New Report Shows 212 Million Americans Are Gamers

On Wednesday, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) unveiled its annual report, “Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry” for 2026, providing an in-depth look at the gaming landscape in the country. Despite recent price increases for consoles and PCs, the number of Americans engaging in gaming continues to rise.

A staggering 212.3 million Americans, or 67% of the population aged 5 to 90, are playing video games for at least an hour each week. This marks an increase of 7.2 million players, or 3% of the population, compared to 2025. Additionally, 83% of households have reported using at least one gaming device—be it a phone, PC, console, or VR—within the past year. Active gamers average about 12 hours of gameplay weekly, with 27% of them logging 16 or more hours.

When looking at the demographics of active players, 53% are men and 46% are women. Men hold a slight advantage across all age groups, except among Boomers (ages 62-80), where 52% of women play games compared to 47% of men. Shoutout to the Words With Friends-loving grandmothers out there!

Examining age groups, a significant majority of Gen Alpha (83%), Gen Z (82%), and Millennials (71%) engage in gaming weekly, along with about half of Gen X (56%) and Boomers (50%). The average age of gamers in the U.S. is now 37, a slight increase from 36 in the previous year’s report.

Players across all ages report dedicating an average of 21% of their weekly screen time to gaming, with Gen Alpha spending an even higher proportion at 31%. This younger generation tends to play more in the afternoon, while older gamers usually prefer evening sessions.

Mobile devices dominate gaming across all age groups, with usage rates ranging from 75% to 84%. Consoles rank as the second most popular choice among Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and Millennials, while Gen X and Boomers lean towards PCs. Unfortunately, the data doesn’t specify preferences among Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo fans.

As the average age of gamers rises, it’s no surprise that more players are also parents, and many are sharing their gaming experiences with their kids. About 75% of parents surveyed by ESA report playing video games weekly, and a significant 81% have played with their children, with 52% doing so at least once a week.

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

The data was collected through a 20-minute online survey conducted by YouGov in the U.S. from February 11-25, involving 13,545 respondents. Out of this group, 9,932 reported playing at least one hour of video games weekly, while 3,613 either did not play at all or played less than one hour per week.