Video Games Sales Statistics UK Edition [2024]
Last Updated: February 9, 2024
Have you ever wondered what kind of digital sales has managed to reach their peak during the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK? Well, the answer is here: British video games became a billion-pound gaming market!
If you would like to venture into the world of gaming in the UK, take your time to read this article.
Apart from presenting so many interesting facts related to video games sales statistics UK, this article also emphasises all the positive effects that video games can cause. One of the most striking attractiveness of video gaming is its power to improve the player’s short-term and long-term memory.
Before we conclude what makes video games so engaging, take a look at these exciting video games sales statistics UK:
Top 10 Video Games Sales Statistics UK
- As of 2020, the UK is in sixth place in the video game industry worldwide, after China, the USA, Japan, South Korea, and Germany.
- UK gaming population has increased by 63 % during the lockdown in 2021.
- FIFA 22 was the best selling game in the UK in 2020.
- In 2020, video game consumers spent £4.2 billion on video games.
- The UK video game sector employs over 47,000 people — directly and across associated industries.
- UK’s video game market was worth £5.3 billion in 2020, up from £4.8 billion in the previous year.
- The UK game video market provided 47,620 full-time jobs in 2018.
- Revenue in the video games segment is projected to reach £5,317 million in 2021.
- Revenue will increase up to £6.11 million by 2025.
- In 2021, 1.39% of Brits played games on their mobile phones.
Now it is time to present the world of gaming trends! UK gaming statistics have so many interesting facts.
Video Games Sales Statistics UK
As you can imagine, gamers spend loads of time playing games in the UK. If you are interested in gaming statistics, precisely what percentage of UK plays video games, the following gamer demographics will give you the answer:
36 million consumers played video games in the UK in 2020
On the other side, you will see they still can’t get enough! The most recent information tells us something about it:
The UK gaming population has increased by 63% during the lockdown in 2020
If you are eagerly waiting to find out what percentage of the different age groups of the UK gaming population plays games, we prepared some interesting details for you:
- 54.6% of young people aged between 16 and 24 played video games between 2017 and 2018
- 42% of video game consumers aged between 55 and 64 engaged in video games in the last five years
If we look a little bit further, we will see that 27% of the 65+ population have also played video games at the time mentioned above.
It seems that UK gaming industry trends affect even the most aged people in the UK. Almost half of the elderly UK population play video games.
What about children?
93% of children have been actively involved in playing video games during the lockdown
You might think this sounds bad, but gaming can cause many positive effects on children you didn’t expect. For example, video games affect children’s tactile, audio and visual senses, and fighting games can develop muscle memory and reaction time.
All age groups like to play video games, and besides that, they can also experience the aforementioned positive effects.
Let’s take a look at more statistics:
- 75% of British people aged between 35 and 44 played video games in 2019.
- 40% of the group above played games with their kids, while 31% played games to feel more relaxed.
Older people have found encouragement for playing video games in their desire to spend more time with their kids. One more question that you might not have expected is: What about mothers?
30% of UK mothers played games for more than 10 hours a week in 2020
So, how many people play video games in the UK? There is no doubt that the percentage of UK players is at a high level. Whether it’s about young or old age groups, there is not much difference.
Video Games Sales Statistics UK: Retail Revenue
First of all, would you try to imagine which country is the best at gaming? The following video game stats will give you the information about leading gaming markets worldwide:
The UK is in sixth place in the video game market worldwide, after China, the USA, Japan, South Korea, and Germany
Are video game sales declining? Definitely not! The UK video games industry has developed even more, and by 2020 it became the fifth biggest in the world. Furthermore, the UK video game market is aiming to become the first one. Take a look at the following information:
In 2020, the UK gaming industry was the biggest in Europe, and fifth in the world, after Japan, South Korea, China and the US
Gaming companies in the UK play an essential role in the digital industry and video game sales revenue in the UK is pretty high. Having in mind that video game sales statistics increased in 2020, it is logical that they had a real impact on the UK economy. Let’s put some light on this topic:
In 2020, consumers spent £4.2 billion on video games
The gaming market indeed continues to gain popularity as this statistic represents a 14.5% gaming industry growth from the previous year.
It is the first time that UK game sales exceeded the four billion pound mark. Below you can see statistics for video game software retail sales revenue:
Based on MCV/DEVELOP Magazine statistics, the UK bank account data shows a 71% rise in video games sales during the lockdown
Below, you can find a complete statistics display from Statista that represents revenues from video game access and ownership in the UK from 2012 to 2020:
Video Games Sales Statistics UK: Average Money Spent
Statista estimated that 7% of consumer spending on video games went to digital downloads or access for the three months previous to the survey. Check out the next statistic that displays the mobile gaming market – UK, from 2011 to 2019.
- UK game consumers spent £3.3 billion on video games, music and videos during the first six months of 2019.
- Smartphone Usage Statistics reveal that the UK has currently got around 20 million mobile gamers, out of which 6.2 million play games on their mobile phones daily.
According to Gamesindustry.biz, video game consumers from the mentioned group above spent £1.56 billion in the first half of 2019. However, one contrasting fact emphasises the superiority of the best-selling album over the top-selling game. Don’t be surprised when you read this:
Grand Theft Auto was one of the best selling games in the UK in 2020, with 361,312 units sold, whereas the Greatest Showman soundtrack sold 380,929 units simultaneously
Furthermore, the impact of the COVID-19 brought so many negative consequences, but it opened the door to the gaming industry. So, check out the statistics for the games market revenue worldwide, by region, in the chart below:
Considering the average amount of video games sales during 2019, we can infer that their digital economy has flourished. Check out one more fact below:
Since the COVID-19 lockdown began in 2020, children have decided to spend their pocket money on the online games sector more than ever
In the following chart, you will discover information about the gaming platforms ranked by sales of software, according to Statista’s research from 2018.
To dig into more details, what about gaming consoles ranked by a unit in 2019?
This statistic shows that PlayStation 4 was the biggest selling console in 2018. It can deliver incredible gaming power and vibrant HDR technology, and in that way, it can provide an unforgettable gaming experience.
Video Games Sales Statistics UK: Average Time Spent
Can you even guess how much time do average gamers spend playing video games? Prepare yourself and check it here:
In pre-COVID times, the average gamer would spend around 13 hours weekly playing games
According to this source, gamers managed to increase their playtime by five hours during the lockdown.
This information tells us that video game consumers should organise their time properly. Here is the more detailed report:
The average gamer usually spends between 1 and 3 hours playing games
This source further tells us that at least 3% of the population admits to playing games for 15 hours or more in one sitting.
During the winter holidays in 2019, consumers spent even more time on video games. Would you like to know what happened on Christmas Day?
25 million people logged on to the PC gaming platform Steam on Christmas Day in 2019
As long as people spend a substantial fraction of their daily activities on video games, PC game sales will increase. It seems that the most popular video games in the UK will be one of the best Christmas gifts in the following years.
Video Games Sales Statistics UK: Industry’s Revenue Share
According to Statista, revenue in the video games segment is projected to reach £5,317 million in 2022. That’s the time when the business will start to grow even more.
- Statista research shows that the market’s largest segment is Mobile Games, with a market volume of £3,004 million in 2022.
- Revenue will show an annual growth rate from 2021 to 2025 of 8.9%.
Predictions are that revenue will increase up to £6.11 million by 2025.
What about the average revenue per user?
According to Statista, the average revenue per user is predicted to amount to £114.18 in 2022
Video Games Sales Statistics UK: Gaming Industry Worth
You must be wondering how much is the gaming industry worth in the UK? TIGA’s latest report will give you the answer:
Revenue reached £907 million in 2019/2020, growing from £747 million
As reported by Statista, we will see that the following statistics show the number of principle retailers selling video games in the UK from 2013 to 2019, by type of retail company:
In 2019, video game consumers spent £603 million on boxed software
That is 21.7 % less from 2018, in which consumers spent £770 million on boxed software.
What about the mobile gaming market? According to Statista, the market value increased to £1.2 billion in 2019.
The following chart displays a timeline of the estimated value of the gaming industry in the UK from 2012 to 2024:
This chart shows us that the UK’s video game market was worth £5.3 billion in 2020, up from £4.8 billion in the previous year. In line with this, the sector will increase to an estimated £7 billion by 2024.
Who is the largest gaming company in the UK?
All of the UK’s most prominent and efficient games studios are famous because of their highly productive work environment. Here is what one survey revealed:
2,280 gaming companies were noted in the UK in 2019
UK Games companies are based in 23 towns or cities in the UK. In keeping with a map produced in 2016, 20 of them are based in the following areas: London, Bristol, Sheffield, Birmingham, Brighton, Manchester, Slough and Heathrow, Guildford and Aldershot, Cambridge, Liverpool & Nottingham.
Here are the top UK gaming companies that are recognised worldwide:
- Hutch (MMX Racing, Race Off, Smash Bandits)
- Sony Studios (The London Heist, Danger Ball, Scavenger’s Odyssey)
- International Game Technology (Black Widow, Balloonies, 100 Pandas, Cleopatra, CSI, Crown of Egypt)
- Sports Interactive (Football Manager, NHL Eastside Hockey Manager, Championship Manager)
- Playground Games (Forza Horizon 3)
- Bossa Studios (Toy Run, Merlin: the Game, Surgeon Simulator)
- Space Ape (Transformers: Earth Wars, Rival Kingdoms)
- Rare (Cameos: Effects of Power, Perfect Dark Zero, Viva Piñata)
There is one more interesting fact:
Popular international companies like Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Konami and Take-Two, have opened their work offices in the UK
Companies like Warner Bros, EA, and Ubisoft have invested in development studios and publishing networks in the UK. Staff who work in these companies can create the most innovative games to improve the UK’s gaming culture. So, the UK is an ideal place to develop new games properly.
Video Games Sales Statistics UK: Number of businesses
If you dream of being one of the game designers, you should know this information:
In 2019, the UK government supported The Creative Careers Programme, with $18.3 million
The Creative Careers Programme was established to raise awareness of employment opportunities in the creative industries.
Considering that the gaming industry actively nurtures new talent in multiple ways, we have prepared more statistics for you:
- The UK video games sector employs over 47,000 people directly and across associated industries.
- Gaming trends will give rise to £2.2 billion for the UK economy, with more than 1,740 jobs added to the sector in 2020.
- In 2020, each employee in the game sector was estimated to generate an average of £83,000 for the economy.
- Game developers have created jobs adding up to £60 million to the local economy in 23 towns and cities across the UK.
The UK is considered one of the top markets for attracting and retaining tech talent.
Video Games Sales Statistics UK: Most Popular Video Games
The most common question is: What is the best selling game in the UK? So, let’s explore the most popular video games in the UK:
- In 2019, the most popular video games in the UK were: LEGO The Incredibles, DC Super-Villain, Forza Horizon 4, Dirt Rally 2.0, FIFA 19.
- In 2020, FIFA 21 was the most popular video game in the UK, selling 2.18 million units.
- In 2020, FIFA 21, Call of Duty, Animal Crossing and Last of Us were some of the most played games.
It seems that FIFA 21 has a vital influence in the world of the gaming market, so let’s see if that is true according to Statista’s statistics:
These are the most played video games of 2020 according to units sold, and FIFA 21 had the best position in the whole fantastic world of video games.
On the other side, we can check out Statista’s predictions for console games ranked by unit sales in the year 2018:
It seems that everybody in the UK prefers to play football games. If we look deep into these UK gaming statistics, maybe we can answer the next question: How many copies does the average video game sell?
We can infer that the average game sells from 200.000 to 300.000 units in one year.
Video Games Sales Statistics UK: Growth Trend
As of 2020, our Earth is full of gamers! Pandemic has also created a whole new subgenre of gamers known as Covideogamers, who exclusively started gaming during the lockdown. Below is the most accurate information:
Compared to 36% of existing gamers between the ages of 18 and 34, Covideogamers account for 46% of the same age group population.
Digital download UK game sales, game hardware sales and sales of software are great examples of an increase in sales. Here is the example:
In March 2020, According to Game Sales Data, while physical game sales increased by 218.2%, the UK digital game downloads increased by 67.4%, and sales of gaming consoles increased by 126.6%.
Wrap Up
Now, when you are familiar with the essential statistics in terms of video games sales statistics UK, you can imagine their future development potential. Gaming stats have increased, not just in the UK, but also across the globe.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, video games effectively get everyone’s attention. In that way, video gamers can experience a wide range of emotions within the fantastic game world.
Sources
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