Four out of five Aussies play video games, do you?

New data shows that Australian gamers are high achievers, use games to improve their mental health, and prefer puzzle games over action games.

Sydney, 8 August 2023 – Roll over footy! 81% of all Australians now play video games according to new data from the Australia Plays 2023 report, a research series spanning 18 years conducted by peak industry body Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA) in conjunction with Bond University. This is a 14% increase in two years from the renamed Digital Australia 2022 report. The report aims to explore the demographics and behaviours of video game players in Australia and their attitudes towards games. While only 56% of Australians tuned into the AFL Finals on Fox and Seven, according to the AFL 2022 annual report, over 80% are tuning into video games.

You can find a high resolution version of the infographic here.

“With 94% of Australian households having at least one device to play video games, there is no denying the significance of video games in the lives of everyday Aussies. 91% of parents are using video games to connect with their children, supporting cognitive growth and providing important family bonding time,” said Dr. Jeffrey Brand, Professor at Bond University and author of the report.

Dr. Brand continued, “Additionally, we saw more women playing games than ever before with 48% of Australian gamers being female, up 2% on the previous report, with women over 65 more likely to play video games than elderly men. Aussie gamers over 65 play to be challenged and improve their mental health, with a focus on mental stimulation and fighting dementia. Video games offer something for everyone – anyone can be a gamer, not just children and students, but parents, grandparents, your coworkers, and your boss.”

“Australia Plays 2023 proves that Australia is a nation that loves to play, achieve, connect, and learn through video games,” said Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA. “Over 80% of the population is now engaging with video games, making it clear that video games have become a part of everyday life. Over 90% of Australian gamers say they find joy in video games, as is reflected by our successful local industry. Video games have proven to be very important to this country’s economy, as can be seen by the recently released consumer video games sales data in Australia.”

The Australia Plays report continues to bust stereotypes, with the average gamer at 35 years of age, of any gender, who has been playing video games for 11 years, and plays for roughly 90 minutes at a time. Aussie gamers are playing to create feelings of enjoyment, nurture mental health, to socialise with others, attend in-game events, and more.

Highlights from the Australia Plays report include:

• 81% of all Australians play video games (up from 67%)
• 94% of Australian households have a device for playing video games (up from 92%)
  • 76% of game households have 2 or more devices for playing games
• 48% female – more women and girls are playing than ever before (up from 46%)
  • After age 55, Australian women play more video games than Australian men
• 35 years – the average age of video game players in Australia
• 75% of Australians play video games with others
• 91% of parents play with their children to connect as a family
• Australians play video games to:
  • 91% – Create feelings of enjoyment
  • 82% – Bring joy to their lives
  • 66% – Nurture mental health
• In games, Australians enjoy:
  • 92% – Achieving
  • 81% – Exploring
  • 59% – Socialising with others
• Of adults who play video games:
  • 71% enjoy building in-game
  • 65% enjoy making mini-games and levels
  • 54% enjoy attending in-game events
• Australian video game players’ top genre choices:
  • 36% – Puzzle
  • 32% – Action/Adventure
  • 21% – Strategy
• Australians over 65 years play to be challenged and improve mental health
• Top benefits of video games for ageing well according to Australian adults:
  • Increasing mental stimulation
  • Promoting mindfulness
  • Fighting dementia

If you would like to learn more about Australia Plays 2023, you can visit the IGEA website, download the media kit, or pick up the Australia Plays 2023 Infographic, Report, and Key Findings documents separately.

Media spokespeople available:

• Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA
• Jeffrey Brand, Professor at Bond University

MEDIA CONTACTS

Felicia McEntire, felicia@doublejump.com.au, 0455 143 650

Paul Jones, paul@doublejump.com.au, 0411 348 155

About IGEA

IGEA (Interactive Games & Entertainment Association) is the peak industry association representing the voice of Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and video games industry.  IGEA supports the games industry’s business and public policy interests through advocacy, research and education programs. For more information, please visit www.igea.net

About Australia Plays

Australia Plays is a study of 1,219 Australian households represented by adult participants aged 18 and over. Household-level statistics include demographics, household device profiles, attitudes, and knowledge questions. Parents represent 414 of the 1,219 household adult respondents. Data on play time (including frequency and duration, location, time of day, genre preferences, and common playing experiences) were drawn from adult participants and one other nominated household member (n=1,937). Age, gender and player status were drawn from the participants and all members of the household (n=3,234). Participants were drawn randomly from the Qualtrics XM panel in April 2023; research was designed and conducted at Bond University. The margin of error is 2.7%.