New ESA industry report reveals 212 million Americans are gamers

On Wednesday, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) released its annual Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry report for 2026, a comprehensive study of the state of video games across the nation. And despite the recent spate of console and PC price hikes, more Americans are playing video games than ever.

212.3 million Americans, or 67% of the population between 5 and 90 years old, play video games one or more hours per week. That’s an increase of 7.2 million people, or 3% of the population, compared to 2025. What’s more, a whopping 83% of households report having played at least one gaming device (phone, PC, console, or VR) within the last 12 months. On average, active players log in 12 hours each week, though 27% of that group play for 16 or more hours every seven days.

While players of all ages report spending an average 21% of their weekly screen time playing games (other options include streaming, social media, work, and school) Gen Alpha spends a greater proportion of their screen time on video games, at 31%. They’re also more likely to play games in the afternoon, whereas older gamers tend to play later in the day.

Mobile devices are the most commonly used across all age groups, with adoption skewing between 75% and 84%. Consoles are the second-most popular hardware among Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and Millennials, while Gen X and Boomers prefer PC. Sorry console warriors, ESA doesn’t break this data down by Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo.

Photo: Vitaly Gariev via Unsplash

As the average age of the American gamer ticks slightly older, it’s not surprising that more people who play video games are parents — and they’re sharing the experience with their children. Some 75% of parents surveyed by ESA say they actively play video games each week. The vast majority, or 81%, say they have played video games with their children. Some 52% do 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,” said ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis in a press release. “Video games have become a powerful cultural force, while providing mental stimulation, stress relief and meaningful social connection for people of all ages.”

To gather the data, YouGov conducted a 20-minute online survey in the U.S. from February 11-25 among 13,545 total respondents. Among the pool of respondents, 9,932 played at least one hour of video games each week, while 3,613 either did not play at all or played less than one hour per week.