When you think of senior citizens, video games are probably one of the last things you think of. Yet there are a huge number of senior citizen gamers in the US – 16m to be precise. We conducted a survey of gamers aged 65+ to find out what their motivations behind gaming are, what they spend on gaming devices, accessories and games per year, and their preferred games. We found that:
The top motivation for senior citizen gaming is for brain stimulation, with over three quarters (76%) agreeing, and some going on to explain further that it helps them to keep a healthy, younger mind This was followed by 71% saying it helped them to bond with friends and family And the third most popular reason is that it helps with mental health (55%)
Almost half of the senior gamers (49%) said video games directly helped with their cognitive ability. Of these, some went on to say that family members or close friends had noticed a change in their mental state and commented that they’d been “quicker”, “sharper”, or less forgettable than usual. A major issue affecting American senior citizens in America is loneliness and boredom. 44% of senior gamers that we surveyed said that gaming eased their boredom, and 63% said they felt less lonely as a result of playing. Like everything, gaming can come at a cost. Senior gamers are running up the costs with almost half (47%) spending $500 on gaming, which includes buying:
Consoles Video games Accessories (like headsets, gaming chairs, and custom controllers)
Even the senior gamers that stick to mobile games shared that 79% had spent at least $50 in the past year on in-game purchases in free-to-play games.
Popular Games & Consoles
The console wars carry on with senior gamers too, with the battle between Xbox and PlayStation. Of the senior gamers that use either of these two consoles:
58% said they used PlayStation 36% said they used Xbox And there was a crossover with 12% saying they used both Xbox and PlayStation
Aside from seniors that only play Sony or Microsoft consoles, the Nintendo Switch also showed to be quite popular, with 61% using Nintendo’s home console. Other data also showed that smartphones are a particularly popular way for senior citizens to game, with two thirds (65%) opting for mobile as one method to play games. Mobile games such as Angry Birds and Candy Crush are thought to contribute to this trend due to their accessibility – from their easy controls to being free to play. And finally, our study discovered the favorite and most-played games of the nation’s senior gamers. Here are their top 10: We really enjoyed running this study into senior gamers. Hopefully more of those aged 65+ will take it up as a hobby, since so many agree there are many positive benefits for doing so!
