The US gaming subscription market is gaining serious traction in the US. With this report, you’ll know what gamers want from gaming subscriptions and why, giving you a data-backed edge. Below, we’ve summarized the key topics covered and offer hand-selected findings from the report.
Key Topics Covered
- Trends impacting the video game subscription market.
- Which subscriptions have gamers experienced, what did they keep or quit.
- How satisfied are gamers with the subscription services they’ve used.
- When gamers terminate service what factors most likely lead to that decision.
- What standout preferences do gamers have towards the subscriptions they use.
- How do gamers broadly perceive the various subscription services.
US Gaming Subscription Market Overview
Most gamers view subscription services positively, and this is mainly down to the quality and range of games. Cost is the primary reason for dinscontinuing service, but interestingly this occurs despite almost two-thirds stating contentment with the charges. This indicates that individual financial problems could be the underlying reason. While the gaming sector has shown concern about sales cannibalization, evidence indicates that subscribers continue to purchase games even after leaving services.
Gaming Subscription Consumer Insights
- Looking at gaming subscription market share, Game Pass and Switch Online tail behind PlayStation Plus, which currently leads for the number of gamers subscribed to a service. Over a third of gamers are still not subscribed to any service, leaving plenty of room for growth.
- Women gamers lag behind men on most services, except for Nintendo Switch Online where slightly more women subscribe than men, and Apple Arcade. With women gamers influenced by their social circles and motivated by the social aspects of gaming, services that offer more co-op games could muster more interest from women gamers.
- Fathers are less likely to state that cost or bugs and technical issues are reasons for unsubscribing to a service. This demographic may live vicariously through their children, enjoying a turn or two on the latest games, thereby justifying the cost of the service. All gamers, even fathers, can’t brush aside server quality though, which is a dealbreaker.
For a complete analysis of gaming subscription services, buy the full report. You may also be interested to view our other gaming market research.
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Expert Analysis
Leading gaming analyst Brian Benway delivers expert industry insights with this in-depth report.
Subscription gaming appears here to stay with deep roots in console multiplayer. Players enjoy them most for the value and quality games they bring to the table.
Brian Benway
Research Analyst, Gaming and Entertainment
Collapse All
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- Key issues covered in this Report
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Executive Summary
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Gaming subscriptions
- Graph 1: gaming subscriptions, 2023
- Graph 2: gaming subscriptions (NET any), by age and gender, 2023
- Graph 3: gaming subscriptions, by age and gender, 2023
- Graph 4: gaming subscriptions, by gender, 2023
- Graph 5: gaming subscriptions (select), by race and Hispanic origin, 2023
- Graph 6: canceled gaming subscriptions, among those who are not currently subscribed, 2023
- Subscription satisfaction
- Graph 7: overall subscription satisfaction, 2023
- Graph 8: overall subscription satisfaction, by gamer segments, 2023
- Graph 9: subscription feature satisfaction, 2023
- Graph 10: subscription feature satisfaction, by subscription service, 2023
- Termination factors
- Graph 11: reasons to unsubscribe from a gaming subscription service, 2023
- Graph 12: reasons to unsubscribe from a gaming subscription service, by subscription service 2023
- Graph 13: reasons to unsubscribe from a gaming subscription service, men vs women, 2023
- Graph 14: reasons to unsubscribe from a gaming subscription service (select), by gamer segments, 2023
- Subscription preferences
- Graph 15: subscription preferences, 2023
- Graph 16: subscription preferences, 2023
- Graph 17: subscription preferences (select), men vs women, 2023
- Graph 18: subscription preferences, by parental status and gender, 2023
- Graph 19: subscription preferences (select), by service subscribers, 2023
- Perceptions of gaming subscriptions
- Graph 20: perceptions of gaming subscriptions, 2023
- Graph 21: “none of these” perceptions of gaming subscriptions, by gamer segments, 2023
- Graph 22: “good value” perceptions of (select) gaming subscriptions, by gamer segments, 2023
- Graph 23: “user-friendly” perceptions of (select) gaming subscriptions, by age and gender, 2023
- Graph 24: “entertaining” perceptions of (select) gaming subscriptions, dads vs moms, 2023
- Graph 25: “premium” perceptions of gaming subscriptions, by gamer segments, 2023
- Graph 26: “disappointing” perceptions of (select) gaming subscriptions, by gamer segments, 2023
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Competitive Strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Marketing and advertising
- Opportunities
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The Market
- Market context
- Market overview
- Graph 27: global video game industry revenue, 2019-25
- Graph 28: global video game industry revenue share, by device, 2023
- Graph 29: Consumer Price Index change from previous period, 2020-23
- Market drivers
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Appendix
- The consumer
- Graph 30: device usage, 2023
- Graph 31: gaming frequency, 2023
- Graph 32: gamer segments, 2023
- Graph 33: gamer segments, by age, 2023
- Graph 34: gamer segments, by gender, 2023
- Graph 35: gamer segments, by device, 2023
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