ESA report: 212 million Americans play video games

On Wednesday, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) released its annual Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry report for 2026. Despite recent console and PC price hikes, more Americans are playing: 212.3 million people, or 67% of the population aged 5 to 90, play at least one hour per week — an increase of 7.2 million (3%) from 2025.

Eighty-three percent of households report using at least one gaming device in the past 12 months. Active players log an average of 12 hours of play each week, and 27% play 16 hours or more. Among weekly players, 53% are men and 46% are women, with Boomer women the exception at 52% versus 47% for Boomer men.

The average age of an American gamer is 37, up from 36 in the ESA’s 2025 report. Participation by age group varies: Gen Alpha (83%), Gen Z (82%) and Millennials (71%) play weekly, while roughly half of Gen X (56%) and Boomers (50%) do.

United States

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