62% of UK adults played computer games during the pandemic, says Ofcom

Most British adults played computer games during the pandemic after the lockdown gave people the time to indulge in releases such as Animal Crossing and contributed to a shortage of next-generation game consoles.

Research by Ofcom found that 62% of UK adults played some form of computer game in 2020. The media regulator said this represented an increase on previous years, as adults sought new forms of entertainment under the restrictions of the pandemic. Although younger people are still substantially more likely to play games, there was an uptick across all age groups driven by casual gaming on mobile phones.

The finding tallies with recent figures from the UK games industry which suggested Britons spent £7bn on gaming last year. Despite the comparative lack of mainstream media attention given to gaming, the industry is substantially more valuable than other parts of the British media such as the recorded music industry.

The research, contained in Ofcom’s annual report on media usage in the UK, also found that men and women are equally likely to play games but in different ways. Women were more likely to play games on smartphones, which can suit more casual gaming experiences, whereas men were more likely to use games consoles or computers.

Men were also more likely than women to play games online with or against others, something which Ofcom linked to device preference and the types of games being played.

The figures were even starker among children aged 5-15, with seven in ten playing games online in 2020 and boys in particular using this as a way to connect with their friends.

Ofcom even found that a quarter of preschoolers were online gaming in 2020 – with parents saying that nearly half of children aged 3 to 4 now own their own tablet and nearly one in 20 have their own smartphone.

The number of households without access to the internet, which tends to include older and poorer parts of the population, has remained stubbornly high for many years despite efforts to close the so-called digital divide. However, the pandemic has also helped substantially reduce the number of people without access to the internet, after people were forced online in order to stay in touch with their relatives and access key services.

Ofcom estimated that the number of people without internet access appears to have fallen from 11% of homes in March 2020, when the UK entered lockdown, to 6% of homes – around one and a half million – in March this year.

Other findings include the extent to which Facebook is increasingly the favoured social media app for older people, while younger users turn to the likes of TikTok and messaging app Discord. Older users were also much more likely to be in favour of introducing rules to restrict inappropriate or offensive content, while younger members of Gen Z who grew up with the internet were more likely to oppose regulation.

Yih-Choung Teh, Ofcom’s strategy and research group director, said: “For many people, lockdown will leave a lasting legacy of improved online access and better digital understanding. But for a significant minority of adults and children, it’s only served to intensify the digital divide.

“We’ll continue to work with government and other partner organisations to promote digital literacy and ensure that people of all ages and backgrounds are empowered to share in the benefits of the internet.”