Family – MetaFacts TUP Client Portal

September 26, 2024October 5, 2024

The sizzle is fizzling in game-specific devices while gamers find ways to play with whatever they have

Fun is a persistent driver of technology usage, especially playing games. However, not all age generations are as interested in playing games as others are. Also, the devices people choose to play games on are evolving, with software becoming more efficient, graphics getting better, and connections getting faster. Also, the adoption of mobile devices, especially smartphones, has made game-playing more easily in reach to even casual gamers.
Approach: This MetaFAQs is based on the surveys of 52,618 respondents in the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, and China from 2021 through 2024. In the TUP/Technology User Profile questionnaire, we asked respondents to specific the activities they do regularly with their devices – smartphones, feature phones, computers, tablets, and game consoles. Among those activities are playing immersive/action games and other games. In addition, we gathered demographics such as age which allows us to group results into generations.
The results in this MetaFAQs include tables for 2021 through 2024 detailing the active use of the following activities and devices by country and generation: Online adults (000), Any smartphone, Any PC, Any home PC, Any game console, Any tablet, Any gaming desktop or laptop PC (NET), Any VR headset, Any device – play a game (NET), Any mobile device – game-playing (Net), Any smartphone – game-playing (Net) , Any PC game-playing or gaming PC (Net), Any PC – game-playing (Net), Any home PC – game-playing (Net), Any game console – game-playing (Net), Any tablet – play a game (NET), Any gaming PC – game-playing (Net)

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Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. It may not be used with a generative AI system without separate licensing and express written permission. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.

February 17, 2024February 29, 2024

Tech use grows with household size

Adults in larger households worldwide use more devices than those in smaller households, a trend that has been established for years. Even as people are using fewer devices, those with more people in their households continue to use more devices than the adults in smaller households. One key factor influencing a higher usage profile is the presence of children, especially school-aged kids. Also, many smaller households are composed of older adults or those not employed outside of the household. All of these are contributing factors towards the greater use of technology devices and services.

This MetaFAQs reports on the average (mean) number of devices actively used (phones, computers, tablets) by adults by household size and country. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0217_many] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Households

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January 19, 2024December 5, 2023

Family size influences connected device use

In larger households, adults tend to spend more time on digital devices compared to those in smaller households. Adults in larger households use their connected devices more hours per week than those in smaller households. This pattern holds among online Americans, Britons, Japanese, and Chinese. Among German adults, the pattern is bimodal, with usage highest among German adults with 3 persons in their household.
This MetaFAQs reports on the average (mean) weekly hours online adults use their connected devices (computers, smartphones, tablets) during a week. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0119_busy] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; User Profile; Households

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January 11, 2024February 1, 2024

A large and growing share of online adults live alone

Many technology services have focused efforts on gaining subscriptions among families, including offering family plans that specifically reward households with many members. A sizable and growing share of the online population is excluded from those offers due to the growing share of adults living alone. In every country surveyed from 2017 to 2023, the share of online adults with only one person in the households is higher than ever.

This MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of online adults who live in a household of only one person, split by country: US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China’s and India’s upper-socioeconomic adults. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0111_alot] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Households

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December 22, 2023January 18, 2024

American and German household size associated with device newness

Americans and Germans in larger households tend to have newer devices than those in smaller households, a trend that has been forming since 2019. For example, the average age of an American adult’s primary device in households with four or more people is 1.7 years, a full year newer than the age in 2018. Similarly, among adults in larger households in Germany, the current device age is 1.9 years versus three years in 2018. There’s less difference in the UK, Japan, and China.

This MetaFAQ reports on the average (mean) age of the primary device in active use – smartphone, feature phone, computer, tablet, or game console. The averages are split by country and household size. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1222_famt] in TUP Lenses: Devices; User Profile; Households

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November 7, 2023October 26, 2023

A large share of online adults live alone

A sizeable share of the online public live alone, especially in Germany, yet also in the US, UK, and Japan. This research finding has implications for technology marketers, since our TUP data also shows that one-person households behave differently than those with many people, especially with children. Solo households buy technology products less often, have fewer products and services, and have different needs. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1107_alon] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Households

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October 3, 2023October 17, 2023

American and German household size associated with device newness

Americans and Germans who live alone or with just one other person tend to have older devices compared to those in bigger households. For instance, 41% of Americans in households with four or more people got their main device in the last year. This is more than the 28% of Americans in smaller households of one or two people. This trend also holds true in Germany. But in the UK, Japan, and China, there’s less of a difference.

One factor behind this is that larger households often have kids. Having children in the household is linked to using technology more actively and being more open to new tech products and services. This MetaFAQs is based on TUP 2023 results.

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June 16, 2023September 26, 2024

Gaming trends and user profile

Online adults are deeply engaged in various forms of entertainment, particularly gaming. Over half of American adults use their connected devices for playing games, watching videos, and listening to music, like online adults worldwide. Despite temporary disruption due to the pandemic, the game-playing rate bounced back and grew gradually, indicating its popularity as a staple pastime. This is based on our TUP/Technology User Profile 2022 survey of 13,641 online adults across the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China, as well as similarly-sized waves from 2019.

Nevertheless, the usage of specialized gaming equipment like game consoles, gaming PCs, or VR headsets has remained limited. Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft’s Xbox remain the global market leaders in consoles, each resonating with specific demographic groups and geographical locations. Gaming activities are part of the regular life of most online adults and span all age groups, with younger generations showing a particularly high adoption rate of newer technologies.

Despite a strong focus on gaming, more online adults use their devices for other entertainment activities like watching videos or streaming music. The global demand for gaming, whether casual or immersive, remains substantial, offering growth opportunities. With Apple recently entering the VR/AR/MR headset market, the industry is primed for potential expansion beyond its niche focus. Manufacturers may need to reconsider their current gaming-focused strategies to seize emerging opportunities effectively and broaden their market reach.

This TUPdate looks into the trend around game-playing with connected devices (smartphones, computers, tablets, game consoles), and the use of specialized game equipment (gaming PCs, game consoles). It profiles game-players by their age generation groups, household composition, and presence of children.

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November 3, 2022November 13, 2023

Home computer usage & plans by socioeconomic groups

Fewer Americans actively use a home computer than in 2018 before the pandemic. With each passing year, Americans in nearly every sociodemographic group have reduced their active use of a home computer. Purchase intentions, however, have foretold of a potential market composition shift with a resurgence of interest among some of the groups with the lowest usage rates.

This TUPdate looks at the profile of American adults who currently use a personally owned home computer along several lines: the socioeconomic group they are part of, their life stage, employment status, and age.

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November 2, 2022March 30, 2023

Any home tower desktop computer usage & plans by socioeconomic groups

Home tower desktop computers have declined in active usage during the pandemic. Most remaining current users are older Americans or not employed outside the household. That may change soon. Purchase plans show strong interest growth among users with the lowest active usage rates.

This TUPdate looks at the profile of American adults who currently use and plan to purchase a home tower desktop computer along several lines: the socioeconomic group they are part of, their life stage, employment status, and age.

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