Following the release of our exclusive article for Now and Next subscribers – The Cultural Relevance of Video Games – back in April 2026, we asked the British public about their gaming habits as part of our monthly consumer sentiment questionnaire – The Optimism Index.

Included were questions about gaming preferences, routines and behaviours, such as whether or not people are playing on a regular basis, how much time they are spending playing per week, and how much they are spending on in-game content, amongst many others.

The data, with 1500 nationally representative responses collected between 9th and 17th June 2026, has helped us to construct a market segmentation of the UK’s adult gaming population. This is a process that helps us to identify certain distinct groups within the wider gaming landscape, and helps to focus on those segments of the wider population who may be of the greatest interest for brands within the sector.

To first identify the gaming population amongst our sample, we use responses to the question – How frequently do you play video games?

Out of the five available options, we have defined the adult gaming population as those who are playing on at least a weekly basis, including those who are playing daily, with this representing 46% of the UK adult population – or approximately around 25 million people.

Within this total gaming population, we have then identified five unique and distinct segments, using a combination of factor analysis and two-step clustering – with every gamer across the UK falling into one of these five segments.

Segment One – Mobile Focus (29%)

This segment is the largest of the five, representing 29% of all adult gamers across the UK. They are also skewed towards older generations, with almost six in ten being aged 45 or above. Yet the most defining aspect of this segment is their preferred gaming platform, with 91% saying that they play on mobile – far higher than the average gamer across the population, whilst they are also far less likely to be playing on console or PC platforms. This group enjoy gaming and primarily play for entertainment or fun, and their habits reflect this, with almost a quarter playing for 10 or more hours per week.

Segment Two – Low Engagement (21%)

The second segment are titled Low Engagement – representing just over a fifth of the adult gaming population. This segment are also older than the average gamer, but unlike the first segment are playing for considerably less time each week, with two thirds playing for 5 hours or less. This group also skew towards mobile devices, and comprise of the highest percentage of women of any segment. The amount of time they spend gaming is trending downwards, with 23% saying they are playing less than compared to a year ago, and wider engagement with content online is almost non-existent.

Segment Three – Console Casual (14%)

The third gaming segment are Console Casual – with this being the smallest segment, representing 14% of adult gamers across the UK. This segment comprise primarily of younger generations, most notably Millennials, yet they are also the least frequent gamers on a weekly basis, with just a fifth (21%) playing daily. They are also strongly skewed towards consoles, in particular PlayStation, with almost three quarters playing on this platform, versus fewer than half of all gamers across the population.

Segment Four – Core Enthusiasts (16%)

The fourth segment comprise of the Core Enthusiasts, and this group, who represent one in six gamers across the adult population, are likely of the most interest to brands in the sector. They are the most likely to be playing on a regular basis, with 43% playing for more than ten hours a week, whilst also spending more – with this group being more than twice as likely as the average gamer to be spending more than £200 per year on DLC (downloadable content). They also enjoy the competitive nature of gaming, with almost half playing for competition/challenge, and this translates into a far greater interest in watching esports through streaming platforms.

Segment Five – Social Experience (21%)

The fifth and final segment is titled Social Experience, and comprises of just over a fifth of adult gamers in the UK. This group are typically younger, but are not playing as regularly as compared to the Core Enthusiasts. Instead, this group is defined by their love of the social aspect of gaming. Half of the segment say that they play games to socialise and connect with friends and family, with many actually foregoing in person arrangements due to the social nature of their gaming sessions with friends. They also enjoy engaging with gaming communities, with 83% watching gaming content online through platforms like YouTube and Twitch.

 

What’s Next?

With gaming now so prominent across the population, we believe that it is essential to break down the gaming landscape to understand the different patterns of behaviour, interests and commercial opportunities that arise as a result.

Each of these five segments have distinct patterns and interests that will be directly commercially relevant to any leisure, digital, entertainment, gaming or hospitality brands across the country.

Our next focus will be on the Core Enthusiasts segment, as we believe that they may represent the most commercial opportunity for brands. They are spending more time playing than any other segment, feel greater levels of consumer confidence and optimism than the average UK gamer, and therefore plan to spend more as a result, both on in-home and out-of-home leisure activities.

For more information on this segmentation, or to chat further about the detail behind the segments, please feel free to email Harry Baker – Trajectory’s Senior Data Analyst at harry@trajectorypartnership.com