Almost 70% of Americans Play Video Games Says New Report by The ESA

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has unveiled its annual Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry report, with some surprising new numbers.

According to the report, which is conducted in partnership with YouGov, roughly 212.3 million Americans play video games every week, which is up 3% from the 2025 report. Within these players, roughly 53% are men and 46% are women, creating a fairly equal split. The report also states that roughly 75% of American parents play video games, with most saying they also play games with their children. Mobile devices are the most popular among all age groups, but PC and console gaming is more common with Gen Alpha, Gen Z and Millennials.

“Video games play an integral role in American life today, with a large majority of Americans now playing regularly,” said Stanley Pierre-Louis, president and CEO, ESA. “Video games have become a powerful cultural force, while providing mental stimulation, stress relief and meaningful social connection for people of all ages.”  

You can find a more detailed breakdown of the report below:

Players continue to break stereotypes for who is a ‘gamer’.

• 212.3 million Americans play video games every week, up 3% (7.2 million) compared to 2025.
• The gender of players is split fairly equally between men and women, with 53% of men and 46% of women actively playing. 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.
• Video games are for everyone, not just kids. While 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. Even 32% of the silent generation (age 81-90) are joining in on the fun.
• Adult players are more likely to be employed full-time (39%) or to have children (35%) compared to the general U.S. population – 34% and 30%, respectively. 

Parents prefer their kids play video games, and love playing with them, too. 

• 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.
• · Two thirds of parents say they use parental controls with that number jumping to 70% for parents of kids 12 and under. 

Americans feel overwhelming positive about video games. 

• 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%).
• Most adults agree that playing video games helps develop problem-solving skills (76%) and teamwork/collaboration (67%), as well as adaptability/resilience (58%) and STEAM (53%) and communication skills (52%).
• Nearly nine-in-ten (89%) players who play a sport both on-screen and in real life say playing the video game version of their sport improves their real-world performance. 

Mobile leads the way, with people playing across genres and platforms. 

• 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.
• Puzzle, primarily driven by older players, is the top genre on mobile (66%) and PC (60%) but falls behind action (66%), shooter (60%) and arcade (60%) games on console. 

Americans believe video games offer the most value for their money. 

• A majority of players (63%) report that 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.
• Most Gen Alpha (69%), Gen Z (78%) and Millennial (67%) players have purchased in-game content, typically spending $20 per month (median).
• Parents also purchase in-game content for their children (54%). Of those that do, nearly all of them (93%) require approval for in-games purchases made by their kids.
• More than half (58%) of players downloaded a game for free in the past 12 months, while 43% purchased a game, 35% purchased a game subscription and 19% borrowed a game.

For more, you can check out the ESA's fact book here and via the official website.