Key Takeaways
- While stereotypes persist about who plays video games, the reality is video games are for everyone, and more than 2/3 of Americans play weekly.
- This year's report from The Entertainment Software Association reveals who, how and why Americans play video games.
- The average age of a video game player is going up, now at 37 years old.
- Playing video games is about equally split between men and women.
- Players and non-players alike see the benefits of video games, including problem solving, creative thinking, mental stimulation, stress relief and communication skills.
If you close your eyes and imagine someone playing video games, a specific picture may enter your mind. But who actually plays video games is constantly evolving, with the number of players increasing every year.
Video game players may not be who you think, according to the 2026 report* from The Entertainment Software Association. They may be your grandmother, your sister, your dad … or anyone!
The fact is, playing video games is more popular than ever: More than two-thirds of Americans (67%) play at least one hour each week. The number of Americans who play video games every week totals 212.3 million, up 3% compared to last year.
Here's who is playing — and the benefits they see in video games.
What are the ages of people playing video games?
Video games aren't just for kids: While over 80% of Gen Alpha (ages 5-13) and Gen Z (14-29) play video games, a majority of adults are powering up as well. Over 7 in 10 Millennials (ages 30-45), 56% of Gen X (45-61) and half of Baby Boomers (62-80) say they play weekly. Even 32% of the Silent Generation (ages 81-90) are joining in on the fun. To put this further into perspective, half of all people who play video games in the U.S. are 35 or older.
Do as many women play video games as men?
Contrary to popular belief, playing video games 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 across all generations, with one notable exception: 52% of Boomer women play games, compared to 47% of men in that generation.
Playing video games is more popular than ever: More than two-thirds of Americans play at least one hour each week.
Are most adult video game players employed?
Typical video game players are employed full time, using games as just one of their leisure activities. In fact, adult players (18 and up) are more likely to be employed full-time (39%) or to have children (35%) when compared to the general U.S. population (34% and 30%, respectively).
The survey also found that players spend roughly 20% of their weekly screen time playing games, with most game play occurring in the evening or later, skewing highest on weekends.
What do people see as the main benefits of video game play?
According to the survey, Americans feel overwhelmingly positive about video games. Most adults, including those who don't play video games regularly, recognize the positive benefits that video games provide, including:
- Being fun (85%)
- Bringing joy (81%)
- Offering stress relief (78%)
- Providing mental stimulation (79%)
Younger players (Gen Z) especially believe video games offer a great way to bring people together (88%) and build relationships (87%).
Overall, most adults agree that playing video games helps develop problem-solving skills (76%) and teamwork/collaboration (67%), plus adaptability and resilience (58%) and communication skills (52%).
Americans also find that video games offer tremendous entertainment value. A majority of players (63%) say video games deliver the most value for their money compared to streaming services for music, TV and movies, as well as books, magazines and news articles.
How parents view their children's game play
Parents are getting in on the fun of games and making play time, family time. A majority of American parents (75%) play video games each week, and 81% of them say they also play with their children. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of parents also say they prefer their child spend time playing video games than on social media, and 70% believe playing video games offers more potential benefits for their children compared to social media.
Parents are also careful to monitor their children's game play. Two-thirds of parents say they use parental controls, with that number jumping to 70% for parents of kids 12 and under.
A changing picture
Given the reality of who is enjoying video games in the U.S. today, it's clear that many of the stereotypes around video game playing are outdated. The next time you imagine someone playing, your mental picture may look very different.
Discover more about who plays video games at TheESA.com.
*YouGov and ESA conducted a 20-minute online survey in the U.S. from February 11-25 among 13,545 total respondents recruited from YouGov's proprietary online panel. Data is weighted to be representative of the overall US population in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, education, state, census region, and the distribution of gamers vs. non-gamers, as defined above. 18+ respondents were asked about all members of their household in order to size gamers as young as 5 years old. Gamers aged 8-17 were asked to complete the survey under the supervision of a parent.
