5.7 million UK adults ‘only started playing video games in 2021’

Up to six million adults in the UK only started playing video games last year, according to research from Marmalade Game Studio.

The gaming company said that overall there are around 44 million video game users in the UK.

Marmalade commissioned the independent consumer research company Consumer Intelligence to interview 1,022 adults aged 18-plus weighted to represent the UK population between November 12th and 14th 2021.

It says that the increase in adult players was “fuelled by restrictions” during the pandemic.

The study suggested that around 700,000 UK adults expect to start playing digital games for the first time this year.

“The UK video game market is the largest in Europe and the sixth biggest in the world, with an annual revenue of around £5.89 billion, and we expect it to continue to enjoy rapid growth,” said Cristina Mereuta, co-chief executive, Marmalade Game Studio.

    Share Story:

Recent Stories


The future-ready CFO: Driving strategic growth and innovation
This National Technology News webinar sponsored by Sage will explore how CFOs can leverage their unique blend of financial acumen, technological savvy, and strategic mindset to foster cross-functional collaboration and shape overall company direction. Attendees will gain insights into breaking down operational silos, aligning goals across departments like IT, operations, HR, and marketing, and utilising technology to enable real-time data sharing and visibility.

The corporate roadmap to payment excellence: Keeping pace with emerging trends to maximise growth opportunities
In today's rapidly evolving finance and accounting landscape, one of the biggest challenges organisations face is attracting and retaining top talent. As automation and AI revolutionise the profession, finance teams require new skillsets centred on analysis, collaboration, and strategic thinking to drive sustainable competitive advantage.