Gaming: Fewer Americans Use Consoles

When it comes to video games, most people think of the PC or game consoles like the PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch. However, the smartphone has long since overtaken these platforms and is now the device most frequently used for video games in the United States. According to Statista Consumer Insights, 67 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 to 64 surveyed most recently use their smartphone to play games regularly. Consoles only come in a distant second place – 30 percent regularly play on one of these devices. PC/laptop gaming comes in close behind with 28 percent of the survey participants engaging in it regularly and has had a very consistent user base over the past couple of years.

The shift from stationary PCs and game consoles to mobile smartphones is hardly surprising, since people usually carry them with them all the time. Also, there is no need for any extra equipment to play games on a cell phone, keeping upfront costs low. This is different for consoles, which cost hundreds of dollars and have become even more expensive amid the global memory chip shortage.

Overall, Americans have been shifting away from consoles. In 2022 and 2024, 33–34 percent still said they gamed on a console regularly, down from 38 percent in 2020. Over the same time period, the share of those regularly using their smartphone to game rose from 55 percent to now 67 percent. Along with the rise of smartphone gaming, the absolute share of regular gamers in the 18-to-64 age bracket has also risen from 79 percent in 2022 to 86 percent today.

The smartphone has become a lucrative platform for the gaming industry in recent years, too, and more and more game developers are producing games with an increased focus on mobile platforms. The app stores of Google and Apple combined to generated around $83 billion in gross revenue from games in 2025 alone. In Apple's case, that's 60 percent of total app store revenue generated by games.