Video games play an important role in the lives of Generation Alpha, or those born after 2010, according to gaming market-research platform Newzoo’s recent study “How Different Generations Engage with Video Games Today”.
In fact, games are the primary source of entertainment for these young people: weekly, they spend 22% of their entertainment time playing, ahead of streaming movies and shows (17% of this time), social networking (16%), television (16%), music, podcasts and radio (15%), and reading (14%).
Compared with Generations Z, Y, X and baby boomers, Gen Alpha spends the most time interacting with video games, whether playing, watching gaming content, or chatting with other gamers.
Meanwhile, Gen Z devotes as much time to video games as to social networking (19%). Among millennials, the primary preoccupation is social networking (19%), ahead of video games and streaming (18%). Gen X and baby boomers, meanwhile, are more fond of television (20% and 25%, respectively).
According to the data, 81% of Gen Alpha enjoy playing on mobile, while 50% prefer gaming on console and 41% on PC. Some also play on multiple platforms, with 17% gaming on mobile, console and PC – on par with millennials and slightly less than Gen Z (18%).
‘A way of life’
While video games are a source of interest among all generations, Gen Alpha is the one with the most gaming enthusiasts, at 94%. In fact, the younger the generation, the greater the number of gaming fans. Baby boomers are the least present in this field – 43% – compared with 64% among Gen X, 82% among millennials, and 90% among Gen Z.
Roblox, “Minecraft” and “Fortnite” enjoy great popularity with Gen Alpha when it comes to immersive social experiences.
“As younger generations grow up with gaming and new technologies pave the way for different, more accessible sorts of engagement, we can anticipate even higher participation rates among older generations in the future,” the research noted.
“Gaming has become part of younger generations’ daily social life and identity. In many ways, it’s become a way of life for many enthusiasts instead of a pastime,” it concluded.