SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Video games surged in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as people were stuck in their houses with nothing to do.
All Home Connections, a sales agency affiliated with AT&T, published a study that shows just how much American gamers spend on their digital hobby.
According to the report, in 2021 alone, Americans spent $60.4 billion dollars on video games.
Perhaps even more shocking than the gross amount of spending dollars however, is the amount that American gamers spend on average across their whole lifetime. The All Home Connections report indicates that on average, American gamers will spend $58,368 over their entire lifetime on gaming. According to their reporting, that is nearly $10,000 more than average American salaries in 2022.
Other insights from their survey found that the average gamer spends more on gaming than on “vacation, streaming subscriptions, and fitness.” Millennial gamers indicated that they spend more than other generations, including Gen Z.
Gen X and Baby Boomers still reported significant yearly spending on video games, but not as much as younger generations.
Interestingly, male gamers only reported spending $16 dollars more on average than female gamers, challenging the assumption that video games are a male-dominant hobby.
While this data is somewhat shocking, it does prompt questions about the yearly cost of other popular hobbies. Standing alone, it is impossible to tell if gaming is an overly expensive hobby or perhaps even a cheaper one. At the very least, it indicates that video games are a huge American industry and the market is here to stay.
Insights from this survey were taken from a sample size of 1,000 self-identifying gamers. The full report can be found here.
