Which generation plays more games: Millennials or Gen Z?

It’s estimated that around three billion people play video games out of the eight billion that currently live on this planet. Naturally, most of them will be young people. And this means that they belong to either the Millennial or the Gen Z generation.

These two generations are defined like this. Those who are born between 1981 and 1996 are considered to be Millennials, while those who are born between 1997 and 2012 are considered to be part of the Gen Z generation. And quite surprisingly, Millennials play even more video games than Gen Z people.

What the statistics say

ExpressVPN did a survey recently and discovered a lot of interesting facts about the younger generations of gamers. For example, it was discovered that nearly 80% of them play retro games like Pac-Man from time to time.

Another interesting finding was that gamers in their 30s and 40s are around 10% more likely to play video games on a daily basis. Roughly two thirds of Millennials (68%) that took part in the survey said that they are daily gamers, but only 58% of Zoomers said that they play games every day.

At first glance, this may seem surprising because adults are supposed to have more responsibilities than people who are barely 17 years old. But in fact, adults can often find gaming to be the perfect way to relax after a day of work.

Or, if they’ve made enough money and are financially independent, they can allocate even more time to activities that they enjoy.

For someone who grew up in the early 2000s and played all the classics, the gaming habit is a life-long habit. It’s really hard to give up something that brings you so much joy and meaning.

Many fundamental needs are perfectly fulfilled by a game like LoL or Dota 2. You get to compete, develop a deeper understanding of a highly complex system, try new things, communicate with others, experience drama, and so on. It’s a very addictive mix that you can enjoy for free.

Other activities require a lot more than just a decent computer. Gaming seems to be that one stimulant that takes care of a lot of needs while involving a tiny amount of stress and genuine effort. Assuming, of course, that you don’t play professionally.

So the findings of ExpressVPN are not that surprising. They simply remind us that right now, the world is full of adults for whom gaming is just as natural as it is for a 15-year-old.

Header: Valve Corporation