Two-thirds of Americans play an hour or more of video games per week, according to a new report published Wednesday by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
Per the gaming industry lobbying organization, 212.3 million people in the U.S. between the ages of 5 and 90 play video games every week. That stat, found in ESA’s 2026 Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry, is up 3% (or 7.2 million people) compared to the prior year’s report.
Conducted in partnership with YouGov, ESA’s new report found that the average age of players has risen to 37.
Additionally, the data shows that 63% of players surveyed say video games “deliver the most entertainment value for their money, compared to video streaming services for music, TV and movies, as well as books, magazines and news articles.”
The results also found that 39% of adult gamers are employed full-time and 35% have children, making them more represented in both categories compared to the general U.S. population, which stands at 34% and 30%, respectively.
