Australia Plays 2023 report says four out of five Aussies play video games

This morning, peak industry body Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA) has released the new Australia Plays 2023 report in conjunction with Bond University, revealing that four out of five (81%) of Aussies play video games, showing a 14% increase from the previous report.

Proving what we already figured over the last several years, gaming is no longer a hobby that’s considered exclusive to kids, nerds, or boys; the report shows that gamers are likely to be high achievers, often use video games to improve mental health, and are using the platform to socialise, with 91% of gamers reporting that games create feelings of enjoyment in their lives.

Other interesting stats include that more women and girls are playing games than ever before, with 48% making it almost an even split. From what we can see in the report, there’s no deep-dive into all genders and sexualities, with non-binary players making up only 0.1% (but we know there’s more than that)! The report also shows that many gamers want more diversity from their video games; when asked how important it is for video games to portray diversity, “Accessibility and inclusion diversity” came in at 87%, Age, Cultural and Language diversity at 83%, Ethnic and Race diversity at 82% and Gender diversity and Sexual Orientation diversity coming in at 77% and 70% respectively.

“With 94% of Australian households having at least one device to play video games, there is no denying the significance of video games in the lives of everyday Aussies. 91% of parents are using video games to connect with their children, supporting cognitive growth and providing important family bonding time,” said Dr. Jeffrey Brand, Professor at Bond University and author of the report.

“Australia Plays 2023 proves that Australia is a nation that loves to play, achieve, connect, and learn through video games,” said Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA. “Over 80% of the population is now engaging with video games, making it clear that video games have become a part of everyday life. Over 90% of Australian gamers say they find joy in video games, as is reflected by our successful local industry. Video games have proven to be very important to this country’s economy, as can be seen by the recently released consumer video games sales data in Australia.”

While the report certainly doesn’t cover everything, it is a pretty interesting look at the gaming habits and behaviors of Australians.

You can read the full Australia Plays 2023 report here.