The US video game industry experienced an almost 20% increase in revenue as a result of the 2020’s pandemic. Momentum built from the previous year looks set to continue this 2021 as projections have the US video game industry crossing an important benchmark. According to data presented by Safe Betting Sites US, revenue from the US video game industry is projected to further increase by 11.2% and reach $30.37 billion in 2021.
US video game industry to grow by more than 11%
The lockdowns for 2020 were huge for the gaming industry which saw engagement spike across many if not all aspects of gaming. As a result, the gaming industry experienced an almost 20% rise in revenue in 2020, and in 2021 the industry is set for another double-digit growth.
Revenue is projected to cross the $30 billion mark for the first time in 2021 and reach $30.37 billion. From 2021-2025 revenue from the US video game industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.75% reaching $42.48 billion by the end of the forecast period. Out of four main gaming segments, Mobile games generate the most revenue for the US video game industry and in 2021 it is projected to generate more than $20 billion in revenue.
This also gives mobile games the highest projected growth rate among the four segments for 2021 at 12.1%. Notably, in pandemic stricken 2020, gaming networks and online games grew more than mobile games at 22% and 21.3% respectively, compared to just a 19.5% growth by the mobile games segment.
182 million gamers expected in 2025
The number of video game users in the US is projected to pass 160 million in 2021 and reach 163.1 million users. This figure is projected to reach over 182 million users by 2025. Mobile games had the largest user base out of the four segments, which is projected to grow to 155.9 million in 2021. Download Games had the second-largest number of users with a projected 136.4 million in 2021. Notably, almost 80% of US gamers are between the ages of 18 and 44.
The US video game industry’s penetration is projected to reach 49% in 2021 and pass the important 50% benchmark sometime in 2022. Mobile games again had the highest penetration rate out of the segments at 46.8% in 2021. Notably, the penetration rate of the US video game industry is more than 16 percentage points lower than the highest penetration rate in the world which belongs to the UK at 65.3%
Rex Pascual, esports editor at Safe Betting Sites US, commented:
“The US video game industry is the second largest in the world, trailing only the gaming behemoths that China has become. Advancements in technologies such as 5G and cloud-based gaming will only see penetration rates increase even more in the coming years, solidifying the industry’s status as one of the fastest-growing industries in the world.“
