The gaming industry, valued at around 257 billion US dollars, is on a winning streak. As the pandemic ceased, the competition among gaming platforms and the abundance of game choices dominated the entertainment market.
There are approximately 3 billion gamers worldwide, and the ongoing battle between gaming platforms is a win-win situation for gamers and the gaming industry.
Explore the key statistics defining the gaming scene in 2023 and
reveal how gaming has become more diverse and exciting.
Editor’s Choice
- Approximately 3.26 billion people worldwide play video games.
- 89.5% of video game sales happen in the digital world.
- In 2022, gamers in the US spent 55.5 billion US dollars on games.
- Around 85% of all gaming revenue comes from free-to-play games.
- In 2022, there are approximately 90 billion mobile game downloads from app stores.
- By 2025, the PC gaming sector will accumulate 46.7 billion US dollars.
- People between 18 and 34 comprise 38% of gamers globally.
- By 2025, the mobile games industry will reach 138 billion US dollars.
- Around 85% of all revenue in the digital game industry comes from free-to-play games.
General Statistics on Gaming
The COVID-19 pandemic fueled the gaming industry’s growth, with gamers playing more frequently during lockdowns. This trend shows no sign of slowing down as game choices expand. For instance, Steam alone offers a large selection of games, making purchasing and enjoying games online more accessible.
Examine these fascinating trends shaping the gaming arena.
1. About 3.26 billion people worldwide play video games in 2023.
(bankmycell)
Around 41% of the world population is estimated to be playing or have played a video game. Whether building an empire or catching Pokemons, many of us have downloaded or played some video games in our lifetime. In addition, those who play games via PC, consoles, tablets, and smartphones will surpass 3.26 billion in 2023 and amount to 3.32 billion by 2024.
2. Six in 10 gamers played online multiplayer games more frequently during the pandemic.
(Statista)
According to gaming statistics during COVID-19, the share of new gamers multiplied quickly. In Europe, gaming replaced some social activities during the COVID-19 lockdown. As a result, many gamers felt happier and less isolated.
During the lockdown due to the pandemic, players can decorate their game rooms to have a better gaming experience. A well-decorated game room not only provides an immersive gaming environment but also becomes a unique relaxing space in the home.
Decorating the game room needs to be based on the player’s favorite style. No matter what style, Custom Neon Signs are an indispensable element. You can add neon decorations in your favorite color or shape to the room to create a fantastic gaming atmosphere.
Indie titles such as Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout and Among Us became extremely popular. Similarly, a platform for digital gaming, Roblox, attracted many young gamers who craved a spot for digital hangouts.
3. Online gaming audiences will surpass 1.3 billion people by 2025.
(gamingdebugged)
China, Japan, and South Korea have the highest segment of gamers out of the entire population. Statistics confirm that the growth trends of online gaming have evolved throughout the years, from PCs and consoles to the intersection where MMOs took over.
MMO stands for Massively Multiplayer Online games, and its boom happened since the 2010s. In the same year, large multiplayer online battle arena games, like Dota2 and LoL, reached high levels of popularity.
4. There are over 50,000 games available on Steam.
(CS Agents, PCGamesN)
When it started, the platform allowed developers to publish their games on the website with a certain fee and a profit share. Although beneficial for huge game companies, indie game developers didn’t like it as much.
Later on, the company introduced Steam Greenlight. which served as a polling station. The community chose the games they wanted to play until Steam Direct replaced Steam Greenlight.
5. Today, 89.5% of video game sales happen in the digital world.
(Global X ETFs, Gamebyte)
Video game sales increased 7.26% from its previous value. Today, big publishers like Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and Activision Blizzard benefit from digital distribution in many ways compared to physical purchases.
The exponential gaming industry growth is partially because these companies don’t have to deal with manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and wholesale. Posting your game through online channels, like Steam or Apple Store, is sufficient.
6. Over 69% of US households play video games one to a few hours per week.
(bankmycell)
Approximately 69% of US households have at least one member playing video games. According to video gaming statistics, roughly 77% of parents play games with their children. Because it allows them to spend time together, it will enable them to socialize with their kids.
7. Around 63% of developers are creating games for PC.
(WePC, Statista)
PC remains one of the most popular platforms for developers to make games for. Sony, however, is leading over Microsoft in the console field. For reference, 21% of developers create games for PS4, and over 22% do it for Xbox One.
Gaming stats further show that 31% are working on games for PS5 in the context of the next-generation consoles. Alternatively, more than 29% are working on Xbox Series X games. However, mobile gaming is still the most popular user segment, with 48% of players engaging regularly.
8. SurfShark is rated the best gaming VPN, with over 3,200 servers in 65 countries.
(SurfShark)
Other popular VPNs for gaming include CyberGhost or NordVPN. But you probably wonder why you need one. Well, these can benefit gamers in several ways. First, they can make it more difficult for rivals to use DDoS to attack other players. This service provides a security layer.
Interesting Gaming Industry Statistics
In 2022, gamers spent slightly less on games than the year before. Most of the revenue came from free-to-play games in the digital gaming industry.
The Asia Pacific region expects to dominate the gaming market from 2020 to 2027. The continuous innovation from the different countries accounts for the market share growth for this region.
Check out the details behind these shifts in gaming spending and the growth of the Asia Pacific gaming market.
9. In 2022, gamers in the US spent 55.5 billion US dollars on games.
(insiderintelligence)
The spending amount implies a 9.5% decrease compared to 2021. The spending on games includes accessories, game content, and subscriptions. The downward trend of gaming desktop/laptop units and gaming consoles caused a decrease in US consumer spending on gaming.
10. The Asia Pacific region is predicted to hold the largest gaming market share between 2020 and 2027.
(Mordor Intelligence)
The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to account for the largest market share in the global gaming industry. Japan, China, and South Korea show high potential for this market’s growth.
The significant drivers for the growth include constant innovation in games, consoles and rising exports. In addition, China is one of the countries in this region that has seen considerable Covid-related growth in its gaming businesses.
11. The gaming industry is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 12% between 2020 and 2025.
(GlobeNewswire)
People have talked about VR for some time, and it’s only gaining prominence in the industry. Video gaming industry statistics indicate that in 2020, immersive gaming generated 4.5 billion US dollars. This is just one of the drivers of the field.
Blockchain technology will also boost the growth of the industry. Its value lies in providing a valuable tool to gamers for decentralized asset exchanges, verifiable scarcity of collectibles and virtual objects, and secure payment networks.
12. Online game revenue is estimated to reach $26.14 billion in 2023.
(Statista)
The Online Games market increased 9.5% from the previous year’s revenue. $26.14 billion is projected to be the market’s revenue in 2023. An annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 5.64%, resulting in a projected market volume of $32.56 billion by 2027.
13. Around 85% of all revenue in the digital game industry comes from free-to-play games.
The free-to-play segment has been a leader in the industry for some time. The digital market generated $109.8 billion back in 2018, sending an excellent signal to Activision-Blizzard, Ubisoft, and Tencent that their strategies are working.
(WePC, TweakTown)
Daunting Gaming Addiction Statistics
Certain games are incredibly captivating, with players dedicating 61-80% of their time, especially in cooperative or team matches. However, with such excitement comes consequences, like individuals experiencing an “Internet Gaming Disorder.”
Learn more about the appeal and other possible downsides of these engaging gaming experiences.
14. About 22% of gamers spend around 61-80% of their time playing multiplayer online games.
(The Recovery Village)
Multiplayer online games, commonly known as MMOs, or similar role-playing games (RPGs), are some of the most addictive. One of the main reasons for this is its inherent social element.
To illustrate, players often interact with many people, compete in different challenges, and create new roles to be someone else. According to video gaming addiction statistics, one of the most “hooking” games is Fortnite, with over 200 million players.
15. Between 1% and 10% of the population in North America and Europe suffer from Internet gaming disorder.
(Healthy Gamer)
This figure varies across countries. For example, around 0.3% to 1% of adults in the UK, US, Germany, and Canada are diagnosed with IGD. Game addiction is common in many other parts of the globe. For instance, South Korea declared this issue a public health crisis, with over 600,000 children suffering. With 22.8%, Iran has the highest game addiction rate.
 Did You Know?8.4% of children and teens have problems with game addiction. While gaming is considered a male-dominated domain, research indicates that women are more susceptible to addiction to mobile games than men. |
Mobile Gaming Statistics & Facts
Mobile games are also gaining traction. There are billions of mobile game downloads from app stores and play stores, signifying its market’s presence and potential market growth.
Let’s dive into the details of these remarkable trends and what they mean for the mobile gaming landscape.
16. 90 billion mobile game downloads across both app stores in 2022.
(Udonis)
Despite revenue declines, mobile game downloads had a 17.4% surge. In 2022, they reached almost 90 billion, which is 6 billion more than in 2021. Hyper-casual games were the main driver of downloads.
17. By 2025, the mobile games industry will reach $138 billion.
(Sensor Tower)
The figure above includes mobile gaming industry statistics for Apple Store and Google Play. The adoption of mobile gaming has accelerated at a significant level since the first smartphones. At one point, there was “Angry Birds”. Then, Pokemon GO and Fortnite took over the world.
18. In the US, people usually have around eight games installed per device.
(TechCrunch)
On a global level, people play two to five games monthly. The hours these users spend on games grow at 10% per year. In 2019, mobile gaming accounted for 10% of all user spending on apps. Mobile and video game usage statistics show that mobile games were on track to account for 60% of consumer spending by the end of 2019.
19. In 2020, players spent 4.2 hours daily on Android mobile games.
(App Annie)
This number of hours translates to 3.5 trillion hours, up 20% from 2019. For comparison, people spent 3.7 hours watching TV simultaneously.
Despite the stereotype that only young people spend time on mobile games, it’s not quite like that. For instance, in the US, Gen X or Baby Boomers spend 30% more time on their most-used apps. In addition, core games account for 55% of the time spent on games.
20. Subway Surfers is The most popular Android game app in the US.
(Statista)
Subway Surfers has nearly two million active users daily, making it one of the most “populous” games. It is followed by:
- Clash of Clans: 1.94 million daily active users
- Candy Crush Saga: 1.4 million active daily users
- 8 Ball Pool: 1.45 million active daily users
- Roblox: 1.14 million active daily users
21. About 74% of American mobile gamers prefer to watch in-game ads if they get perks.
(Business of Apps)
70% of Android users don’t like mobile ads on websites and stores, but games are an entirely different story. 82% of mobile gamers in the US prefer playing free games with ads than paying for mobile games to join.
Their preference doesn’t mean that free games can’t generate revenue. Most of these games rely on in-app purchases, which account for 95% of spending among mobile gamers.
PC Gaming vs. Console Gaming Statistics
In Q1 2023, the rivalry between gaming consoles persists, with PS5 in the lead, followed closely by Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series. Meanwhile, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is the best-selling PC game ever.
There’s still a lot to unpack in the PC gaming industry. Let’s dig into the promising future of this industry through the following data:
22. PS5 vs. MS XBox Series vs. Nintendo Switch – Q1 2023 Sales
(vgchartz)
Playstation 5 takes the lead in gaming console sales for the first quarter of 2023, with 1.2 million units sold. Followed by:
- Nintendo Switch at 39.9%, with more than 1.1 million units sold
- Xbox Series (XS) with a 16% market share, selling 450 thousand units.
23. By 2025, the PC gaming industry will accumulate 46.7 billion US dollars.
(Statista)
Despite the increased popularity of mobile and console platforms, there is still a continuous appeal from gamers for PC gaming. Its worth in 2020 was about 42.2 billion US dollars. However, PC gaming growth will likely slow in the next few years due to the rising popularity of console games.
24. The best-selling PC game of all time is PlayerUnknown’s Battleground, with over 70 million copies sold worldwide.
(PCGamesN)
PUBG has acquired up to $10 million in sales. On top of that, it sold over 10 million in the second half of 2018, reaching 50 million by the end of 2019.
Apart from the success, people downloaded PUBG Mobile 600 million times. Likewise, it was about to surpass $1 billion in revenue (China excluded).
Statistics on Video Gamers
Video game consoles are not just for men. Less than 50% of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 owners are women. The limit does not also stop at youth, as 25-to-34-year-old gamers are in the US. Aside from that, US parents also engage in weekly video game sessions with their children.
Explore these statistics to understand further how diverse video gamers are:
25. 41% of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 owners are female.
(Console Creatures)
Despite existing gender stereotypes about gamers, the number of women who own gaming consoles has doubled compared to 30 years ago.
Gender gaming statistics still suggest that developers must consider this by introducing strong female characters when building a game.
26. People between 18 and 34 comprise 38% of gamers in the US.
(explodingtopics)
The diversification of games has impacted the shift in audiences. Data show that 20% of gamers are under 18. Older generations play video games, as 14% of Americans who are gamers are 35-44.
To know more about the diversification in age, check out the bar graph for more details:
27. About 74% of parents in the US play video games with their children on a weekly basis.
(ESA)
There are no conclusive facts about parents who are actual video game players. However, the growth is evident, as 55% of parents played video games with their children in 2020. Compared to 2021, that is an increase of nearly 35%.
 Fun FactMore than 58% of Millennial parents play video games with their children as a form of bonding. |
Gaming Statistics Worldwide
In 2023, Canada’s video game industry will generate more than $5 billion in revenue, while approximately 40% of US gamers engage in in-app purchases. In Australia, it is estimated that households will also have an increase in video game device ownership.
Check out these statistics to learn more about the gaming landscape from different countries:
28. US gamers surpassed 20 billion US dollars in in-app purchases in 2023.
(Statista)
In 2023, the combined in-app spending of US users on virtual goods and mobile gaming subscriptions surpass $20 billion, up from $19.61 billion on gaming in-app spending in 2022.
29. The UK video game market reached over £7.16 billion in 2022.
(BBC)
UK gaming statistics show that in 2022, Nintendo Switch was the biggest winner. Console hardware sales made up to £1.13 billion of the market’s overall value, which is an over 30% increase compared to the previous year.
30. Malaysia’s most popular strategy game was Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, with 35% of the urban population playing it in 2020.
(Newzoo)
Aside from being the most popular game in the strategy section, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang was most popular among the online urban population. The developer of the game, Moonton, is originally Chinese and represents a prime example of great market penetration in Southeast Asia.
Similarly, all the top five most sought-after franchises included games from foreign developers. For instance, over a third (36%) of people played the Mario franchise.
| Fun Fact Mobile Legends reached 21% player growth in 2020. This made Malaysia establish itself as one of the countries with the most Mobile Legends players, with a total player of as much as 15-20 million players. |
31. 91% of Australian households have a video game device of any kind.
(IGEA)
The average age of an Australian video game player is 34, and almost half of those who play video games are women. Gaming statistics show that the gender gap has narrowed, reaching nearly a 50/50 ratio. Older Australian citizens also love to play games, as 42% of people aged 65 and over identify as gamers.
32. In 2019, Filipino players won five medals in the eSports category at the Southeast Asia Games.
(Statista)
Pinoy gamers bag 3 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 1 bronze medal. The Filipino players grabbed gold in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Dota 2, and Starcraft II. They also won silver and bronze medals in Tekken 7. This win raises the bar for other aspiring Pinoy gamers.
 Fun FactFor those in the Philippines, a recent statistic showed that 95.8% of internet users between ages 16 and 64 played video games. These numbers make the Philippines the number one country worldwide regarding the sheer number of gamers. – IGN |
33. Canada’s video games industry is set to reach 5.2 billion US dollars in revenue in 2023.
(Statista)
Gaming statistics for Canada show that its video game industry’s worth is predicted to reach almost $5.2 billion. Also, its revenue is projected to expand at a CAGR of 8.66% by 2027. The same report reveals that the video game segment will amount to $7.25 billion by 2027.
The Bottom Line
The statistics offer a glimpse into how gaming shapes our world, from entertainment to technology. It reveals an industry that’s constantly evolving and pushing boundaries.
Gaming impacts lives and connects people globally, and its development will continue in the coming years.
FAQs about Gaming Industry
1. Will 2023 be a good year for gaming?
2023 is the year of Hogwarts Legacy, Baldur’s Gate 3, Diablo 4, Starfield, and many more much-talked-of titles. Additionally, 2023 has brought us two times more AAA releases than 2022.
2. What are the top 20 games of 2023 from most to least popular?
- Hogwarts Legacy – Warner Bros. Games | Xbox, PC, PlayStation
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo | Nintendo Switch
- Diablo IV – Activision Blizzard | Xbox, PC, PlayStation
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) – Activision Blizzard | Xbox, PC, PlayStation
- Star Wars: Jedi: Survivor – Electronic Arts | Xbox, PC, PlayStation
- Resident Evil 4 (2023) – Capcom USA | PC, PlayStation
- MLB: The Show 23 – Multiple Video Game Manufacturers | Xbox, PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch
- Dead Island 2 – Plaion | Xbox, PC, PlayStation
- Final Fantasy XVI – Square Enix | PlayStation
- Street Fighter 6 – Capcom USA | Xbox, PC, PlayStation
- FIFA 23 – Electronic Arts | Xbox, PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch
- Dead Space (2023) – Electronic Arts | Xbox, PC, PlayStation
- Madden NFL 23 – Electronic Arts | Xbox, PC, PlayStation
- Elden Ring – Bandai Namco Entertainment | Xbox, PC, PlayStation
- Mario Kart 8 – Nintendo | Nintendo Switch
- The Last of Us: Part I – Sony | PC, PlayStation
- Minecraft – Multiple Video Game Manufacturers | PC
- God of War: Ragnorok – | PlayStation
- Pokemon: Scarlet/Violet – Nintendo | Nintendo Switch
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – Sony | PlayStation, PC
3. What are the best Paid MMO games to play in 2023?
- Final Fantasy XIV
- World of Warcraft
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- New World
- Black Desert
- Guild Wars 2
4. What are the best Free MMO games to play in 2023?
- Lost Ark
- Star Wars: The Old Republic
- RuneScape
- EVE Online
- Blade & Soul
- Lord of the Rings Online
5. What gaming console gets hacked the most?
Xbox users are most likely to get hacked (86%), fall victim to email phishing scams (76%), and risk using possibly unsafe cheat codes (64%).
6. What generation has the most gamers? Gen X, Baby Boomers, Millennials, Gen Z?
With video games being one of the most popular forms of entertainment, Millennials are shown to be the demographic that plays them the most.
