Amid COVID-19 Lockdowns, Time And Money Spent On Games Is Increasing In The US

During the pandemic, people have turned to video games to pass the time, connect with friends, and just enjoy themselves. New data from The NPD Group has provided a new level of detail on just how popular gaming has become in recent months.

In short, it's up across the board. The number of people in the US who play video games has risen to 79%, total time spent gaming jumped by 26%, and the total amount of money spent on games has increased by 33%. According to the NPD's numbers, four out of every five US consumer has played a video game in the past six months.

This general trend of growth is reflected across platforms, but mobile is a special bright spot, the report said, thanks to its nature as an accessible platform. The popularity of console gaming has also increased, as families look for ways to play together, while others are seeking out consoles to play together with others online.

The NPD report also mentions that demographics that are historically less interested in gaming, those 45 years of age or older, are on the rise. Those in the 45-54 age bracket saw an increase of 59% in terms of time spent gaming and a 76% increase on money spent on games. Those in the 55-64 age bracket saw their time spent gaming rise 48% and money spent on games grow by 73%. Those 65 and older experienced an increase of 45% playing games and 29% on spending.

"This year, video games is one of the most consistent growth categories in terms of overall participation and investment relative to 2019," NPD's Mat Piscatella said in a statement. "This may simply reflect an acceleration of trends that were in effect prior to the pandemic. If this is the case, then the gaming market could experience continued growth without a post-pandemic pullback. If not, however, we may see a post-pandemic valley before returning to growth. It all rests on engagement."

The results of this study came from an online survey conducted in August 2020 in the US. 5,000 people took part in the survey.