UKIE Research Shows "Record Numbers" Of UK Over-55s Play Video Games

Published: May 2, 2019 11:30 AM /

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New research suggests that far more over-55s play video games than we might previously have thought. According to a survey, 42 percent of British people aged between 55 and 64 - and 27 percent of those over 65 - have played video games in the last five years. The research comes to us courtesy of the UK Interactive Entertainment Association (UKIE) and its Must Play May campaign.

The association's survey asked over 2,000 people in the UK about their gaming habits. One in five grandparents said they play video games with their grandchildren, while two in five (40 percent) said they played regularly with their own children. 40 percent of those aged over 60 play strategy games to help their brain health, while 20 percent play multiplayer games with their younger family members to "earn brownie points".

There are also perhaps some less surprising numbers in the survey. 85 percent of those aged below 35 said they frequently play video games. 75 percent of those aged between 35 and 44 regularly engage with the hobby. The main reason here seems to be kids, with 40 percent of the latter group citing their children as their main reason for gaming. 31 percent of 35-44-year-olds said they played video games to relax.

UKIE and Must Play May have also been digging into what kinds of games people like to play. Unsurprisingly, games like LEGO The Incredibles and LEGO DC Super Villains are popular with all ages. Also topping the list of games everyone loves are racers like Forza Horizon 4 and sports games like FIFA 19. No wonder, given how crazy the UK is about football-slash-soccer.

This news will come as a balm to any older gamers worried about how society views them. "You are not alone," says UKIE and Must Play May's research. As the current gaming generation grows older, it's hard not to imagine more and more silver-haired gamers picking up controllers. We'll have to see as time goes on.

What are your gaming habits? Do your parents or grandparents play video games? Let us know in the comments below!

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Joe has been writing for TechRaptor for five years, and in those five years has learned a lot about the gaming industry and its foibles. He’s originally an… More about Joseph