Children under 18 make up 23% of the US gaming audience for a total of 46.4 million young gamers, according to the latest report from The Entertainment Software Association. 

For its annual Essential Facts About the US Video Game Industry report, the ESA conducted interviews across the US in February with 4,000 gamers (757 kids and teens plus 3,243 adults), as well as 1,000 adults who spend less than an hour a week playing games, to determine new gaming behavior trends and preferences. 

While it’s commonly believed that kids only enjoy playing on mobile devices, Generation Alpha emerged as the most active console gamers at 69%, surpassing Gen Z (65%), Millennials (60%), Gen X (29%) and Boomers (7%). Gen Alpha is also the top cohort when it comes to gaming on VR-capable devices (14%) and the second-highest on mobile devices (85%) after Gen X (87%), the study found. 

In terms of what the different age groups are playing, Gen Alpha audiences primarily enjoy arcade games (67%), puzzles (66%) and action titles (62%). Meanwhile, preferences in the primarily teenage Gen Z crowd shift to shooters as the top gaming genre at 58%, followed closely by action titles (56%) and arcade games (53%). 

And mom and dad are also getting in on the fun, with 82% of US parents playing video games with their kids and 52% playing with them weekly, according to the report. Among the top reasons parents gave, 61% said it’s a fun activity, 55% answered that gaming is a good opportunity to socialize with their kids, and 44% noted that their child asks to play video games together regularly. 

Among the study’s other findings, 70% of US parents said they prefer that their kids play video games rather than spending time on social media, adding that these games offer their children more potential benefits than X, TikTok or Instagram—such as bolstering their problem-solving skills and creative thinking.