This report offers a complete analysis of where gaming is at now, and where it’s going over the next few years. Gain critical insights into what consumers want from brands in the UK gaming industry. Below, we provide the key topics covered and offer hand-selected findings from the report.
Key Topics Covered
- Devices consumers expect to use to play video games over the next five years.
- Perceived impact of VR, AR and the metaverse on gaming over the next five years.
- The most appealing AI innovations in gaming.
- Attitudes towards the future of gaming.
- Ownership and usage of games consoles.
Current UK Gaming Market Overview
In the 12 months to October 2023, more consumers played a video game than watched live sport on a payed-for service. This might seem shocking at first, but over half of UK consumers play video games. This makes gaming, undeniably, a mainstream form of entertainment, and looking ahead doesn’t change much.
The Gaming Consumer: Future Trends
Where consumers played games at a significant rate in 2023, the number playing is only expected to increase in the next five years. This makes it an overwhelming majority of consumers who are keen to get in front of a screen. With this acceleration of the industry, it’s critical that brands take a serious look at the future of gaming in the UK.
- 65% of UK consumers expect to play video games in the next five years.
Brands also need to consider representation in gaming. While 42% of women said that game developers only focus on male gamers in 2020, there is serious growth potential if brands look at both sides going forward. Women outpace men for smartphone/mobile gaming. While an opportunity in itself, there’s a lot of untapped potential to also bring women into console and PC gaming, where men currently participate more than women.
- 31% of women expect to play on smartphones/tablets, versus only 23% of men.
Let Mintel build the groundwork for your business and insight strategy. For a comprehensive look into the future of gaming in the UK, buy this report. You can also browse our other gaming reports by heading to the top of the page.
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Expert Analysis
Expert analyst Jan Urbanek delivers industry insights with this in-depth report.
Advancements in AI and cloud gaming technologies are set to make gaming more engaging and accessible, strengthening its position as a preferred pastime.
Jan Urbanek, Principal Analyst
Collapse All
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- Key issues covered in this Report
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Executive Summary
- Opportunities in the gaming market
- Graph 1: most appealing AI innovations in gaming, 2023
- Market Dynamics and Outlook
- What Consumers Want and Why
- Graph 2: devices consumers expect to most likely play video games on in the next five years, 2023
- Graph 3: devices consumers expect to use most likely to play video games on in the next five years, by gender, 2023
- Graph 4: anticipated impact of technologies on gaming in the next five years, 2023
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Market Dynamics
- Global Market Size
- Graph 5: video games market by platform, 2023
- Macro-Economic Factors
- Graph 6: The financial wellbeing index, 2016-23
- Social, Environmental and Legal Factors
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Current gaming activity
- Graph 7: brand of static games console owned, 2023
- Future gaming activity
- Graph 8: consumers expecting to play video games on any device in the next five years (NET), by generation, 2023
- Graph 9: devices consumers expect to most likely play video games on in the next five years, 2023
- Graph 10: devices consumers expect to use most likely to play video games on in the next five years, by gender, 2023
- Graph 11: watching/streaming gaming content in the last 3 months, by generation, 2023
- Anticipated impact of technologies on gaming
- Graph 12: anticipated impact of technologies on gaming in the next five years, 2023
- Graph 13: ‘VR will have a positive impact on how people interact with each other’, by generation, 2023
- Most appealing AI innovations in gaming
- Attitudes towards gaming
- Graph 14: attitudes towards gaming, 2023
- Graph 15: consumers sentiment towards video games mainly created by AI, by generation, 2023
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Innovation And Marketing Trends
- Competitive Strategies
- Launch Activity and Innovation
- Advertising and Marketing Activity
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Brand Research
- Graph 16: key metrics for selected brands, 2023
- Graph 17: attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, 2023
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Appendix
- Methodology
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