Video games are child’s play? Not at all! The average age of game players in Germany has risen to over 38 years for the first time.
Video games are often dismissed as children’s stuff or as being of interest only to 10 to 30 year olds. However, a recent market survey by the German game association says something different and confirms the trend that more and more older people are finding joy in video games.
In 2023, the average age of video gamers exceeded the 38-year mark for the first time and is now 38.2 years old. Ten years ago, the average was 33.6 years. Interestingly, according to game, the biggest increase is among gamers over 60 years old. Their share is said to have increased by 300,000 to a whopping 6.4 million in the twelve months. This is of course due to the fact that people who grew up with video games continue to play and are slowly slipping into the older age groups.
Image source: game association
According to the survey based on data from the market research company CPS GfK, 78 percent of players are over 18 years old. The proportion of men and women is almost equal at 52 to 48 percent.
“The average age of game players continues to rise significantly. This is not least due to the strong growth in so-called silver gamers: within twelve months, the number of gamers over 60 has increased by the population of Münster,” says game managing director Felix Falk. “Although the average age of gamers has been rising for years, the development still comes as a surprise to many. The image of games as a medium for children and young people is too persistent. Although they are still an important part of the gaming world, only one in five gamers in Germany is under 18.”
