video gaming market continuously brings investors, ensuring the improvement of graphics and game quality.
What’s more, we may see new gaming trends and better virtual and augmented reality implementation very soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular game in the world?
Based on the latest data, PUBG is regarded as the most popular game in the world in 2022, with over 100 million active users. Minecraft and Apex Legends follow, with more than 95 million and 50 million active users.
Interestingly, Fortnite players have the most time spent in the game—around 3.8 billion cumulative hours.
How many PC gamers are there?
There are nearly 1.8 billion PC gamers globally in 2022. In other words, more than half of the 3.2 billion gamers in the world prefer playing video games on their PCs. That number hasn’t changed much over the years.
For comparison, about 254 million people use gaming consoles worldwide. Currently, PlayStation dominates the market, with about 93% share.
How big is the gaming industry?
The video gaming industry has been on the rise for the past few decades. According to the latest data, the global video game market was valued at $197 billion in 2021 compared to $155 billion in 2020.
Furthermore, the experts suggest that the industry will continue to grow and reach a value of $268 billion by the end of 2025.
What video game has made the most money?
Tetris is considered the best-selling game of all time, with over 500 million copies sold. Minecraft comes second. It was released in November 2011 and has more than 238 million copies sold. Grand Theft Auto V follows, with 155 million purchases.
How many people play video games?
There are 3.2 billion gamers in the world, and around 1.47 billion of them are in Asia, 715 million in Europe, and 419 million in Latin America. North America has 284 million players, while 168 million are in the MENA region, 143 million in the Sub-Saharan African region, and 32 million in Oceania. According to the latest video gaming industry statistics, about 41% of the US gamers are female, marking a significant increase in numbers.
Sources
Business of Apps, CNBC, eSports, eSports, eSports, eSports Earnings, FIFA Infinity, Finances Online, Fortune, Game Rant, Game Rant, Game Spot, Limelight, Newzoo, Oldest, PCgamesn, PR Newswire, Screen Rant, Screen Rant, Statcounter, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Steam, Tech Times, Twitch Tracker