Avid gamers 50-plus at the moment are 52.4 million robust, they usually’re embracing gaming as a result of they really feel it’s time properly spent, in response to a 2023 AARP Analysis research.
The consultant nationwide survey examined how a lot 50-plus avid gamers spend, what units they use, how typically they play, their general satisfaction with gaming, and the vary of range of their motivations and types of play.
Avid gamers 50-plus credit score gaming with being helpful to their lives. It helps them have enjoyable and loosen up whereas additionally staying mentally sharp and being challenged. Older avid gamers make investments each their money and time — on common, 12 hours of play per week and $49 inside a six-month timeframe — on their gaming. In 2023, older adults’ continued curiosity in gaming might result in $2.5 billion in biannual spending on digital and bodily recreation content material (in-app purchases, digital objects, customization options), equipment (headsets, controllers, microphones), and {hardware} (gaming consoles, handheld units).
How Typically They Play
The research discovered that 45% of individuals 50-plus are avid gamers. Amongst these avid gamers, 45% say they spend time gaming every single day. Notably, girls paved the way in every day exercise, with 52% taking part in every single day vs. 37% of males.
Older adults’ curiosity in gaming grew noticeably in 2016 and spiked through the COVID pandemic. At the moment, curiosity stays pretty constant; nevertheless, about one in three of adults of their 50s (30%), girls (30%), and Black adults (37%) say they play extra now than they did two years in the past. The typical variety of hours performed throughout units per week has elevated 40% since 2019, up from an 8.5 to 12 hours performed per week, not essentially extra often however for longer durations of time.
Who Performs With Whom
Solo play is hottest with 81% of these surveyed taking part in alone. However many stay linked: two-thirds (68%) talk with different gamers via in-game chats, texts, app messaging, or by telephone.
After they do play with others, 50-plus avid gamers’ most typical play companions are youngsters or grandchildren (20%). Different companions embody grownup relations (14%), in particular person with mates (12%), random folks on-line (10%), siblings (5%), dad and mom (3%), and colleagues (2%).
Most well-liked Units
Older avid gamers use quite a lot of units and never at all times the latest ones. They’re as impressed with Play Station or Xbox consoles as they’re with the Nintendo Change. They reap the benefits of the life span of Gen 8 consoles but additionally use the alternative Gen 9 consoles launched in 2021. Some 50-plus avid gamers nonetheless use a Wii.
Cellular continues to dominate recreation play, accounting for over half of all 50-plus avid gamers’ most well-liked units. Despite the fact that sensible audio system and sensible TVs be a part of the ranks, the No. 1 gaming system for these 50-plus continues to be the smartphone, with 84% figuring out it as their gaming system of selection and three in ten (30%) completely utilizing their smartphones for gaming.
Making a Comeback
A couple of-quarter (28%) of older avid gamers use gaming consoles, up from 13% in 2019, suggesting that they’re rising in popularity amongst this group. Display screen-free sensible dwelling units are one other potential new horizon for gaming as 21% use sensible dwelling tech to recreation, up from 2% in 2019. Within the meantime, 53% use computer systems, tablets, and laptops; 8% use different gaming techniques; and 4% use transportable units. From 2019, spending on gaming equipment grew from 11% to fifteen%, whereas spending on content material dropped barely from 51% to 47%, and {hardware} spending stayed the identical at 38%.
What They’re Taking part in
With staying sharp in thoughts, the highest genres are persistently puzzle and logic video games at 73%, adopted by card and tile video games (69%), phrase video games (58%), mind video games (37%), trivia and conventional board video games (32%), and playing, on line casino, or poker video games (31%). Nonetheless performed however much less fashionable are arcade, instructional, technique, and shooter video games.
Thoughts teasers and mind challenge-based video games paved the way. Matching video games are considerably performed probably the most by this group with 48% figuring out them as the kind of puzzle/logic video games they play on any system. Quantity placement logic video games ranked second at 32%, and discovering hidden objects got here in at 25%.
With the immense reputation of Wordle, phrase video games have turn out to be their very own style. A brand new phenomenon coined the “Wordle Impact” took over social media and fashionable tradition in 2022, stemming from elevated search site visitors to on-line dictionaries checking five-letter Wordle phrase of the day solutions. The AARP research notes that 36% of age 50-plus avid gamers recognized phrase video games as their favourite.
Why They’re Taking part in
These 50-plus have interaction in gaming for a variety of causes, though most contain enjoyable, psychological health, and well-being. The highest six causes are:
- Have enjoyable, 86%
- Loosen up, 79%
- Keep mentally sharp, 78%
- To be challenged/resolve issues, 74%
- Scale back stress, 71%
- Go the time, 70%
How Devoted Are Older Avid gamers?
The research broke down avid gamers 50-plus into 5 segments starting from these much less obsessed with gaming to these most passionate. The teams got identities primarily based on why they play, how typically, and what they take pleasure in most — Dabblers, Mainstreamers, Indulgers, Fanatics, and Immersives.
Dabblers
This group represents 15% of 50-plus avid gamers. They’re least obsessed with gaming and play occasionally on their PCs or telephones to go the time or relieve boredom. Despite the fact that they take pleasure in puzzle, card, and tile video games, they don’t have any need to play extra typically.
Mainstreamers
That is the biggest group of 50-plus avid gamers, representing 35%. Mainstreamers have the very best focus of mobile-only avid gamers. They might play every single day, however they don’t really feel very obsessed with gaming. They’re in it extra for the enjoyment, problem, and psychological stimulation. Wordle may be very fashionable with this group.
Indulgers
This group performs every day on cellphones and tablets for enjoyment and psychological stimulation. They might have a way of guilt about an excessive amount of play time, however many discover throwing in some on line casino video games into their puzzle, card, and tile video games, helps to scale back stress. This group represents 23% of 50-plus avid gamers.
Fanatics
These people, representing 19% of older avid gamers, are obsessed with gaming and prefer to turn out to be engrossed in energetic and lively video games. Motion, journey, and fantasy or role-playing video games (RPG) assist fill their evenings. This group seems to be for robust storytelling and compelling gameplay.
Immersives
At solely 7% of 50-plus avid gamers, this group is the smallest section measurement however most obsessed with gaming. Immersives establish as avid gamers. They’re on the forefront of gaming traits and discover social interplay integral to their selections of genres like fantasy and make-believe. They’re the one section the place a console, moderately than a smartphone, is their best choice of gaming system.
Ease of Play Issues
Ease of play is the most well-liked characteristic amongst all 5 teams. So as, this can be a key precedence for Fanatics (57%), Mainstreamers (55%), Indulgers (45%), Immersives (41%) and Dabblers (37%). Different options embody alternative to enhance over time, scaling of problem, set stage of problem, number of play and aggressive ranks or tiers.
Older Avid gamers See Significant Play as Helpful
Whereas gamers of all ages take pleasure in gaming for the aid from stress and anxiousness, these 50-plus really feel gaming is useful as they grow old, with three in 4 (77%) seeing play, similar to gaming, as an vital facet of wholesome ageing for them. As for what motivates this group, passing the time nonetheless leads the way in which (54%), adopted by psychological acuity (39%), pleasure (46%), emotion (23%), immersion (13%), social connection (11%), problem (10%), and self-improvement (9%).
With regards to problem, respondents like video games that construct in depth over time and require aggressive abilities. Ease of taking part in ranked excessive (49%), whereas different most well-liked options embody a possibility to enhance over time (35%), number of play (21%), aggressive ranks or tiers (18%), ongoing storylines or narratives (12%), and social facet of gaming (10%).
Nevertheless, 50-plus avid gamers see advertisements as a nuisance; for this age group and others, advertisements affect the enjoyment of the sport. Among the many different main frustrations: having to look at advertisements to make progress or make a purchase order to proceed, and the quantity and sort of notifications within the recreation.
Video games Designed With out Older Avid gamers in Thoughts
Seven in 10 (69%) older avid gamers really feel that video games are usually not designed with them in thoughts. One other 66% mentioned video video games are designed with no thought to gamers 50-plus. Many mentioned the video games can at instances be too sophisticated to know and others famous they want tutorials to play successfully. From not seeing themselves mirrored in recreation advertising and marketing (69%) or throughout the video games themselves (64%), older gamers really feel like an afterthought to the gaming business.
Methodology
AARP Analysis used NORC’s Foresight 50-plus Panel to survey a nationally consultant pattern of U.S. adults ages 40-plus who personal a gaming-eligible system and play video video games on that system a minimum of as soon as a month. The survey was carried out June 23, 2022 to July 13, 2022. Information have been weighted utilizing inhabitants benchmarks from NORC’s inhabitants survey for age, gender, division, race/ethnicity, schooling, housing tenure, family telephone standing, age x gender and age x race/ethnicity. Survey size — median avid gamers (32 min.); nongamers (7 min.). Pattern = 7,885 completes (5,953 50-plus avid gamers/2,630 40-plus nongamers).
For extra data, please contact Brittne Kakulla at bkakulla@aarp.org. For media inquiries, please contact Exterior Relations at media@arp.org.
Steered Quotation:
Kakulla, Brittne. The 50-Plus Gamer of At the moment and Tomorrow. Washington, DC: AARP Analysis, April 2023. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00585.001