62% of Gen Alpha gamers play more than 5 hours per week, compared to just 17% of Gen Z | Pocket Gamer.biz

The 2024 Next Gen Attention report from gaming technology and marketing company Livewire shows that gaming has been the most popular form of entertainment for three generations and is the top choice for Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha over movies, TV, music and even social media.

The survey of gamers in the UK, US and Australia found that Generation Alpha plays the most games, with 70% saying they play video games at least four or five times a week. Only 55% of Gen Z gamers participate in gaming sessions four, five or more times per week, while Millennials are close behind at 54%. However, that doesn't mean their total playing time is anywhere close…

Adult responsibility gets in the way

Every week, Gen Alpha inevitably plays the longest. 62% of gamers of this generation play more than five hours a week, 22% of them play more than 11 hours. In fact, more Generation Alpha players play more than 11 hours than less than two (just 20%).

Three to four hours is the sweet spot for Generation Z, which is average for a third of all gamers in this age group; only 17% play more than five hours per week.

The proportion of Millennials who manage more than five hours is negligible, with a third of gamers unable to complete even an hour of gaming in an average seven-day period. 31% play for one to two hours, 25% spend three to four hours.

“Millennials, as they age and take on more adult and family responsibilities, want to play more but are running out of free time,” the report suggests.

Gaming everywhere

Gen Z is also closer to Generation Alpha when it comes to watching gaming-related content, watching 20% ​​more than their Millennial forebears on TikTok and streaming services.

Immersive experiences are also an “increasing expectation,” the report said, as playable and rewarded ads, interactive billboards and other in-game advertising forms are on the rise. In fact, Gen Z and Alpha “enjoy” brand appearances in games about 20% more than Millennials, with Alpha gamers most likely to make a purchase after seeing a brand advertisement in-game.

Unsurprisingly, mobile devices reign supreme among gaming platforms, with 66% of all three generations gaming on their mobile phones. Consoles come in second at 45%, followed by laptops, PCs and tablets at 31%, 26% and 25% respectively. Of course, this means that the platforms players engage with are very different.

“The next generation is different from any we have seen before. Tech natives who grew up in gaming are a generation that doesn't primarily consume media through scrolling flat social media screens. They live in immersive, interactive, playable digital form.” “And that means the way brands communicate and interact with them must also be completely different – it's now about articles, immersive advertising, playability and experiences in expansive digital worlds,” said Tom Simpson, CEO of Livewire.

A Newzoo report from last October found that 81% of Generation Z plays mobile games.