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In game rewards platform ZBD has published a study examining Gen Z’s gaming preferences. The ZBD Gen Z Gamer Study surveyed over 2,000 respondents in the U.S. aged 18-25 that play video games at least one hour per day to understand how they play, socialize and engage with brands.
“Gen Z is the first to grow up as digital-natives, meaning there are stark differences with any that came before,” said Ben Cousens, Chief Strategy Officer at ZBD. “Things like subscriptions for digital entertainment services, which seem so new to over-30s, are already on their way to being as obsolete as the Sears catalog to Gen Z. It’s imperative for games industry companies, consumer brands and advertisers to understand how to communicate and engage with the most technologically plugged-in generation in history, which demands authenticity and fairness above all.”
Key findings of ZBD’s survey of Gen Z gamers.
Gen Z Gamer demographics and player behavior
At a high level, Gen Z gamers are highly engaged with 65% playing more than three hours daily. The top five most played genres were Casual mobile, FPS, Adventure, RPG and Fighting games. At least 40% of the total survey engaged with each of these genres.
Gen Z gamers play a wide variety of genres.
Of the 2,000 respondents to ZBD’s survey, 52% were male, 46% were female and another 2% were non-binary. Male players reported playing for longer than their female counterparts. About one third of males played for five or more hours while females were more likely to play for one to two hours per day.
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The majority of the sample (63%) said they worked at least part-time, while 21% said they were students and another 16% were unemployed. Gen Z is using this purchasing power on games, with 53% of survey takers spending at least $20 per month. About three out of ten male players spend over $35 each month.
Most Gen Z gamers spend at least $20 per month
Additionally, over 85% reported spending less than $60 per month. With the vast majority of Gen Z gamers spending less that a typical full-price game per month shows the importance of free-to-play content.
Given their spending power, perhaps its no surprise that Gen Z is readily embracing subscription gaming services like Xbox Game Pass or Apple Arcade. More than half (54%) said they have a gaming subscription. This is approaching the number that reported using similar services for music (65%) and video (71%).
Brands and Creators
While Gen Z loves gaming, it’s not clear that they feel connected to established studios. Over a third (36%) felt that gaming companies run by Millennials and Gen X were out of touch with their generation.
Luckily for publishers and brands, the majority of Gen Z (70%) feel connected to creators. Per ZBD, two thirds said they would trust a brand more if a content creator they knew engaged with it.
YouTube, TikTok and Instagram are the most popular platforms for Gen Z gamers to engage with creators.
YouTube is the most popular place for Gen Z gamers to engage with creators with about three in four using the platform. Additionally, about 60% used TikTok and Instagram to connect with creators. Notably, TikTok was the most popular platform for female Gen Z Gamers. And despite its gaming focus, only one in four Gen Z gamers said they used Twitch.
While ZBD did look at affinity towards specific influencers, these did not include a gaming-focused creator. Instead, they prioritized (in)famous influencers such as Taylor Swift, Jake …
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Join gaming leaders live this May 20-21 in Los Angeles to examine the strategies needed to adapt and excel in an ever evolving landscape, featuring insights from leading voices and thought leaders in the industry. Register here.
In game rewards platform ZBD has published a study examining Gen Z’s gaming preferences. The ZBD Gen Z Gamer Study surveyed over 2,000 respondents in the U.S. aged 18-25 that play video games at least one hour per day to understand how they play, socialize and engage with brands.
“Gen Z is the first to grow up as digital-natives, meaning there are stark differences with any that came before,” said Ben Cousens, Chief Strategy Officer at ZBD. “Things like subscriptions for digital entertainment services, which seem so new to over-30s, are already on their way to being as obsolete as the Sears catalog to Gen Z. It’s imperative for games industry companies, consumer brands and advertisers to understand how to communicate and engage with the most technologically plugged-in generation in history, which demands authenticity and fairness above all.”
Key findings of ZBD’s survey of Gen Z gamers.
Gen Z Gamer demographics and player behavior
At a high level, Gen Z gamers are highly engaged with 65% playing more than three hours daily. The top five most played genres were Casual mobile, FPS, Adventure, RPG and Fighting games. At least 40% of the total survey engaged with each of these genres.
Gen Z gamers play a wide variety of genres.
Of the 2,000 respondents to ZBD’s survey, 52% were male, 46% were female and another 2% were non-binary. Male players reported playing for longer than their female counterparts. About one third of males played for five or more hours while females were more likely to play for one to two hours per day.
GB Event
Countdown to GamesBeat Summit
Secure your spot now and join us in LA for an unforgettable two days experience exploring the theme of resilience and adaptation. Register today to guarantee your seat!
Register Here
The majority of the sample (63%) said they worked at least part-time, while 21% said they were students and another 16% were unemployed. Gen Z is using this purchasing power on games, with 53% of survey takers spending at least $20 per month. About three out of ten male players spend over $35 each month.
Most Gen Z gamers spend at least $20 per month
Additionally, over 85% reported spending less than $60 per month. With the vast majority of Gen Z gamers spending less that a typical full-price game per month shows the importance of free-to-play content.
Given their spending power, perhaps its no surprise that Gen Z is readily embracing subscription gaming services like Xbox Game Pass or Apple Arcade. More than half (54%) said they have a gaming subscription. This is approaching the number that reported using similar services for music (65%) and video (71%).
Brands and Creators
While Gen Z loves gaming, it’s not clear that they feel connected to established studios. Over a third (36%) felt that gaming companies run by Millennials and Gen X were out of touch with their generation.
Luckily for publishers and brands, the majority of Gen Z (70%) feel connected to creators. Per ZBD, two thirds said they would trust a brand more if a content creator they knew engaged with it.
YouTube, TikTok and Instagram are the most popular platforms for Gen Z gamers to engage with creators.
YouTube is the most popular place for Gen Z gamers to engage with creators with about three in four using the platform. Additionally, about 60% used TikTok and Instagram to connect with creators. Notably, TikTok was the most popular platform for female Gen Z Gamers. And despite its gaming focus, only one in four Gen Z gamers said they used Twitch.
While ZBD did look at affinity towards specific influencers, these did not include a gaming-focused creator. Instead, they prioritized (in)famous influencers such as Taylor Swift, Jake …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]