How much time do Americans spend gaming in 2023?

Madeline Gearheart

Oct 15, 2025

Contents

Since the early days of video games, when Gen Xers and Millennials who grew up playing them may remember being told it’ll rot their brains, video games have grown from their humble bit-based beginnings into an interactive art form with the depth of novels and the visual appeal of film and television. Games build skills in literacy, problem-solving, and socializing. And, on top of that, they’re a lot of fun.

CenturyLinkQuote, a provider of the fiber internet speeds gamers love, presents its second annual survey detailing gaming habits in the U.S. for people 16 and older. Read on to learn how much time Americans spend gaming, how gaming makes Americans feel, and the differences in gaming habits between generations.

Time Spent Gaming in the U.S. in 2023: Gaming Habits in Americans 16 and Up

Certainly, here is all the information from the infographic about Time Spent Gaming in the U.S. in 2023 (Americans 16 and Up), typed out for you: Time Spent Gaming in the U.S. in 2023 (Americans 16 and Up) Average Time Spent Gaming 25% of Americans spend 5 hours per week playing video games on average. (Note: This is a decrease from 2022's study, which found that gamers played 10 hours per week on average.) Gaming Experience Duration 42% of American gamers have been gaming for more than 20 years. That's a total of 11 days a year and 2.3 years over a lifetime! Perceived Time Spent Gaming Do you feel like you spend too much time playing video games? 47% say NO, I think the time I spend gaming is just enough. Hours Spent in a Single Session How many hours in a row do Americans spend gaming? 16%: < 1 hour 49%: 1–3 hrs 22%: 3–7 hrs 7%: 8–13 hrs 6%: 13+ hrs Emotional Impact of Gaming How does playing video games make you feel? 67% of Americans stated that gaming made them feel engaged and that games help them pass the time. Annual Spending on Games and Consoles About how much money have you spent on video games and consoles in the past year? (Showing data for people who've spent money on video games and consoles in the past year) $900 or more: 5% $700 – $899: 5% $500 – $699: 10% $300 – $499: 19% $101 – $299: 24% $100 or less: 38%

2023 Gaming Habits in the U.S. by Generation

Time Spent Gaming in the U.S. in 2023 - By Generation Hours Spent Gaming Per Week Less Than 1 Hour: Gen Z: 5% Millennials: 5% Gen X: 11% Boomers: 9% 1–3 Hours: Gen Z: 19% Millennials: 16% Gen X: 21% Boomers: 32% 3–7 Hours: Gen Z: 29% Millennials: 24% Gen X: 26% Boomers: 21% 8–12 Hours: Gen Z: 27% Millennials: 27% Gen X: 20% Boomers: 15% 13+ Hours: Gen Z: 20% Millennials: 27% Gen X: 22% Boomers: 22% (Millennials spend the most time gaming, with 27% gaming 13+ hours per week.) Reasons for Gaming Gen Z (46%) and Millennials (46%): "I love it, it's one of my favorite pastimes." Gen X (41%) and Boomers (41%): "It helps me disconnect from the real world and forget my stress." Most Used Gaming Device PlayStation is the most-used device for: Gen Z (43%) Millennials (40%) PC is the most-used device for: Gen X (35%) Boomers (56%) Impact of the Pandemic 37% of Americans play video games about the same as before the pandemic. 46% of Americans play video games more since the pandemic. Virtual Reality Gaming Experience Gen Z (35%): "I own a headset but it was fun when I played it." Millennials (31%): "Yes, and I would consider buying a headset." Gen X (43%): "Yes, but I would not consider buying a headset." Boomers (50%): "No, and I am not interested in virtual reality."

Overall Findings

In 2023, 63% of Americans play mobile or console games regularly. Gen Z boasts the highest percentage of regular gamers at 66%.
42% of Americans have been playing video games for 20 years or more.
25% of Americans game 3-7 hours a week, 25% play 8-12 hours a week, and 25% 13 hours or more.
If you game for an average of 5 hours per week, that totals 11 days a year and 2.3 years in the average lifetime. For the 25% of people who game 10 hours a week, that total goes up to 22 days a year and 4.5 years in the average lifetime.
Among respondents, the highest percentage of Millennials game 13+ hours per week, the highest percentage of Gen Z and Gen X answered 3-7 hours per week, and Boomers 1-3 hours per week. For those Millennials who game more than 13 hours a week, that’s approximately 30 days a year and 6.3 years over the average lifetime.
The amount of time Americans spend gaming per week declined from last year’s study. The 2022 average was 8-12 hours per week.
49% of Americans game in moderation, spending no more than 3 hours gaming in a row. Only 6% of Americans report regularly marathoning games for more than 13 hours.
When it comes to gaming consoles, 35% of Americans prefer PlayStation, the top-selling gaming console brand of all time. Gen Z and Millennials play on PlayStation the most, with Gen X and Boomers preferring PC gaming.
In 2022, Americans answered that they play video games because they enjoy the mental stimulation and strategic thinking it encourages. This year, 38% of Americans say they choose gaming because they love it and it’s one of their favorite pastimes. The top answer for Gen X and Boomers differed from the majority—they prefer gaming for stress relief and disconnecting from the “real world.”
67% of Americans say playing video games makes them feel engaged, that they get bored easily and games help them pass the time.
47% of Americans say the time they spend gaming is just enough. This was consistent across generations even though the different age groups spend different amounts of time gaming.
In the past year, 38% of Americans spent $0-$100 on video games and consoles. 10% spent $500-$699, and only 5% spent $900 or more. The average PlayStation console retails for $450.
37% of Americans stated they play games about the same amount as before the pandemic. 46% of Gen Z said they play more video games now.
Virtual reality games have been trending for a while but 35% of Americans state they have not played any VR games yet (but would like to). 31% of Millennials reported that they have played VR games and own a VR console.

Methodology

To gather data about how much time Americans spend gaming, we used Pollfish, a leading market research software, to survey 1,000 Americans on their gaming habits. We divided the results into the following generations:

Gen Z (16-24 years old)
Millennials (25-44 years old)
Gen X (45-54 years old)
Boomers ( >54 years old)

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