MOSCOW, 4 July 2024. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey about video games conducted among Russians.

 Male and youth hobby

Almost every fifth Russian is a gamer and 21% used to play video games, based on a June survey conducted by VCIOM. In other words, four in ten respondents have an idea of gaming (43%).

Over the recent five years the share of former gamers has decreased by 12 p.p. (33% in 2019), and the share of those who do not know what it is has increased by 9 p.p.; more than half of Russians have never played video games – 57% (2019 – 48%).

This hobby can be characterized in the following way:

1. Male. The number of men playing video games, both current (30%) and former gamers (27%), is twice as big compared to women (16%, each).
2. Youth. The core audience is Zoomers, or the 18-23-year-olds (59% of them play video games). Those who have experience with video gaming are often Millennials (41% of Younger Millennials and only 24% of Older Millennials continue playing video games). On the contrary, 33% of the latter do not play them any more (vs. 21% and 27% of the two younger generations). 
3. Expensive. Those interested in e-games are largely those who assess their financial situation as good (27% play now, 26% played before) or average (22% and 21% respectively). The percentages of the former and the current gamers in the low-income group are 15% and 17% respectively.
4. Typical of urban residents. About a quarter of respondents (24-29%) and only every ninth rural area resident (11%) play video games today.

Devices we play on

Today many games are designed to play on different devices – computer, smartphone, tablet and console. Despite a variety of devices, the Russians gamers (including former gamers) tend to play on two devices (average number chosen from seven possible – 2.0). PCs and laptops are at the top of the list (74% of the former and the current gamers). This is followed by mobile phones (55%). Remarkably, it is popular among current, rather than former gamers (63% vs. 46%). Every fifth respondent prefers PlayStation (22%); another 17% use tablets. Least popular devices are Xbox (11%), Nintendo Switch (5%) and Steam Deck (3%).

Those gamers who like game consoles (26%) often use other devices too. They play on PlayStation (85%),  PCs (76%), mobile phones (64%), as well as Xbox (41%) and tablets (32%). An average number of devices mentioned by console gamers is 3.27. Mobile phone gamers are also more selective in terms of PC: the former play only on a PC (100%), or on a mobile phone (49%); the latter, on a mobile phone (95%), a PC (65%) and a tablet (30%), meaning they combine traditional gaming platforms. On average, PC and mobile phone gamers mentioned 2.15 and 2.46 of devices respectively.

Domestic video game developers

For the time being, the digital products created by the Russian developers are likely not to be used: over the recent 2-3 years three in ten gamers has played Russian video games (29% of those who play of used to play video games); as to Zoomers, six in ten of them play Russian video games (62%). Most of those who have played any Russian video games say that they liked the last Russian game they played (91%, of the number of the current and former gamers who have played Russian video games in recent years).

More than half of gamers have not played any Russian video games (56%); another 15% failed to answer the question.

No to e-sport!

Sometimes interest in video gaming can grow into something bigger, however Russians are still skeptical about cyber sports: about half of respondents would not like their children/grandchildren to be fond of e-sports (46%, 2021 – 46%). Every third favors the idea (33%, 2021 – 34%); another 11% are indifferent (2021 – 12%).

Those who have positive perceptions of e-sports are often those Russians who are interested in video games, in particular men (38% vs. 28% of women), those aged under 42 (Zoomers – 56%, Younger Millennials – 38%, Older Millennials – 45%), as well as urbanites (31-41% vs. 23% of rural are residents).

All-Russian VCIOM-Sputnik telephone survey was conducted 24 June, 2024. A total of 1,600 respondents aged 18 and older took part in the survey. Survey method: telephone interviews, stratified random sample based on a complete list of mobile phone numbers in use in Russia. The data were weighted for socio-demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.

Key effectiveness indicators, survey of 24 June, 2024:  cooperation rate (CR)* = 0.8078; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0.0116; response rate (RR)*** = 0.0606. Calculations are based on corporate standard https://profi.wciom.ru/principy_standarty/korporativnyj-standart-po-izmereniyu-rezultativnosti-oprosov-sputnik-vciom/

* CR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews and b) non-interviews with eligible respondents.

** MRR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the respondents where it is unknown whether they meet the selected criteria or not.

 ** RR is calculated in the same way as MRR, with the only difference that the number of respondents with unknown eligibility decreases proportional to the percentage of eligible cases in the total number of respondents with identified eligibility or non-eligibility.

*In 2019 the question wording was “Have you ever played video games, If yes, do you play them now?”