Upcoming

Gaming Trends

February 2023
Table of contents

03 Objectives 65 Demographics
& Methodology 73 Segmentation
04 Executive Summary

08 Global Insights
25 North America
35 Asia Pacific
45 Europe,
The Middle East,
& Africa
55 Latin America
Source:

Objectives
Understand how gamers perceive the future
of games and the gaming industry.
Identify how players will interact with
future gaming trends.

Methodology
18,029 male, female, and non-binary respondents,
ages 18 to 87, participated in this study.
Within the target audience, all respondents:
• Are ages 18 and older
• Play games on a qualifying device* for at least 2
hours in a typical week
• Currently live in North America, Asia-Pacific,
Europe, the Middle East and Africa, or Latin
America

* Qualifying devices: Android phone, android tablet, iMac/MacBook, iPad, iPhone,

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam Deck, Xbox One, Xbox Series
X/S, Windows PC/laptop. Note: Detailed methodology and segmentation
information can be found in the Methodology section at the end of the report.

3
Source:

Most respondents say Virtual reality (76%) and the metaverse (71%) will be very or
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
extremely influential in the future of gaming.
• Virtual reality has the highest awareness among global participants (55%), but only a
Upcoming lower percentage of participants that are aware of this technology currently engage
with it (27%).
Gaming Trends o With 63% of aware non-users being interested in using virtual reality in
February 2023 Report the future, usership of this technology is likely to grow more significantly
in the future compared to other new and emerging technologies.
o Participants that currently play virtual reality games say they most often
do so because the technology is new and exciting (51%), because VR
Participants anticipate games allow them to interact with games in unique or realistic ways (e.g.,
using hands, looking around) (49%), because VR games are very
a future for gaming immersive (48%), and/or since VR games are more thrilling than traditional
games (48%).
that is strongly
influenced by virtual Playing games in the metaverse is more appealing than any other metaverse
activity, though some respondents have reservations about using this technology.

reality and the • Many participants are aware of the metaverse (43%), and this upcoming technology
has the highest percentage of aware non-users that are interested in interacting with

metaverse •
this technology in the future (71%).
Among participants that are aware of the metaverse, respondents are most looking
forward to playing games (67%), attending virtual events (e.g., concerts) (47%),
hanging out with friends/socializing (46%), meeting new friends (45%), and/or
accomplishing daily tasks (e.g., shopping) (43%).
o Among participants that are aware of the metaverse, 29% are not
interested in using or interacting with it in the future. The most common
reasons these respondents do not want to engage with this technology
are because they do not want to spend money on equipment (31%),
because they do not have any friends who are using it (30%), and/or they
have privacy concerns (26%).
Source:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Play-to-earn games (74%) and cross-platform gameplay (72%) will be very or
extremely influential in the future of gaming, according to a majority of respondents.
Respondents also • Among the 45% of participants that are aware of play-to-earn games, 47% currently
engage with these kinds of games.
anticipate that o Among aware non-users, 57% are interested in engaging with play-to-earn
games in the future.
play-to-earn games o Respondents that currently engage with play-to-earn games most often

and cross-platform do so on mobile devices (85%) as opposed to on a PC (42%); they most

often do so to earn short-term cash/funds (56%), because they are

gameplay will be interested in cryptocurrency/NFTs in general (50%), and/or the game itself
is fun/engaging (47%).

influential in • Most participants (72%) say they are more or much more likely to play a game if it
gaming’s future supports cross-platform gameplay.
o Respondents in the Asia Pacific express this sentiment most often among
the regions (78%), while participants in North America express this
sentiment least often (62%).
o Cross-platform gameplay has the highest percentage of aware
respondents that currently engage with this trend (60%).
o Participants that currently engage with cross-platform gameplay most
often do so to play with or against other players who are using different
devices than they are (76%) as opposed to playing the same game across
multiple devices (51%).
o Among aware non-users, 51% are interested in engaging with
cross-platform gameplay in the future.
Source:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Most respondents expect that both cloud gaming (71%) and augmented reality
(71%) will be very or extremely influential in the future of gaming.

Cloud gaming and • Of the 42% of respondents that are aware of cloud gaming, 49% currently interact
with this technology.

augmented reality o Most participants that currently utilize cloud gaming say they
somewhat or strongly prefer the experience of playing on the cloud

will have a strong compared to the standard gameplay experience (54%).

▪ Respondents that currently engage with cloud gaming most
influence on the often do so to access more games (53%), to save time with
game downloads (51%), to play remotely (41%), and/or to
future of gaming as have compatibility across devices (38%).
Among aware non-users, 53% are interested in interacting with this
well, according to
o
technology in the future.

survey participants • Among the 48% of participants that are aware of augmented reality games, 37%
of them currently interact with these kinds of games.
o Among aware non-users, 44% are interested in interacting with these
kinds of games in the future.
o Players that currently play augmented reality games most often do so
because they like the idea of merging the digital and physical world in
gaming (49%), because AR games turn real life into an adventure
(43%), because AR games allow them to interact with games in unique
ways (e.g., moving around to see a different view) (43%), and/or since
the technology is new and exciting (43%).
o Respondents that currently play augmented reality games most often
play Pokémon GO (76%), Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (32%) and/or The
Walking Dead: Our World (29%).
Source:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Most participants (58%) say social features/multiplayer modes make them more or
much more likely to keep playing a game.
Incorporating • Respondents in Latin America express this sentiment most often (64%), while
respondents in North America express this sentiment least often among the different
social features regions (46%).

and cross-media
• Among social features, respondents are most often interested in games adopting
gifting options (28%) and competitive gameplay modes (28%).

integration result o Conversely, players most often say they dislike push notifications for other
player’s activity (20%), linking in-game accounts with social media (17%),

into games and in-game voice chat (15%).

increases player Most respondents (64%) also like seeing brands, properties, and characters from
other media in games or like this a lot.
interest • Additionally, the majority of participants (65%) say having this kind of cross-media in
gaming has a positive or very positive effect on their interest in playing a game.
• Most respondents (57%) say they are very or extremely interested in seeing elements
from games they know in other types of media (e.g., shows, movies, books).
Global
Insights

February 2023
Source:

Many respondents are also aware of play-to-earn games (45%), the

Virtual reality (55%), esports (50%), and/or metaverse (43%), and/or cloud gaming (42%). In the Asia Pacific,
augmented reality (48%) boast the highest esports captures the most awareness among these gaming trends
(56%), and this region has the highest percentage of participants that
awareness among global participants are aware of the metaverse (53%) compared to other regions. In Latin
America, augmented reality has the highest level of awareness (62%).

Global Gaming Trend Awareness

Virtual reality (VR)

Esports
Augmented reality (AR) games
Play-to-earn games
The metaverse
Cloud gaming
Cross-platform gameplay
User-generated content
Browser-based or HTML5 games
Cross-media gaming experiences
None of the above

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa

Q - Which of the following gaming trends have you heard of, if any? (Select all that apply.)
Total Sample (n = 18,029); North America (n = 786); Asia Pacific (n = 5,708),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 10,098); Latin America (n = 1,437)
Source:

Cross-platform gameplay engages the Browser-based or HTML5 games (52%), cross-media gaming
highest percentage of its aware experiences (52%), and user-generated content (52%) are also among
the gaming trends with the highest engagement.
respondents (60%)

Global Gaming Trend Engagement

Cross-platform gameplay

Browser-based or HTML5 games

Cross-media gaming experiences

User-generated content

Cloud gaming

Play-to-earn games

Esports

Augmented reality (AR) games

Virtual reality (VR)

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa

Asked among respondents that have heard of the respective gaming trend: Which of the
Following gaming trends do you currently use or interact with, if any? (Select all that apply.)
Total Sample (n = various bases); North America (n = various bases); Asia Pacific (n = various bases),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = various bases); Latin America (n = various bases)
Source:

Many participants that are aware of the Interest in engaging with the metaverse is highest in Latin America
metaverse are interested in interacting with (78%) and the Asia Pacific (74%). Among respondents that are aware of
virtual reality but do not currently engage with it, 63% of them are
it in the future (71%) interested in engaging with it in the future.

Global Engagement Interest Among Aware Non-Users

The metaverse

Virtual reality (VR)

Play-to-earn games

Cross-media gaming experiences

Cloud gaming

Cross-platform gameplay

User-generated content

Augmented reality (AR) games

Browser-based or HTML5 games

Esports

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa

Asked among respondents that have heard of but are not using or interacting with the respective gaming trend, or have heard of the metaverse:
Which of the following gaming trends are you interested in using or interacting with in the future, if any? (Select all that apply.)
Total Sample (n = various bases); North America (n = various bases); Asia Pacific (n = various bases),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = various bases); Latin America (n = various bases)
Source:

Esports (20%) and augmented reality games 30% of all respondents are interested in engaging with
(17%) have the highest percentage of the metaverse in the future while another 12% show no
participants that are aware but are interest in the upcoming digital ecosystem.

not interested
Global Gaming Trend Awareness & Engagement

Virtual reality (VR)

Play-to-earn games

Cross-platform gameplay

Cloud gaming

Augmented reality (AR) games

The metaverse*

Esports

User-generated content

Browser-based or HTML5 games

Cross-media gaming experiences

Q - Which of the following gaming trends have you heard of, if any? (Select all that apply.)
Q - Which of the following gaming trends do you currently use or interact with, if any? (Select all that apply.)
Q - Which of the following gaming trends are you interested in using or interacting with in the future, if any? (Select all that apply.)
*The engagement questions was not asked for the metaverse because it does not exist at the time of this study. Total Sample (n = 18,029)
Source:

Respondents think virtual reality, Respondents think virtual reality, play-to-earn games,
play-to-earn games, and cross-platform and cross-platform gameplay will be most influential in
the future of gaming
gameplay will be most influential in the
future of gaming
Influence on the Future of Gaming
(% Extremely influential + Very influential)

Virtual reality
Play-to-earn games
Cross-platform gameplay
Cloud gaming
Augmented reality
The metaverse
Cross-media gaming experiences
Esports
User-generated content
Browser-based or HTML5 games

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa

Asked among respondents that have heard of the respective gaming trend: How influential do you think
each of the following trends and/or technologies will be, if at all, in the future of gaming?
Total Sample (n = varying bases); North America (n = varying bases); Asia Pacific (n = varying bases),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = varying bases); Latin America (n = varying bases)
Source:

Virtual reality players also say they play these kinds of

Virtual reality players most often play these games because they allow them to interact with games
kinds of games because the technology is in unique or realistic ways (49%) and because VR games
are very immersive (48%). The most common VR devices
new and exciting (51%) that respondents use are the PlayStation VR (58%) and
Samsung Gear VR (26%).

Reasons for Playing Virtual Reality Games

Because the technology is new and exciting

VR games allow me to interact with games

in unique or realistic ways

VR games are very immersive

VR games are more thrilling

than traditional games

They allow me to be physically

active while gaming

Because they are more fun than traditional

PC/console or mobile games

They allow me to socialize with my friends

in a more meaningful way

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa
Asked among respondents that play VR games: Why do you play VR games? (Select all that apply.)
Total Sample (n = 2,661); North America (n = 98); Asia Pacific (n = 800),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 1,546); Latin America (n = 217)
Source:

Many participants are also interested in hanging out with

Respondents most often look forward to friends/socializing (46%), meeting new friends (45%),
and/or accomplishing daily tasks (43%) via the
playing games (67%) and attending virtual metaverse. Among respondents that are aware of the
events (47%) in the metaverse metaverse, 44% say they understand it very well or
completely, while another 41% they somewhat
understand the concept of the metaverse.

Metaverse Activity Interest

Playing games
Attending virtual events
Hanging out with friends/socializing
Meeting new friends
Accomplishing daily tasks via the metaverse
Using it for virtual tourism
Using it in a professional capacity
Using it for educational purposes
Becoming a vendor within the metaverse
Using it for fitness purposes
Consuming and/or creating art
Dating

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa

Asked among respondents that are interested in using or interacting with the metaverse in the future:
What activities are you looking forward to in the metaverse? (Select all that apply.)
Total Sample (n = 5,455); North America (n = 183); Asia Pacific (n = 2,245),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 2,515); Latin America (n = 512)
Source:

Participants most often say they are Among respondents that are aware of the metaverse but are not
interested in engaging with it, they are most often uninterested because
uninterested in engaging with the they do not want to spend money on equipment (31%), because they
do not have any friends who are using it (30%), and/or they have
metaverse for financial and social reasons privacy concerns (26%).

Reasons for Not Engaging with the Metaverse

I don't want to spend money on equipment

I don't have any friends who are using it

I have privacy concerns

I don't see a use for it

I think it's a fad/short-lived

I don't trust metaverse developers

I think it may be uncomfortable to interact with

I have concerns about its support
for cryptocurrency and/or NFTs
It doesn't look appealing in videos I've seen

I have concerns about digital rights/permanence

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa
Asked among respondents that are aware of the metaverse but are not interested in using or interacting with it in the future:
Why aren't you interested in engaging with the metaverse? (Select all that apply.)
Total Sample (n = 2,248); North America (n = 140); Asia Pacific (n = 771),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 1,190); Latin America (n = 147)
Source:

These participants also say they play play-to-earn games because they
Respondents that currently play are interested in cryptocurrency/NFTs in general (50%), because the
play-to-earn games most often do game itself is fun/engaging (47%), and/or they feel like they get a good
return on their time/investment (45%). Respondents that engage with
so to earn short-term cash/funds (56%) play-to-earn games do so most often on a mobile device (85%), while a
lower percentage engage with these kinds of games on a PC (42%).

Reasons for Engaging with Play-to-Earn Games

To earn short-term cash/funds

I'm interested in cryptocurrency/
NFTs in general
The game itself is fun/engaging
I feel like I get a good return on my
time/investment
I'm interested in or part of the
crypto/NFT community
I like the specific currency/
currencies that the game supports
As a long-term investment

I trust the developer(s)

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa

Asked among respondents that currently engage in play-to-earn games:

Why do you play the play-to-earn game(s) that you do (e.g., in general, over others)? (Select all that apply.)
Total Sample (n = 3,863); North America (n = 97); Asia Pacific (n = 1,339),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 2,120); Latin America (n = 307)
Source:

Respondents in the Asia Pacific express this sentiment most often

Most participants (72%) say they are more among the regions (78%), while participants in North America express
or much more likely to play a game if it this sentiment least often (62%). Cross-platform gameplay users most
often use this function to play with or against other players who are
supports cross-platform gameplay using different devices than they are (76%), while a lower percentage
use it to play the same game across multiple devices (51%).

Cross-platform Gameplay Support

Ways to Engage with Cross-Platform Gameplay**
Influence on Game Engagement*

Total Asia Latin Total Asia Latin

North America Europe, Middle North America Europe, Middle
Sample Pacific America Sample Pacific America
East & Africa East & Africa

*Asked among respondents that have heard of cross-platform gameplay: Are you any more or less likely to play
a game that supports cross-platform gameplay? If a game supports cross-platform gameplay, I'm usually…
Total Sample (n = 7,531); North America (n = 307); Asia Pacific (n = 2,341), Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 4,200); Latin America (n = 683)
**Asked among respondents that currently play games with cross-platform gameplay:
You said that you currently engage with cross-platform gameplay. In which ways do you do this? (Select all that apply.)
Total Sample (n = 4,513); North America (n = 171); Asia Pacific (n = 1,492), Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 2,391); Latin America (n = 459)
Source:

Among respondents that currently utilize cloud gaming, over half of

Respondents that use cloud gaming most participants (54%) say they somewhat or strongly prefer the
often do so to have access to more games experience of playing on the cloud compared to the standard gameplay
experience (i.e., an installed game). The devices most commonly used
(53%) and to save time with game to engage with cloud gaming are an Android phone (50%) and a
Windows PC/Laptop (46%).
downloads (51%)
Reasons for Engaging with with Cloud Gaming

Access to more games

To save time with game downloads

To play remotely

To have compatibility across devices

Don't have to worry about

hardware capabilities

Better graphics

To save money

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa

Asked among respondents that currently utilize cloud gaming: Why do you engage with cloud gaming? (Select all that apply.)
Total Sample (n = 3,709); North America (n = 131); Asia Pacific (n = 1,249), Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 1,943); Latin America (n = 386)
Source:

Augmented reality players most often Other common reasons cited by players that choose to play augmented
reality games are because these games turn real life into an adventure
play these kinds of games because they (43%), because these kinds of games allow them to interact with games
like merging the digital and physical in unique ways (43%), and/or since the technology is new and exciting
(43%).
world (49%)
Reasons for Engaging with Augmented Reality Games

I like the idea of merging the digital and

physical world in gaming
AR games turn real life into an adventure
AR games allow me to interact
with games in unique ways
Because the technology is new and exciting

AR games are very immersive

I like having gaming tasks to do
when out in the real world
Because they are the most fun
type of mobile game
For social aspects

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa

Asked among respondents that play AR games: Why do you play augmented reality games? (Select all that apply.)
Total Sample (n = 3,224); North America (n = 79); Asia Pacific (n = 1,220), Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 1,528); Latin America (n = 397)
Source:

A higher percentage of participants in Latin America (76%) and the Asia

Most participants (64%) like seeing brands, Pacific (68%) like seeing brands, properties, and characters from other
media in games or say they like this a lot compared to the percentage
properties, and characters from other of respondents in North America (57%) and Europe, the Middle East,
and Africa (61%) that say the same. The majority of respondents (65%)
media in games or say they like this a lot say that having brands, properties, and/or characters from other media
in a game has a positive or very positive effect on their interest in
playing a game.

Cross-Media in Games Sentiment Cross-Media Effect on Play Interest

Total Asia Latin Total Asia Latin

North America Europe, Middle North America Europe, Middle
Sample Pacific America Sample Pacific America
East & Africa East & Africa

Q - In general, how much do you like or dislike seeing brands, properties, and characters from other media in games?
Q - How does having brands, properties, and/or characters from other media in a game affect your interest
in playing that game? This usually has ________ on my interest in playing a game.
Total Sample (n = 18,029); North America (n = 786); Asia Pacific (n = 5,708),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 10,098); Latin America (n = 1,437)
Source:

Other common reasons that respondents engage with esports are

Participants that engage with esports most because they like to watch players with high skill levels (53%) and/or to
improve their skills, learn new strategies, etc. (50%). Respondents that
often do so because it is entertaining to currently engage with esports most often do so by watching streams on
watch (58%) YouTube (68%), playing esports games (59%), following esports news
(48%), and/or following teams/gamers on social media (44%).

Reasons for Engaging with Esports

It's entertaining to watch

I like to watch players with high skill levels

To improve my skills, learn

new strategies, etc.
To stay up to date with specific
teams or gamers I follow
It's a good way to stay involved
with gaming when I can't play
It makes me feel connected to a game in a way
I can't get to with my own skill level

There's a social aspect

I like hearing/reading gameplay commentary

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa

Asked among respondents that currently engage with esports: Why do you engage with esports? (Select all that apply.)
Total Sample (n = 3,920); North America (n = 80); Asia Pacific (n = 1,403),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 2,125); Latin America (n = 312)
Source:

Among social features, respondents are Conversely, players most often say they dislike push notifications for
most often interested in games adopting other players’ activity (20%), linking in-game accounts with social
media (17%), and in-game voice chat (15%).
gifting options (28%) and competitive
gameplay modes (28%)

Social Features – Interest for Future Games

Gifting options

Competitive gameplay modes

In-game text chat

In-game voice chat

Cooperative gameplay modes

Activity feed

Linking in-game accounts

with social media

Ladders/ranking options

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa

Asked among respondents that play games with social and/or multiplayer elements rarely or more often:
What additional social features would you like to see more games adopt, if any? (Select up to five.)
Note: Only the top 8 options selected by participants are shown above.
Total Sample (n = 16,811); North America (n = 672); Asia Pacific (n = 5,329),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 9,428); Latin America (n = 1,382)
Source:

Most participants (58%) say social Respondents in Latin America express this sentiment most
features/multiplayer modes make them often (64%), while respondents in North America express
this sentiment least often among the different regions
more or much more likely to keep playing (46%).
a game

Likeliness of Social Features & Multiplayer Modes Inclusion to Effect Game Retention

Total North Asia Europe, Middle East Latin

Sample America Pacific & Africa America

Q - In general, how do social features/multiplayer modes affect how likely you are to keep playing a game?
Social features/multiplayer make me ______ to keep playing a game.
Total Sample (n = 18,029); North America (n = 786); Asia Pacific (n = 5,708),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 10,098); Latin America (n = 1,437)
Global Insights

North
America

February 2023
Source:

VIRTUAL REALITY • In North America, virtual reality has the highest awareness among all the
gaming trends listed (56%).
o Among participants that are aware of virtual reality, 22% are
currently using it.

North America ▪ Virtual reality usage is higher among PC/Console

Players (27%) than Mobile Players (17%), and is also
higher among Heavy Players (38%) and Medium
Players (30%) than Light Players (13%).
Awareness
o Among respondents that have heard of virtual reality but are
56% not currently using it, 53% say they are interested in using it
in the future.
Engagement Among Aware
▪ Ages 35-44 (61%) and ages 18-34 (57%) have a
22% higher percentage of virtual reality aware
non-users that are interested in trying it in the
Interest of Aware Non-Users future compared to ages 45-54 (50%) and ages
55+ (45%).
53%
• Most North American participants (69%) that are aware of virtual reality
Influence on Future of Gaming think it will be very or extremely influential in the future of gaming.

69% • PlayStation VR (45%) and the Meta Quest 2 (30%) are the most
commonly used virtual reality devices among North American
participants.
• Respondents in North America that play VR games most often play them
because the technology is new and exciting (47%), because they allow
them to be physically active while gaming (46%), because VR games
allow them to interact with games in unique or realistic ways (44%), and
because VR games are more thrilling than traditional games (44%).
• North American participants that play VR games most often do so
between 2-4 hours a week (51%).
Source:

THE METAVERSE • Among participants in North America that are aware of the metaverse
(41%), 57% are interested in engaging with it in the future.
• Most respondents in North America (62%) that are aware of the
metaverse think that it will be very or extremely influential in the future of

North America gaming.

o A higher percentage of Heavy Players think the metaverse
will be very or extremely influential in the future of gaming
(79%) compared to the percentage of Light Players (55%)
Awareness
and Medium Players (61%) that say the same.
41% o Similarly, a higher percentage of Players with Disabilities
think the metaverse will be very or extremely influential in
Engagement Among Aware the future of gaming (79%) compared to the percentage of
N/A Non-Disabled Players that say the same (60%).
• Among respondents that have heard of the metaverse, almost half (47%)
Interest of Aware Non-Users of North American participants say they understand the metaverse very
well or completely, while many of them (39%) say they somewhat
57%
understand it.
Influence on Future of Gaming • Among participants that are interested in using or interacting with the
metaverse in the future, they are most often looking forward to playing
62% games (70%), attending virtual events (e.g., concerts) (48%), hanging out
with friends/socializing (47%), and/or meeting new friends (41%) in the
metaverse.
• Among respondents that are aware of the metaverse but are not
interested in using or interacting with it in the future, the most common
reasons that they are not interested in it are because they do not want to
spend money on equipment (40%), they do not see a use for it (34%),
they do not trust metaverse developers (e.g., Meta/Facebook) (33%),
and/or they have privacy concerns (31%).
Source:

PLAY-TO-EARN GAMES
• Among the 34% of North American participants that have heard of
play-to-earn games (e.g., NFTs, crypto), 36% of them currently engage
with these kinds of games.

North America
o Engagement with play-to-earn games is more common
among Mobile Players (46%) than it is among PC/Console
Players (27%).
o Among the age segments, engagement with play-to-earn
Awareness games is most common among ages 35-44 (40%) and ages
45-54 (39%), while it is lowest among ages 55+ (21%).
34%
• Among respondents that are aware of play-to-earn games but are not
Engagement Among Aware currently engaging with these games, 36% of them are interested in
engaging with this kind of gaming in the future.
36%
o Among aware non-users, Heavy Players show the most
Interest of Aware Non-Users interest in engaging with play-to-earn games in the future
(65%), while Light Players (20%) and Medium Players (39%)
36% are less often interested in interacting with this trend in the
future.
Influence on Future of Gaming
• Most participants (57%) that are aware of play-to-earn games say
57% anticipate that these games will be very or extremely influential in the
future of gaming.
• Participants that currently engage in play-to-earn games most often do
so to earn short-term cash/funds (54%), because the game itself is
fun/engaging (52%), because they are interested in cryptocurrency/NFTs
in general (30%), and/or they feel like they get a good return on their
time/investment (30%).
• Among respondents that engage with play-to-earn games, they do so
more often on mobile devices (92%) than on a PC (18%).
Source:

CROSS-PLATFORM GAMEPLAY
• Among the 39% of North America participants have heard of
cross-platform gameplay, 56% currently use this functionality, making it
the most commonly used gameplay trend among the ones listed.

North America o Among cross-platform gameplay aware respondents, 73%

say cross-platform gameplay will be very or extremely
influential in the future of gaming.

Awareness o A higher percentage of respondents ages 18-34 currently

use cross-platform gameplay (72%) compared to ages
39% 35-44 (46%), ages 45-54 (51%), and ages 55+ (20%).
• Among respondents that have heard of cross-platform gameplay but are
Engagement Among Aware
not currently using it, 40% are interested in using it in the future, and
56% interest is highest among ages 35-44 (54%) while other age segments
rate interest between 29%-39%.
Interest of Aware Non-Users • Most respondents in North America (62%) say they are more or much
40% more likely to play a game if that game supports cross-platform
gameplay.
Influence on Future of Gaming o Ages 18-34 have a higher percentage of participants that
say they are more or much more likely to play a game if it
73%
supports cross-platform gameplay (76%) compared to ages
35-44 (56%) and ages 45-54 (51%).
• Across all segments in North America, participants engage with
cross-platform gameplay to play with or against other players who are
using different devices more often than using it to play the same game
across multiple devices.
• Cross-platform gameplay usage is more common among Heavy Players
(81%) compared to Medium Players (52%) and Light Players (44%).
Source:

CLOUD GAMING

North America • Among the 37% of North American participants that have heard of cloud
gaming, 45% currently play games this way.
• Among cloud gaming aware respondents, males (48%) have a higher
Awareness percentage of participants that currently use cloud gaming compared to
females (41%).
37% o Similarly, ages 18-34 (51%) and ages 35-44 (53%) have a
higher percentage of respondents that currently use cloud
Engagement Among Aware
gaming compared to ages 45-54 (30%) and ages 55+ (31%).
45% • Among cloud gaming aware respondents, 69% say this technology will
be very or extremely influential on the future of gaming.
Interest of Aware Non-Users
• Among respondents that have heard of cloud gaming but are not
46% currently using it, 46% are interested in using it in the future.
• Participants in North America that currently engage with cloud gaming
Influence on Future of Gaming
most often do so to save time with game downloads (50%), to access
69% more games (45%), and/or to have compatibility across devices (40%).
• Over half of respondents in North America (52%) that engage in cloud
gaming say they somewhat or strongly prefer the experience of playing
games on the cloud compared to the standard gameplay experience.
Source:

AUGMENTED REALITY
• Among the 42% of participants in North America that have heard of
augmented reality games, 24% currently engage with them.
o A higher percentage of ages 18-34 (33%) and ages 35-44

North America (35%) currently engage with augmented reality games than
the percentage of ages 45-54 (16%) and ages 55+ (4%) that
engage with these types of games.
• Most respondents in North America that have heard of augmented
Awareness
reality, 61% think that it will be very or extremely influential in the future
42% of gaming.
o A higher percentage of Heavy Players (78%) believe that
Engagement Among Aware augmented reality will be very or extremely influential in the
24% future of gaming compared to the percentage of Light
Players (54%) and Medium Players (62%) that say the same.
Interest of Aware Non-Users • Among respondents that have heard of augmented reality but are not
using or interacting with it, 37% of them are interested in engaging with it
37%
in the future.
Influence on Future of Gaming o Among augmented reality aware non-users, a higher
percentage of males (46%) are interested in interacting with
61% augmented reality in the future compared to the percentage
of females that say the same (29%).
• Among participants that play augmented reality games, they most often
do so because AR games allow them to interact with games in unique
ways (e.g., moving around to see a different view) (41%), because they
like having gaming tasks to do when out in the real world (38%), because
they like the idea of merging the digital and physical world in gaming
(38%), and/or since augmented reality games turn real life into an
adventure (37%).
Source:

CROSS MEDIA GAMING • Among the 26% of respondents in North America that are aware of
(IP & BRANDS)
cross-media gaming experiences, 51% currently interact with this trend.
o A higher percentage of PC/Console Players interact with
cross-media gaming experiences (55%) compared to the

North America •
percentage of Mobile Players that do so (44%).
Most North American participants (63%) that are aware of cross-media
gaming experiences think it will be very or extremely influential in the
future of gaming.
Awareness
• Most respondents in North America (57%) say they like seeing brands,
26% properties, and characters from other media in games or say they like
this a lot.
Engagement Among Aware
o A higher percentage of PC/Console players like seeing
51% brands, properties, and characters from other media or like
this a lot (63%) compared to the percentage of Mobile
Interest of Aware Non-Users Players that say the same (50%).
42% o Similarly, Heavy Players express a higher interest in
cross-media gaming, with 84% of gamers in this segment
Influence on Future of Gaming saying they like this gaming trend or like it a lot compared to
the percentage of Light Players (45%) and Medium Players
63% (59%) that say the same.
• Most North American participants (58%) say having brands, properties,
and/or characters from other media in a game has a positive or very
positive effect on their interest in playing a game.
o A higher percentage of ages 18-34 (73%) and ages 35-44
(69%) say cross-media has a positive or very positive effect
on their interest to play a game compared to the
percentage of ages 45-54 (56%) and ages 55+ (22%) that
say the same.
Source:

• Among the 42% of participants in North America that are aware of

ESPORTS
esports, 24% currently engage with esports events or content.
o Esports awareness is highest among Medium Players (47%),
while awareness is lower among Light Players (41%) and

North America
Heavy Players (37%).
o Esports engagement is highest among Heavy Players (46%)
and Medium Players (31%), while it is lower among Light
Players (13%).
Awareness • Among respondents that are aware of esports but are not currently
42% interacting with it, only 19% are interested in interacting with it in the
future.
Engagement Among Aware • Over half of participants that are aware of esports (55%) say it will be
very or extremely influential in the future of gaming.
24%
o Ages 18-34 (64%) have the highest percentage that express
Interest of Aware Non-Users this sentiment among the age groups, while a lower
percentage of ages 35-44 (53%) and ages 45-54 (49%) feel
19% that esports will be very or extremely influential in the future
Influence on Future of Gaming of gaming.
• Respondents that currently engage with esports most often do so by
55% watching streams on YouTube (61%), playing esports games (56%),
following esports news (48%), and/or following teams/gamers on social
media (45%).
o Participants that currently engage with esports do so
because it is entertaining to watch (51%), because they like
to watch players with high skill levels (45%), and/or to
improve their own skills/learn new strategies etc. (44%).
• Among participants that currently engage with esports, sports (64%),
shooter games (51%), and fighting games (45%) are the most popular
type of games that they follow in this manner.
Source:

• Among the 32% of North American participants aware of

USER-GENERATED CONTENT user-generated content in gaming, 51% currently engage with it.
o Among user-generated content aware participants, a higher
percentage of males (57%) currently interact with this
gaming trend than females (46%), similarly a higher

North America percentage of Heavy Players (71%) interact with this gaming
trend than Medium Players (43%) and Light Players (46%).
• Most North American participants (63%) that are aware of
Awareness user-generated content think it will be very or extremely influential in the
future of gaming.
32% • Among respondents that are aware of user-generated content in gaming
Engagement Among Aware but do not currently engage with it, 45% of them are interested in
interacting with it in the future.
51% o PC/Console Players have a higher percentage of aware
non-users that are interested in engaging with
Interest of Aware Non-Users
user-generated content in the future (53%) compared to
45% Mobile Players (33%), similarly, Heavy Players (63%) have a
higher percentage of aware non-users that are interested in
Influence on Future of Gaming this gaming trend than Medium Players (48%) and Light
Players (34%).
63%
• Among respondents that engage with user-generated content,
participants most often say they mostly play or use content created by
others, but they also create a little bit of their own content (37%).
o Another 26% say they only play or use content created by
others and that they do not create their own content.
o Players that create their own content most often do so
because it is fun (56%), they find it creatively fulfilling (48%),
and/or since it is a way to keep playing a game they like and
keep it interesting (45%).
Global Insights

Asia Pacific
February 2023
VIRTUAL REALITY

• In the Asia Pacific, virtual reality has the second-highest awareness

among all the gaming trends listed (55%).

Asia Pacific o Among participants that are aware of virtual reality, 26% of
them are currently using it.
▪ Virtual reality usage is higher among PC/Console
Awareness Players (29%) than Mobile Players (22%), and is
also higher among Heavy Players (42%) than it is
55% among and Light Players (17%) and Medium
Players (26%).
Engagement Among Aware
• Among respondents that have heard of virtual reality but are not
26% currently using it, 58% are interested in using it in the future.
• Most participants in the Asia Pacific region that are aware of virtual
Interest of Aware Non-Users reality think it will be very or extremely influential in the future of
58% gaming (71%).
• PlayStation VR (53%) and the Samsung Gear VR (25%) are the most
Influence on Future of Gaming commonly used virtual reality devices among participants in the Asia
Pacific region.
71%
• Respondents in the Asia Pacific that play VR games most often play
them because VR games are very immersive (55%), because VR games
are more thrilling than traditional games (53%), because VR games
allow them to interact with games in unique or realistic ways (51%),
and/or since the technology is new and exciting (47%).
• Participants in the Asia Pacific that play VR games most often play
games on this kind of device for 2-4 hours a week (52%).
THE METAVERSE • Among the participants in the Asia Pacific that are aware of the
metaverse (53%), 74% are interested in engaging with it in the future,
making it the gaming trend with the highest future interest among the
trends listed.

Asia Pacific • Most respondents in the Asia Pacific (70%) that are aware of the
metaverse think that it will be very or extremely influential in the future
of gaming.
o A higher percentage of Heavy Players think the metaverse
Awareness will be very or extremely influential in the future of gaming
53% (83%) compared to the percentage of Light Players (65%)
and Medium Players (68%) that say the same.
Engagement Among Aware o Similarly, a higher percentage of players with disabilities
think the metaverse will be very or extremely influential in
N/A
the future of gaming (80%) compared to the percentage
Interest of Aware Non-Users of non-disabled players that say the same (70%).
• Among respondents that have heard of the metaverse, they most often
74% say that they somewhat understand it (42%), while another 40% say
Influence on Future of Gaming they understand it very well or completely.
• Among participants that are interested in using or interacting with the
70% metaverse in the future, they are most often looking forward to playing
games (65%), accomplishing daily tasks (e.g., shopping) (48%),
attending virtual events (e.g., concerts) (45%), and/or meeting new
friends (45%) in the metaverse.
• Among respondents that are aware of the metaverse but are not
interested in using or interacting with it in the future, the most common
reasons that they are not interested in it are because they do not want
to spend money on equipment (32%), they do not have any friends
who are using it (29%), they do not see a use for it (23%), and/or they
have privacy concerns (23%).
PLAY-TO-EARN GAMES
• Among the 48% of participants in the Asia Pacific region that have
heard of play-to-earn games (e.g., NFTs, crypto), 49% of them
currently engage with these kinds of games.

Asia Pacific o Engagement with play-to-earn games is more common

among ages 18-34 (50%) and ages 35-44 (51%) than it is
among ages 45-54 (40%) and ages 55+ (37%).
• Among respondents that are aware of play-to-earn games but are not
Awareness
currently engaging with these games, 59% of them are interested in
48% engaging with this kind of gaming in the future.
o Among aware non-users, Heavy Players show the most
Engagement Among Aware interest in engaging with play-to-earn games in the future
49% (66%), while Light Players (52%) and Medium Players
(62%) are less often interested in interacting with this
Interest of Aware Non-Users trend in the future.
• Most participants (73%) that are aware of play-to-earn games say they
59%
will be very or extremely influential in the future of gaming.
Influence on Future of Gaming • Participants that currently engage in play-to-earn games most often do
so to earn short-term cash/funds (57%), because they are interested in
73% cryptocurrency/NFTs in general (52%), because they feel like they get a
good return on their time/investment (48%), and/or they are interested
in or are part of the crypto/NFT community (47%).
• While 54% of respondents say they understand the concept of
playing-to-earn very well or completely, another 34% say they
somewhat understand this concept.
• Among respondents that engage with play-to-earn games, they do so
more often on mobile devices (85%) than on a PC (49%).
CROSS-PLATFORM GAMEPLAY

• Most respondents in the Asia Pacific region (78%) say they are more or

Asia Pacific
much more likely to play a game if it supports cross-platform
gameplay.
o Ages 18-34 have a higher percentage of participants that
say they are more or much more likely to play a game if it
Awareness supports cross-platform gameplay (81%) compared to
ages 35-44 (76%) and ages 45-54 (66%).
41%
• Among the 41% of participants in the Asia Pacific region have heard of
Engagement Among Aware cross-platform gameplay, 64% currently use this functionality, making it
the most commonly used gameplay trend among those listed.
64%
o Cross-platform gameplay usage is most common among
Interest of Aware Non-Users ages 18-34 (67%) and ages 35-44 (61%), while it is less
common among ages 45-54 (57%) and ages 55+ (53%).
55% • Among respondents that have heard of cross-platform gameplay but
Influence on Future of Gaming are not currently using it, 55% are interested in using it in the future;
interest is highest among Medium Players (60%) and Heavy Players
71% (67%) while interest is least common among Light Players (44%).
• Among cross-platform gameplay aware respondents, 71% say it will be
very or extremely influential in the future of gaming.
• Participants that currently utilize cross-platform gameplay use it to play
with or against other players who are using different devices (74%)
more often than using it to play the same game across multiple devices
(64%).
CLOUD GAMING

• Among the 43% of participants in the Asia Pacific region have heard of
cloud gaming, 50% currently play games this way.
Asia Pacific o Among cloud gaming aware respondents, Heavy Players
(62%) have a higher percentage of participants that
currently use cloud gaming compared to Light Players
Awareness (44%) and Medium Players (48%).
o Similarly, PC/Console Players (53%) have a higher
43%
percentage of respondents that currently use cloud
Engagement Among Aware gaming compared to Mobile Players (47%).
• Among respondents that have heard of cloud gaming but are not
50% currently using it, 54% are interested in using it in the future.
Interest of Aware Non-Users • Among cloud gaming aware respondents, 69% say this technology will
be very or extremely influential on the future of gaming.
54%
• Among participants that currently engage with cloud gaming, they
Influence on Future of Gaming most often do so to access more games (54%), to save time with game
downloads (51%), and/or to have compatibility across devices (44%).
69% • Over half of respondents in the Asia Pacific (57%) say they somewhat
or strongly prefer the experience of playing games on the cloud
compared to the standard gameplay experience.
o This sentiment is most common among ages 18-34 (64%),
while it is less common among ages 35-44 (50%) and ages
45-54 (43%).
AUGMENTED REALITY • Among the 54% of participants in the Asia Pacific region that have
heard of augmented reality games, 40% currently engage with these
types of games.
o A higher percentage of Heavy Players (55%) and Medium

Asia Pacific Players (43%) currently engage with augmented reality

games than the percentage of Light Players (30%) that
engage with them.
• Most respondents in the Asia Pacific that have heard of augmented
Awareness reality (67%) think that it will be very or extremely influential in the
54% future of gaming.
o A higher percentage of Heavy Players (81%) say
Engagement Among Aware augmented reality will be very or extremely influential in
the future of gaming compared to the percentage of Light
40%
Players (63%) and Medium Players (64%) that say the
Interest of Aware Non-Users same.
• Among respondents that have heard of augmented reality but are not
45% using or interacting with it, 45% of them are interested in engaging with
Influence on Future of Gaming it in the future.
o Among augmented reality aware non-users, a higher
67% percentage of players with disabilities (62%) are interested
in interacting with augmented reality in the future
compared to the percentage of non-disabled players that
say the same (44%).
• Participants that play augmented reality games say they most often do
so because these games allow them to interact with games in unique
ways (e.g., moving around to see a different view) (47%), because they
like the idea of merging the digital and physical world in gaming (47%),
and/or since augmented reality games turn real life into an adventure
(46%).
CROSS-MEDIA GAMING
(IP & BRANDS) • Among the 30% of respondents in the Asia Pacific region that are
aware of cross-media gaming experiences, 55% currently interact with
this trend.
A higher percentage of Heavy Players interact with
Asia Pacific
o
cross-media gaming experiences (64%) compared to the
percentage of Medium Players (52%) or Light Players
(50%) that interact with cross-media gaming experiences.
Awareness • Most participants in the Asia Pacific region (70%) that are aware of
cross-media gaming experiences think it will be very or extremely
30% influential in the future of gaming.
Engagement Among Aware • Among respondents that are aware of cross-media gaming
experiences but are not currently engaging with them, 55% are
55% interested in engaging with these kinds of experiences in the future.

Interest of Aware Non-Users • Most respondents in the Asia Pacific (68%) say they like seeing brands,
properties, and characters from other media in games or say they like
55% this a lot.
A higher percentage of ages 18-34 (73%) like seeing
Influence on Future of Gaming o
brands, properties, and characters from other media or
70% like this a lot compared to the percentage of ages 35-44
(66%) and ages 45-54 (56%) that say the same.
• Most participants in the Asia Pacific (70%) say having brands,
properties, and/or characters from other media in a game has a
positive or very positive effect on their interest in playing a game.
o A higher percentage of ages 18-34 (75%) and ages 35-44
(67%) say cross-media has a positive or very positive
effect on their interest to play a game compared to the
percentage of ages 45-54 (59%) and ages 55+ (44%) that
say the same.
ESPORTS
• Over half of respondents in the Asia Pacific are aware of esports (56%),
and it has the highest awareness among all of the gaming trends listed.
o Among respondents that are aware of esports, 44% of

Asia Pacific them currently engage with esports content, and

engagement is higher among males (48%) than it is among
females (39%).
• Among respondents that are aware of esports but are not currently
Awareness
interacting with it, 27% are interested in interacting with it in the future.
56% • Over half of participants that are aware of esports (65%) say it will be
very or extremely influential in the future of gaming.
Engagement Among Aware
o Ages 18-34 (74%) have the highest percentage that
44% express this sentiment among the age groups, while a
lower percentage of ages 35-44 (58%) and ages 45-54
Interest of Aware Non-Users (51%) feel that esports will be very or extremely influential
in the future of gaming.
27%
• Respondents that currently engage with esports most often do so by
Influence on Future of Gaming watching streams on YouTube (76%), playing esports games (60%),
following esports news (47%), and/or following teams/gamers on social
65% media (46%).
o Participants that currently engage with esports do so
because it is entertaining to watch (61%), because they like
to watch players with high skill levels (56%), and/or to
improve their own skills/learn new strategies etc. (51%).
• Among participants that currently engage with esports, MOBA (51%),
shooter games (48%), and sports (46%) are the most popular types of
games that they follow in this manner.
USER-GENERATED CONTENT

• Among the 34% of participants in the Asia Pacific region that are aware

Asia Pacific
of user-generated content in gaming, 53% currently engage with this
type of content.
o Among user-generated content aware participants, a
higher percentage of ages 18-34 (58%) and ages 35-44
Awareness (51%) currently interact with this gaming trend than ages
45-54 (38%) and ages 55+ (32%).
34%
• Among respondents that are aware of user-generated content in
Engagement Among Aware gaming but do not currently engage with it, 48% of them are interested
in interacting with it in the future.
53%
• Most participants in the Asia Pacific region (67%) that are aware of
Interest of Aware Non-Users user-generated content think it will be very or extremely influential in
the future of gaming.
48% o This sentiment is felt most strongly among Heavy Players
Influence on Future of Gaming (82%), while a lower percentage of Light Players (57%) and
Medium Players (66%) express this sentiment.
67% • Players that create their own content most often do so because they
find it creatively fulfilling (59%), because it is a way to keep playing a
game they like and keep it interesting (57%), and/or since it is fun
(56%).
• Among respondents that engage with user-generated content,
participants most often say they mostly play or use content created by
others, but they also create a little bit of their own content (33%).
Global Insights

Europe,
Middle East
& Africa
February 2023
Source:

VIRTUAL REALITY

• In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, virtual reality has the highest
awareness among all the gaming trends listed (54%).

Europe,
o Among participants that are aware of virtual reality, 28% of
them are currently using it.
▪ Virtual reality usage is higher females (31%) than it

Middle East, is among males (26%), and is also higher among

Heavy Players (40%) than it is among and Light

& Africa
Players (18%) and Medium Players (29%).
• Among respondents that have heard of virtual reality but are not
currently using it, 65% are interested in using it in the future.
• Most participants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa that are aware of
Awareness virtual reality think it will be very or extremely influential in the future of
gaming (78%).
54%
• PlayStation VR (61%) and the Samsung Gear VR (26%) are the most
Engagement Among Aware commonly used virtual reality devices among participants in Europe, the
Middle East, and Africa.
28%
• Respondents in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa that play VR games
Interest of Aware Non-Users most often play them because the technology is new and exciting (53%),
because VR games allow them to interact with games in unique or
65% realistic ways (49%), because VR games are more thrilling than
traditional games (48%), and/or since VR games are very immersive
Influence on Future of Gaming (45%).
78% • Participants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa that play VR games
most often play games on this kind of device for 2-4 hours a week (52%).
Source:

THE METAVERSE

• Among the participants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa that are
aware of the metaverse (37%), 68% are interested in engaging with it in
the future, making it the gaming trend with the highest future interest

Europe, among the trends listed.

o Interest in engaging with the metaverse is highest among

Middle East,
Heavy Players (78%), while it is lower among Light Players
(56%) and Medium Players (69%).
Most respondents in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (70%) that are

& Africa
•
aware of the metaverse think that it will be very or extremely influential in
the future of gaming.
o A higher percentage of Heavy Players think the metaverse
Awareness will be very or extremely influential in the future of gaming
(78%) compared to the percentage of Light Players (65%)
37% and Medium Players (67%) that say the same.
• Among respondents that have heard of the metaverse, they most often
Engagement Among Aware
say that they somewhat understand it (40%), while another 47% say
N/A they understand it very well or completely.
• Among participants that are interested in using or interacting with the
Interest of Aware Non-Users metaverse in the future, they are most often looking forward to playing
68% games (67%), attending virtual events (e.g., concerts) (47%), and/or
hanging out with friends/socializing (47%).
Influence on Future of Gaming • Among respondents that are aware of the metaverse but are not
interested in using or interacting with it in the future, the most common
70%
reasons that they are not interested in it are because they do not have
any friends who are using it (32%), they do not want to spend money on
equipment (29%), and/or they have privacy concerns (27%).
Source:

PLAY-TO-EARN GAMES

• Among the 44% of participants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
that have heard of play-to-earn games (e.g., NFTs, crypto), 48% of them
currently engage with these kinds of games.

Europe, o Engagement in play-to-earn games is more common with

Mobile Players (51%) than it is for PC/Console Players (44%).

Middle East, • Among respondents that are aware of play-to-earn games but are not
currently engaging with these games, 56% of them are interested in

& Africa
engaging with this kind of gaming in the future.
o Among aware non-users, ages 18-34 show the most interest
in engaging with play-to-earn games in the future (59%),
while ages 45-54 (43%) and ages 55+ (48%) are less often
Awareness interested in interacting with this trend in the future.
• Most participants (76%) that are aware of play-to-earn games believe
44% that they will be very or extremely influential in the future of gaming.
Engagement Among Aware • Participants that currently engage in play-to-earn games most often do
so to earn short-term cash/funds (58%), because they are interested in
48% cryptocurrency/NFTs in general (49%), because the game itself is
fun/engaging (48%), and/or they feel like they get a good return on their
Interest of Aware Non-Users
time/investment (46%).
56% • While 64% of respondents say they understand the concept of
playing-to-earn very well or completely, another 30% say they
Influence on Future of Gaming somewhat understand this concept.
76% • Among respondents that engage with play-to-earn games, they do so
more often on mobile devices (85%) than on a PC (39%).
Source:

CROSS-PLATFORM GAMEPLAY

• Most respondents in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (70%) say they

Europe,
are more or much more likely to play a game if it supports cross-platform
gameplay.
o A higher percentage of Heavy Players (81%) say they are

Middle East, more or much more likely to play a game if it supports

cross-platform gameplay compared to Light Players (60%)
and Medium Players (69%).

& Africa • Among the 42% of participants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
have heard of cross-platform gameplay, 57% currently use this
functionality, making it the most commonly used gameplay trend among
Awareness the ones listed.
o Cross-platform gameplay is more common among Heavy
42% Players (66%) than it is among Light Players (47%) and
Medium Players (58%).
Engagement Among Aware
o Among respondents that have heard of cross-platform
57% gameplay but are not currently using it, 50% are interested
in using it in the future.
Interest of Aware Non-Users
• Among cross-platform gameplay aware respondents, 73% say it will be
50% very or extremely influential in the future of gaming.

Influence on Future of Gaming • Most participants engage with cross-platform gameplay to play with or
against other players who are using different devices (77%), while a
73% lower percentage do so to play the same game across multiple devices
(44%).
Source:

CLOUD GAMING

• Among the 40% of participants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa

Europe,
have heard of cloud gaming, 48% currently use it.
o Among cloud gaming aware respondents, Heavy Players
(57%) have a higher percentage of participants that

Middle East, currently use cloud gaming compared to Light Players

(40%) and Medium Players (47%).

& Africa o Similarly, PC/Console Players (51%) have a higher

percentage of respondents that currently use cloud gaming
compared to Mobile Players (43%).
• Among respondents that have heard of cloud gaming but are not
Awareness currently using it, 53% are interested in using it in the future.

40% • Among cloud gaming aware respondents, 71% say this technology will be
very or extremely influential on the future of gaming.
Engagement Among Aware • Among participants that currently engage with cloud gaming, they most
often do so to access more games (55%), to save time with game
48%
downloads (51%), and/or to play remotely (41%).
Interest of Aware Non-Users • Over half of respondents in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (54%)
say they somewhat or strongly prefer the experience of playing games
53%
on the cloud compared to the standard gameplay experience.
Influence on Future of Gaming o This sentiment is most common among Heavy Players
(64%), while it is less common among Light Players (47%)
71% and Medium Players (49%).
Source:

AUGMENTED REALITY

Europe,
• Among the 43% of participants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
that have heard of augmented reality games, 35% currently engage with
them.

Middle East, o A higher percentage of females (40%) currently engage

with augmented reality games compared to the percentage
of males (30%) that engage with them.
& Africa • Among respondents that have heard of augmented reality but are not
using or interacting with it, 43% are interested in engaging with it in the
future.
Awareness o A higher percentage of PC/Console Players (46%) are
interested in engaging with augmented reality games in the
43% future compared to Mobile Players (40%).
Engagement Among Aware • Most respondents in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa that have heard
of augmented reality, (72%) think that it will be very or extremely
35% influential in the future of gaming.
Interest of Aware Non-Users • Among participants that play augmented reality games, they most often
do so because they like the idea of merging the digital and physical
43% world in gaming (49%), because the technology is new and exciting
(43%), and/or since augmented reality games turn real life into an
Influence on Future of Gaming adventure (42%).
72%
Source:

CROSS-MEDIA GAMING
(IP & BRANDS) • Among the 26% of respondents in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
that are aware of cross-media gaming experiences, 49% currently
interact with this trend.

Europe,
o A higher percentage of females interact with cross-media
gaming experiences (51%) compared to the percentage of
males that do so (45%).

Middle East, • Most participants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (70%) that are
aware of cross-media gaming experiences think it will be very or

& Africa
extremely influential in the future of gaming.
• Among respondents that are aware of cross-media gaming experiences
but are not currently engaging with them, 54% are interested in
engaging with these kinds of experiences in the future.
Awareness • Most respondents in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (61%) say they
like seeing brands, properties, and characters from other media in
26%
games or say they like this a lot.
Engagement Among Aware o A higher percentage of Heavy Players like seeing brands,
properties, and characters from other media or like this a lot
49% (76%) compared to the percentage of Light Players (52%)
Interest of Aware Non-Users and Medium Players (60%) that say the same.
• Most participants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (62%) say having
54% brands, properties, and/or characters from other media in a game has a
positive or very positive effect on their interest in playing a game.
Influence on Future of Gaming
o A higher percentage of PC/Console Players (68%) say
70% cross-media has a positive or very positive effect on their
interest to play a game compared to the percentage of
Mobile Players (57%) that say the same.
Source:

ESPORTS
• Among the 48% of participants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
that have heard of esports, 44% of them currently engage with esports
content.

Europe, o Esports engagement is higher among males (50%) than it is

among females (35%), and it is also higher among ages

Middle East,
18-34 (49%) and ages 35-44 (43%) than it is among ages
45-54 (31%) and ages 55+ (20%).
• Among respondents that are aware of esports but are not currently

& Africa •
interacting with it, 31% are interested in interacting with it in the future.
Over half of participants that are aware of esports (71%) say it will be
very or extremely influential in the future of gaming.

Awareness o Heavy Players (74%) have a higher percentage of

respondents that express this sentiment among the age
48% groups compared to the percentage of Light Players (64%)
and Medium Players (70%) that feel the same.
Engagement Among Aware
• Respondents that currently engage with esports most often do so by
44% watching streams on YouTube (62%), playing esports games (61%),
following esports news (49%), and/or following teams/gamers on social
Interest of Aware Non-Users media (42%).

31% o Participants that currently engage with esports do so

because it is entertaining to watch (56%), because they like
Influence on Future of Gaming to watch players with high skill levels (50%), and/or to
improve their own skills/learn new strategies etc. (48%).
71%
• Among participants that currently engage with esports, sports games
(71%), shooter games (44%), and fighting games (40%) are the most
popular type of games that they follow in this manner.
Source:

USER-GENERATED CONTENT

Europe, • Among the 29% of participants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
that are aware of user-generated content in gaming, 50% currently
engage with this type of content.

Middle East, o Among user-generated content aware participants, a higher

percentage of Heavy Players (56%) currently interact with

& Africa this gaming trend than Light Players (45%) and Medium
Players (48%).
• Among respondents that are aware of user-generated content in gaming
but do not currently engage with it, 48% of them are interested in
Awareness interacting with it in the future.
29% • Most participants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (66%) that are
aware of user-generated content think it will be very or extremely
Engagement Among Aware influential in the future of gaming.

50% • Players that create their own content most often do so because it is fun
(58%), because they find it creatively fulfilling (53%), and/or since it is a
Interest of Aware Non-Users way to keep playing a game they like and keep it interesting (77%).
• Among respondents that engage with user-generated content,
48%
participants most often say they mostly play or use content created by
Influence on Future of Gaming others, but they also create a little bit of their own content (35%).

66%
Global Insights

Latin America

February 2023
VIRTUAL REALITY

• Among the 58% of participants in Latin America that are aware of

Latin America
virtual reality, 26% of them say they are currently using this kind of
device.
o Virtual reality usage is higher females (29%) than it is
among males (22%), and is also higher among ages 18-24
(26%) and ages 35-44 (29%) than it is among and ages
Awareness 45-54 (20%) and ages 55+ (19%).
• Among respondents that have heard of virtual reality but are not
58% currently using it, 73% are interested in using it in the future, making it
Engagement Among Aware the gaming trend with the second-highest interest among aware
non-users (second to the metaverse).
26% • Most participants in Latin America that are aware of virtual reality think
it will be very or extremely influential in the future of gaming (85%).
Interest of Aware Non-Users
• PlayStation VR (65%) and the Samsung Gear VR (28%) are the most
73% commonly used virtual reality devices among participants in Latin
America.
Influence on Future of Gaming
• Respondents in Latin America that play VR games most often play them
85% because the technology is new and exciting (56%), because VR games
allow them to interact with games in unique or realistic ways (49%),
because VR games are very immersive (45%), and/or since VR games
allow them to be physically active while gaming (35%).
• Participants in Latin America that play VR games most often play games
on this kind of device for 2-4 hours a week (51%).
THE METAVERSE
• Among the participants in Latin America that are aware of the
metaverse (46%), 78% are interested in engaging with it in the future,
making it the gaming trend with the highest future interest among the

Latin America
trends listed.
o Interest in engaging with the metaverse is highest among
Heavy Players (85%), while it is lower among Light Players
(72%) and Medium Players (75%).
• Most respondents in Latin America (80%) that are aware of the
Awareness metaverse think that it will be very or extremely influential in the future
46% of gaming.
o A higher percentage of Heavy Players think the metaverse
Engagement Among Aware will be very or extremely influential in the future of gaming
(85%) compared to the percentage of Light Players (78%)
N/A
and Medium Players (77%) that say the same.
Interest of Aware Non-Users • Respondents that have heard of the metaverse most often say that
they somewhat understand it (41%), while another 50% say they
78% understand it very well or completely.
Influence on Future of Gaming • Among participants that are interested in using or interacting with the
metaverse in the future, they are most often looking forward to playing
80% games (77%), attending virtual events (e.g., concerts) (50%), and/or
hanging out with friends/socializing (49%).
• Among respondents that are aware of the metaverse but are not
interested in using or interacting with it in the future, the most common
reasons that they are not interested in it are because they have privacy
concerns (35%), because they do not have any friends who are using it
(29%), and/or they do not want to spend money on equipment (27%).
PLAY-TO-EARN GAMES

• Among the 47% of participants in Latin America that have heard of

play-to-earn games (e.g., NFTs, crypto), 46% of them currently engage

Latin America with these kinds of games.

o Engagement with play-to-earn games is more common
among males (52%) than it is among females (38%).
• Among respondents that are aware of play-to-earn games but are not
currently engaging with these games, 64% of them are interested in
Awareness engaging with this kind of gaming in the future.
47% o Among aware non-users, females show a higher interest in
engaging with play-to-earn games in the future (68%)
Engagement Among Aware compared to the percentage of males that are interested
in doing so (60%).
46%
• Most participants (79%) that are aware of play-to-earn games say they
Interest of Aware Non-Users think these games will be very or extremely influential in the future of
gaming.
64%
• Participants that currently engage in play-to-earn games most often do
Influence on Future of Gaming so because they are interested in cryptocurrency/NFTs in general
(55%), because the game itself is fun/engaging (49%), to earn
79% short-term cash/funds (47%), and/or as a long-term investment (37%).
• While 61% of respondents say they understand the concept of
playing-to-earn very well or completely, another 30% say they
somewhat understand this concept.
• Among respondents that engage with play-to-earn games, they do so
more often on mobile devices (81%) than on a PC (35%).
CROSS-PLATFORM GAMEPLAY

• Most respondents in Latin America (77%) say they are more or much

Latin America more likely to play a game if that game supports cross-platform
gameplay.
o A higher percentage of Heavy Players (87%) say they are
more or much more likely to play a game if it supports
cross-platform gameplay compared to Light Players
Awareness (66%) and Medium Players (74%).
48% • Among the 48% of participants in Latin America have heard of
cross-platform gameplay, 67% currently use this functionality, making
Engagement Among Aware it the most commonly used gameplay trend among the ones listed.

67% o Cross-platform gameplay is more common among ages

18-34 (72%) than it is among the other age groups
Interest of Aware Non-Users (52-63%).
• Among respondents that have heard of cross-platform gameplay but
53%
are not currently using it, 53% say they are interested in using it in the
Influence on Future of Gaming future.
• Among cross-platform gameplay aware respondents, 83% say it will
83%
be very or extremely influential in the future of gaming.
• Most participants engage with cross-platform gameplay to play with
or against other players who are using different devices (77%), while
a lower percentage do so to play the same game across multiple
devices (48%).
CLOUD GAMING

• Among the 49% of participants in Latin America have heard of cloud

Latin America gaming, 55% currently play games this way.

o Among cloud gaming aware respondents, Heavy Players
(65%) have a higher percentage of participants that
currently use cloud gaming compared to Light Players
(44%) and Medium Players (53%).
Awareness
o A higher percentage of PC/Console Players currently use
49% cloud gaming (62%) compared to Mobile Players (45%).

Engagement Among Aware • Among respondents that have heard of cloud gaming but are not
currently using it, 60% are interested in using it in the future.
55% • Among cloud gaming aware respondents, 81% say this technology will
be very or extremely influential on the future of gaming.
Interest of Aware Non-Users
• Among participants that currently engage with cloud gaming, they
60% most often do so to save time with game downloads (54%), to access
more games (49%), so they do not have to worry about hardware
Influence on Future of Gaming
capabilities (39%), and/or to play remotely (35%).
81% • Half of respondents in Latin America say they somewhat or strongly
prefer the experience of playing games on the cloud compared to the
standard gameplay experience.
o This sentiment is most common among Heavy Players
(58%), while it is less common among Light Players (44%)
and Medium Players (46%).
AUGMENTED REALITY

• The majority of participants (62%) in Latin America have heard of

Latin America
augmented reality games, making it the gaming trend with the most
awareness among all gaming trends listed.
o 45% of respondents that are aware of augmented reality
currently engage with this technology.
• A higher percentage of ages 18-34 (51%) currently engage with
Awareness augmented reality games compared to the percentage of ages 35-44
(39%), ages 45-54 (30%), and ages 55+ (16%) that engage with them.
62%
o Among respondents that have heard of augmented reality
Engagement Among Aware but are not using or interacting with it, 54% of them are
interested in engaging with it in the future.
45%
• A higher percentage of Heavy Players (61%) and Medium Players (57%)
Interest of Aware Non-Users are interested in engaging with augmented reality games in the future
compared to Light Players (47%).
54% • Most respondents in Latin America that have heard of augmented
Influence on Future of Gaming reality, (84%) think that it will be very or extremely influential in the
future of gaming.
84% • Among participants that play augmented reality games, they most
often do so because they like the idea of merging the digital and
physical world in gaming (56%), because the technology is new and
exciting (47%), and/or since augmented reality games allows them to
interact with games in unique ways (e.g., moving around to see a
different view) (41%).
CROSS-MEDIA GAMING
(IP & BRANDS)
• Among the 37% of respondents in Latin America that are aware of
cross-media gaming experiences, 59% currently interact with this
trend.

Latin America o A higher percentage of PC/Console Players interact with

cross-media gaming experiences (64%) compared to the
percentage of Mobile Players that do so (52%).
• Most participants in Latin America (74%) that are aware of cross-media
gaming experiences think it will be very or extremely influential in the
Awareness future of gaming.
37% • Among respondents that are aware of cross-media gaming
experiences but are not currently engaging with them, 57% are
Engagement Among Aware interested in engaging with these kinds of experiences in the future.
59% • Most respondents in Latin America (76%) say they like seeing brands,
properties, and characters from other media in games or say they like
Interest of Aware Non-Users this a lot.

57% o A higher percentage of Heavy Players like seeing brands,

properties, and characters from other media or like this a
Influence on Future of Gaming lot (87%) compared to the percentage of Light Players
(69%) and Medium Players (74%) that say the same.
74%
• Most participants in Latin America (71%) say having brands, properties,
and/or characters from other media in a game has a positive or very
positive effect on their interest in playing a game.
o A higher percentage of males (75%) say cross-media has a
positive or very positive effect on their interest to play a
game compared to the percentage of females (67%) that
say the same.
ESPORTS

• Among the 45% of participants in Latin America that have heard of

Latin America esports, 48% of them currently engage with esports content.
o Esports engagement is higher among males (55%) than it
is among females (38%), and it is also higher among Heavy
Players (59%) than it is among Light Players (43%) and
Medium Players (42%).
Awareness
• Among respondents that are aware of esports but are not currently
45% interacting with it, 40% are interested in interacting with it in the future.
• Over half of participants that are aware of esports (79%) say it will be
Engagement Among Aware very or extremely influential in the future of gaming.
48% • Respondents that currently engage with esports most often do so by
watching streams on YouTube (79%), watching streams on Twitch
Interest of Aware Non-Users (48%), following esports news (48%), and/or following teams/gamers
on social media (47%).
40%
o Participants that currently engage with esports do so
Influence on Future of Gaming because it is entertaining to watch (61%), because they
like to watch players with high skill levels (60%), and/or to
79%
improve their own skills/learn new strategies etc. (56%).
• Among participants that currently engage with esports, sports games
(62%), shooter games (57%), and battle royale games (48%) are the
most popular type of games that they follow in this manner.
USER-GENERATED CONTENT

• Among the 37% of participants in Latin America that are aware of

user-generated content in gaming, 55% currently engage with this

Latin America
type of content.
o Among user-generated content aware participants, a
higher percentage of Heavy Players (60%) and Medium
Players (59%) currently interact with this gaming trend
than Light Players (42%).
Awareness • Among respondents that are aware of user-generated content in
gaming but do not currently engage with it, 53% are interested in
37%
interacting with this type of content the future.
Engagement Among Aware • Most participants in Latin America (74%) that are aware of
user-generated content think it will be very or extremely influential in
55% the future of gaming.
Interest of Aware Non-Users o A higher percentage of females in Latin America think
user-generated content will be very or extremely
53% influential in the future of gaming (79%) compared to the
percentage of males in Latin America that say the same
Influence on Future of Gaming
(69%).
74% • Players that create their own content most often do so because it is fun
(64%), because it is a way to keep playing a game they like and keep it
interesting (49%), an/or because they find it creatively fulfilling (47%).
• Among respondents that engage with user-generated content,
participants most often say they only play or use content created by
other and that they do not create their own content (38%).
Demographics

February 2023
Source:

In this study, 51% of participants are male, The majority of participants (57%) are in the 18-34 age
range, 25% are in the 35-44 age range, 12% are in the
while 48% are female 45-54 age range, and 5% are in the 55+ age range.

Gender Age Range

Total North Asia Europe, Latin Total North Asia Europe, Latin
Sample America Pacific Middle East America Sample America Pacific Middle East America
& Africa & Africa

Q - What is your gender? What is your age?

Total Sample (n = 18.029); North America (n = 786); Asia Pacific (n = 5,708),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 10,098); Latin America (n = 1,437)
Source:

Respondents most often play games on Android There is a similar proportion of gamers that play weekly
on an iPhone (27%), PlayStation 4 (26%), Android tablet
phones (71%) and/or Windows PCs/laptops (54%) (23%), and/or a PlayStation 5 (20%).

Global Gaming Device Breakdown

Total North Asia Europe, Latin

Sample America Pacific Middle East America
& Africa

Q - Which of the following devices do you use to play games in a typical week, if any? (Select all that apply.)
Total Sample (n = 18.029); North America (n = 786); Asia Pacific (n = 5,708), Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 10,098);
Latin America (n = 1,437) Note: Only showing devices that were selected by at least 20% of the total sample.
Source:

Among respondents that play games on mobile This study aimed to recruit a 50/50 split between
mobile-primary gamers and PC/console primary
and PC/console, players most often say mobile is gamers.
their main device for gaming • The final sample has 51% mobile primary gamers
and 49% PC/console primary gamers.

Main Gaming Device

Total North Asia Europe, Latin

Sample America Pacific Middle East America
& Africa
Asked among respondents that play games on both mobile devices and PC or consoles:
What is your main device for playing games?
Total Sample (n = 10,422); North America (n = 390); Asia Pacific (n = 3,419),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 5,737); Latin America (n = 876)
Source:

About half of participants in North America identify as

North America has the highest percentage of casual or very casual gamers (51%). Europe, the Middle
respondents that are self-reported casual gamers East, and Africa (28%) and Latin America (29%) have a
higher percentage of respondents that identify as
among the different regions hardcore or very hardcore gamers than in North
America (20%) and the Asia Pacific (21%).

Gamer Commitment Level

Total North Asia Europe, Latin

Sample America Pacific Middle East America
& Africa
Q - How would you describe yourself as a gamer?
Total Sample (n = 18,029); North America (n = 786); Asia Pacific (n = 5,708),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 10,098); Latin America (n = 1,437)
Source:

Participants most often prefer single-player Many respondents also prefer multiplayer competitive
missions/levels among the different types of player vs. player (PvP) (40%) and/or single-player linear
story (31%) among different gameplay types.
gameplay

Gameplay Type Preferences

Single-player missions/levels

Multiplayer competitive player vs.

player (PvP)

Single-player linear story

Massively multiplayer online (MMO)

Multiplayer cooperative player vs.

environment (PvE)

Casual or party games

Single-player sandbox/open world

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa

Q - Which of these types of gameplay do you prefer playing? (Select up to three that you most prefer.)
Total Sample (n = 18,029); North America (n = 786); Asia Pacific (n = 5,708),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 10,098); Latin America (n = 1,437)
Source:

Action games (39%) and action adventure puzzle Among mobile gamers in North America, Card games
games (36%) are the mobile game genres that are chosen most often as the genre that respondents
typically play on mobile devices (37%).
mobile gamers play most often

Popular Mobile Game Genres

Action games

Action/adventure puzzle games

Card games

Adventure games

Sports games

Shooter games

Racing Driving games

Matching puzzle games

Strategy games

Puzzle RPG games

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa
Asked among respondents that play games on mobile devices:
Which of the following types of games do you typically play on a mobile device? (Select all that apply.)
The top 10 selections are shown above.
Total Sample (n = 9,123); North America (n = 376); Asia Pacific (n = 2,887),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 5,145); Latin America (n = 715)
Source:

Action games (66%) is the PC/console game Many PC/console gamers typically play adventure
games (41%), shooter games (35%), sports games
genre that PC/console gamers play most often (34%), and/or action adventure puzzle games (34%) on
PCs or consoles.

Popular PC/Console Game Genres

Action games

Adventure games

Shooter games

Sports games

Action/adventure puzzle games

Racing/driving games

Fighting games

Open-world games

Battle royale games

Strategy games

Total Sample North America Asia Pacific Europe, Middle Latin America
East & Africa

Asked among respondents that play games on PC or consoles:

Which of the following types of games do you typically play on PC or Console? (Select all that apply.)
The top 10 selections are shown above.
Total Sample (n = 8,906); North America (n = 410); Asia Pacific (n = 2,821),
Europe, Middle East & Africa (n = 4,953); Latin America (n = 722)
Source:

Segmentation
Respondents are divided into segments according to
their gender, age, gaming habits, and disability status:
Males (n = 9,165) Females (n = 8,721)
Ages 18-34 (n = 10,277) Ages 35-44 (n = 4,745)
Ages 45-54 (n = 2,178) Ages 55+ (n = 829)
Mobile Players (n = 9,123)
• Use a qualifying mobile device* to play games for
at least 2 hours per week
PC/Console Players (n = 8,906)
• Use a qualifying PC or console* to play games for
at least 2 hours per week
Light Players (n = 6,858)
• Self identify as a casual or very casual gamer
Medium Players (n = 6,553)
• Self identify as a midcore gamer
Heavy Players (n = 4,618)
• Self identify as a hardcore or very hardcore gamer
Players with Disabilities (n = 1,344)
• Have a disability or impairment that affects the
way they play games
Non-disabled Players (n = 13,487)
• Does not have a disability or impairment that
* Qualifying devices: Android phone, android tablet, iMac/MacBook, iPad, iPhone,
affects
Nintendo theyPlayStation
Switch, way they4,play games5, Steam Deck, Xbox One, Xbox Series
PlayStation
X/S, Windows PC/laptop.

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