Men prefer gaming on consoles, women on smartphones
According to Mintel’s UK-based survey, girls age 7-15 were more likely to own, and use, a smartphone than boys the same age. Furthermore, boys are more likely to own and use gadgets that entertain, such as game consoles and desktop computers.
New research in the U.S. from Magid and PlaySpan also found a gender discrepancy with the use of these gadgets.
They survey reveals that mobile is fast becoming the gaming platform of choice. While 35% of respondents said that gaming consoles were their platform of choice, 45% cited mobile devices (34% smartphones / 11% tablets). PCs were favored by just 6%.
“The modern era of console, PC and mobile game development is quickly changing,” said PlaySpan head Andre Machicao. “Developers are faced with more platform choices and monetization channels than ever before, and these survey results offer a clear view into where developers should be placing their bets to broaden their audience.”
Despite the adoption of mobile, men were far more likely to prefer gaming consoles than women – 49% vs. 18% – while more women preferred smartphones than men – 45% vs. 25%.