Tag: Metaverse

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Game playing is widespread, although platform choices vary by generation

Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, January 24, 2024

Summary

Playing games on an active, if casual, basis continues to be widespread, even as the choice of platforms is shifting. The worldwide and American trend away from regular PC use is affecting game playing and entertainment as much as productivity and creative activities. This year marks the first time that more American game players use a game console than a home PC.

This MetaFAQs reports on the number and percentage of online adults who regularly play immersive/action or other games using connected devices: a game console, home PC, gaming PC, primary PC, or smartphone. American adults are detailed by age generation and life phase: comprised of generation with educational and employment status.

Newer generations, focused platforms

  • That game playing is tilted toward younger generations may come as no surprise, although the choice of platforms varies by generations
  • Gaming PCs are highly skewed towards Gen Z and millennials, with these two generations comprising almost 90% of the active base of adult users
  • At the other end of the spectrum, boomers make up effectively the same relative share (12%) of adults playing games on connected devices, smartphones (12%), home computers (13%), and their primary PCs (11%)
  • It’s interesting that Gen X embraces game consoles at twice the rate of using a gaming PC. This reflects a growing inertia among Gen X adults who continue using game consoles instead of adopting relatively newer gaming PCs.
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Headcams – cultural precursor to VR headsets?

The growth potential for wearable video cameras, commonly termed “headcams” like GoPro, has been influenced by societal attitudes. Historically, there has been a hesitation to record others without consent, which could limit the broad adoption of such devices. However, cultural perspectives can and do evolve. Case in point: smartphone users’ widespread acceptance of taking photos and recording videos. Although cultural disapproval has been against wearables that are too obvious, such as on one’s head, that may change with time.

The rise of content creators on platforms like Instagram and TikTok suggests that the broader public might embrace headcams more. This trend could provide fresh opportunities for tech marketers to promote wearable video cameras of some kind to a new generation of users.

In virtual reality, there are considerations about the cultural reception of VR headset devices like Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3. These devices’ positive reception could inform how headcams are perceived in the future.

Considering the media’s portrayal, a contemporary version of “The Truman Show” concept, where someone’s life is broadcasted in real-time, isn’t unthinkable, given past experiments with lifecasting in the 90s.

The metrics in this MetaFAQ provide a solid foundation for those analyzing tech trends: the number of adults across generations and countries using headcams versus smartphones for capturing videos and pictures. This data can provide insights into shifting user behaviors and preferences and help identify which generation may adopt headcams first and how far they have progressed.

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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.
Posted on

Headcams – cultural precursor to VR headsets?

The growth potential for wearable video cameras, commonly termed “headcams” like GoPro, has been influenced by societal attitudes. Historically, there has been a hesitation to record others without consent, which could limit the broad adoption of such devices. However, cultural perspectives can evolve. Case in point: the widespread acceptance of taking photos and recording videos with smartphones. Furthermore, there has been cultural disapproval against wearables that are too obvious, such as on one’s head.

The rise of content creators on platforms like Instagram and TikTok suggests that the broader public might embrace headcams more in the future. This trend could provide fresh opportunities for tech marketers to promote wearable video cameras to a new generation of users.

In the realm of virtual reality, there are considerations about the cultural reception of VR headset devices like Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3. The positive reception of these devices could inform the way headcams are perceived in the future.

Considering the media’s portrayal, a contemporary version of “The Truman Show” concept, where someone’s life is broadcasted in real-time, isn’t unthinkable, given past experiments with lifecasting in the 90s.

For those analyzing tech trends, these metrics provide a solid foundation: the number of adults across generations and countries using headcams versus smartphones for capturing videos and pictures. This data can provide insights into shifting user behaviors and preferences, and help identify which generation may adopt headcams first and how far they have progressed to date.

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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.
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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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Brief profile of Americans regularly playing games using connected devices

Fun is a major pastime for most, but not all, American adults using connected devices. Whether they use a game console, gaming PC, regular computer, tablet, or mobile phone, most Americans regularly play immersive or other games.

This TUPdate briefly profiles Americans who regularly play immersive/video or other games, detailing their age, gender, employment status, presence of children, life stage, and use of game-specific devices such as a VR headset.

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Brief profile of American game console users

American adults actively using game consoles are not all young males, even while this group dominates. Many are employed full-time or part-time and raising families. Game consoles are just one device they use for fun.

This MetaFAQs profiles active adult users of game consoles by age, gender, life stage, and employment status. It also reports on the penetration of game consoles among users of other devices for play – VR headsets, gaming computers, and everyday computers, smartphones, and tablets.

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Highlights: Home Entertainment

Home is where the fun is, enhanced by VR headsets, game consoles, smart speakers, smartphones, tablets, and computers. Home entertainment using technology devices and services is dominated by younger adults and parents, although not entirely so.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: the profile of home entertainment users, home entertainment devices, and home entertainment trends.

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Highlights: Game Consoles, Gaming PCs, and Game-Playing

Playing games is a widespread pastime about much more than game consoles. Although game console users are numerous and active, many adults play immersive and other games using their smartphones, computers, and tablets. VR headsets are also starting to make a dent in the market, beginning with the most active gamers who aren’t necessarily the youngest adults.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: the profile of gaming wearables users, top platforms for game-playing, the profile of game-players, the profile of gaming PC users, the profile of game console users, and the profile of smartphone game-players.

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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.
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