Staying Fit
Adults ages 50-plus are a growing segment in the gaming industry. By 2045, an estimated 100 million gamers ages 50 and up will be playing. And as boomers push past age 65 and Gen X and millennials approach 50, the need and opportunity continue to mount for game makers to improve features in ways that support an enjoyable gaming experience for all ages.
Trends and preferences of the older gamer
While playing solo is perennially popular, 25% of 50-plus gamers play with children and grandchildren, 16% with friends, 15% with random opponents, and 14% with other family members. In fact, 12% play with friends they meet through gaming.
Smartphones are the device of choice for gaming, followed by tablets and laptops, desktops, and consoles like Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo. Most older gamers play regularly, with 50% saying they play every day and 2% playing only once a month.
With longevity in mind, gamers 50-plus prefer brain teasers and logic-based games that make you think. Puzzle, card, tile, and word games are preferred over sports, action/adventure, and strategy types of game genres.
What’s the motivation? Gamers 50-plus play for enjoyment, relaxation, mental acuity, and just to have fun. Other motivations:
- Relieve boredom
- Be challenged
- Reduce stress
- Find a sense of achievement
- Play something strategic
- Change mood
Challenges with aging
As with any form of exercise or activity, age-related decline is common. Normal aging can affect processing speed, working memory, and executive function, all of which are key to decision-making skills and gameplay.
Likewise, fine motor skills, coordination, and reaction time, coupled with vision and hearing loss, can make gameplay even more challenging. Some 66% of gamers say they’ve experienced an age-related decline, with musculoskeletal and vision changes being most common, followed by mobility and hearing challenges.
Addressing accessibility in gaming, that is, the barriers caused by mismatches between one’s abilities and game design, is essential for inclusive gaming. Across three types of accessibility (technical, auditory/visual, and cognitive/physical) half of older gamers have experienced at least one issue. Accessibility barriers and frustrations can be disruptive to gameplay, particularly issues such as an overly sensitive mouse or controller, confusing directions, and difficult to read font.
Age-friendly design for all gamers
Older gamers say they also need to be able to adjust accessibility options. Important and valued features for older gamers that game makers should prioritize include the ability to reduce in-game background noise volume, easy onboarding, the ability to turn off distracting special effects, adjustable difficulty settings, and the option to increase font size.
Three-in-four respondents, 74%, believe inclusive design should be a priority to allow gamers of all abilities to personalize their sensory and cognitive experiences. There’s also a need for cross-platform game development, particularly for older gamers who access and enjoy their favorite games across different devices.
As some older gamers face aspects of age-related decline, there’s a critical need for the industry to enhance the user experience by addressing not only accessibility but also usability and age-friendly design components to make gaming fun for all. Actionable steps developers can take include increased visibility of accessibility options, implementing easy-to-access in-game support systems, and optimizing for play across multiple devices.
Methodology
The nationally represented 16-minute online survey of 1,005 U.S. adults ages 40-plus who play games with any device at least monthly was conducted February 22–27, 2024. No weighting was applied.
For more information, please contact Brittne Kakulla at bkakulla@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.
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