47% of American Gamers Prefer Consoles, 27% Prefer PC, 26% Favor Mobile – Nielsen

Mikeha

Today the statistics agency Nielsen released its U.S. Games 360 report, giving some interesting surveyed information about the gaming habits of American gamers.

Interestingly, we notice that half of the hours spent on current generation consoles are actually spent doing activities unrelated to gaming, while 28% is spent online and 22% offline.

Xbox One players game a little more than PS4 players (50% of the time spent gaming against 48%), and the split between online and offline is pretty consistent among both platforms, with 31% of time spent online on Xbox One and 29% on PS4. Both user bases spend 19% of their time playing offline.

http://www.dualshockers.com/47-american-gamers-prefer-consoles-27-prefers-pc-26-prefers-mobile-nielsen/

Viper482

Not very revealing. 

mgilbrtsn

My guess, not having read anything about this, it breaks down to:

27%  Old (me included)
47%  Sweetspot 
26%  Diapers

Ozmodan

What else can you do on a console besides gaming unless you count watching a dvd which I don't think should not be counted.  A controller really limits activities to strictly gaming.  Even using the console UI is a real pain when it comes to having to use the controller.

Allerleirauh

I'm always dismissive when it comes to surveys. That being said, I preferred consoles when I was a child and my parents were buying them for me. I stick to gaming on a PC, and with MMOs now that I'm older. Also, why didn't they include Nintendo in their survey? Growing up, I only owned consoles that were made by Nintendo.

donger56

The people who prefer mobil probably do so because they aren't really gamers.  They just like to play candy crush while riding the subway to work, so that was really the only option. 47% of people are too stupid to operate a PC, so they picked console. Then you have the real gaming community who chose PC because why would anyone chose to game on a potato if you had a better option? This survey isn't all that informative, but it makes sense that the numbers are what they are.  

PsYcHoGBR

donger56 said:

The people who prefer mobil probably do so because they aren't really gamers.  They just like to play candy crush while riding the subway to work, so that was really the only option. 47% of people are too stupid to operate a PC, so they picked console. Then you have the real gaming community who chose PC because why would anyone chose to game on a potato if you had a better option? This survey isn't all that informative, but it makes sense that the numbers are what they are.  

cough* PC Master Race *cough

Theocritus

Consoles and Mobile are just so limited, I dont get why people want to be limited

SEANMCAD

Theocritus said:

Consoles and Mobile are just so limited, I dont get why people want to be limited

I think it directly correlates to marketing.
consoles market directly and indirectly far more than PC does and strong marketing despite what people think is a very powerful thing

Allerleirauh

donger56 said:

The people who prefer mobil probably do so because they aren't really gamers.  They just like to play candy crush while riding the subway to work, so that was really the only option. 47% of people are too stupid to operate a PC, so they picked console. Then you have the real gaming community who chose PC because why would anyone chose to game on a potato if you had a better option? This survey isn't all that informative, but it makes sense that the numbers are what they are.  

How can someone be "too stupid" to operate a PC? First of all, how did they conduct this survey, online? I think the person would know how to operate a PC, if so. I do agree; the mobile gamers are more than likely casual gamers that are playing something like candy crush.

Phaserlight

Theocritus said:

Consoles and Mobile are just so limited, I dont get why people want to be limited

Limited... except that I can jack in to an immersive 3d virtual world that presents itself in all directions on my phone.  I can't currently do that on my PC, for economic reasons.

Such an age of contradictions we live in, neh?

SEANMCAD

Phaserlight said:

Theocritus said:

Consoles and Mobile are just so limited, I dont get why people want to be limited

Limited... except that I can jack in to an immersive 3d virtual world that presents itself in all directions on my phone.  I can't currently do that on my PC, for economic reasons.

Such an age of contradictions we live in, neh?

Also 'hassle' reasons.

The main reason I dont VR as much as I thought I would is because I have to turn off my headphones, unplug those headphones, plug in the VR headset, plug in the sensor, move my monitor a bit, put on the headset, make sure it works and be tethered to the PC location.
its a friggin hassle. Experience fantastic, setup a hassle

Mikeha

Consoles are made for gaming and they do that better than PC.

Put the game in and it works as intended 99.9% of the time.  No driver issues, no crashes, no worring about how will it run.


Now outside of gaming PC may be bettter but for just gaming nothing beats a console. 

Cazriel

Wait, Nielsen?  These are the same guys that rule TV cancellations?  That for 70+ years have relied on a tiny segment of the population to tell you what to watch?  That every season gives the stats that get your favorite show canceled while some BS show gets renewed for the 20th season?  That Nielsen? 

Case in point, from the report header:

"The continued growth of eSports and the excitement and investment in
virtual and augmented reality, along with the increasing prevalence of
downloadable content, expansion packs and full digital games, only
underline the buoyancy of the industry in 2017."

Excitement over VR?  And we know how much we all love DLC, that content carved out by the devs and later sold separately.  And ooooohhhhaaaa, eSports, because that's what the majority of gamers like to do, watch other people have fun.  What's this big grain of salt doing on my desk? 

laserit

Recore said:

Consoles are made for gaming and they do that better than PC.

Put the game in and it works as intended 99.9% of the time.  No driver issues, no crashes, no worring about how will it run.


Now outside of gaming PC may be bettter but for just gaming nothing beats a console. 

If I threw some PC's to a Lost Tribe That Time Forgot in the Amazon, you might have a case.

Common sense tells me its the cost of entry that gives consoles the edge in population.

SEANMCAD

laserit said:

Recore said:

Consoles are made for gaming and they do that better than PC.

Put the game in and it works as intended 99.9% of the time.  No driver issues, no crashes, no worring about how will it run.


Now outside of gaming PC may be bettter but for just gaming nothing beats a console. 

If I threw some PC's to a Lost Tribe That Time Forgot in the Amazon, you might have a case.

the ENTIRE reason it 'nothing beats a console' is for undocumented evidence that updates are easier...

wow...dont they know that consoles update as well? or do they just ignore reality?

Sal1

Ozmodan said:

What else can you do on a console besides gaming unless you count watching a dvd which I don't think should not be counted.  A controller really limits activities to strictly gaming.  Even using the console UI is a real pain when it comes to having to use the controller.

I used my PS3 console for Hulu and Netflix yesterday. I also played 2 games of EA's NHL 2012 in be a pro mode. 

Phaserlight

SEANMCAD said:

Phaserlight said:

Theocritus said:

Consoles and Mobile are just so limited, I dont get why people want to be limited

Limited... except that I can jack in to an immersive 3d virtual world that presents itself in all directions on my phone.  I can't currently do that on my PC, for economic reasons.

Such an age of contradictions we live in, neh?

Also 'hassle' reasons.

The main reason I dont VR as much as I thought I would is because I have to turn off my headphones, unplug those headphones, plug in the VR headset, plug in the sensor, move my monitor a bit, put on the headset, make sure it works and be tethered to the PC location.
its a friggin hassle. Experience fantastic, setup a hassle

At some point I'd like to make an Aronofsky montage of setting up my GearVR; it takes less than 30 seconds, but involves a series of specific actions not the least of which is affixing a refrigerated gel pack to the front so the unit doesn't overheat.

GladDog

Ozmodan said:

What else can you do on a console besides gaming unless you count watching a dvd which I don't think should not be counted.  A controller really limits activities to strictly gaming.  Even using the console UI is a real pain when it comes to having to use the controller.

You can watch Netflix.

You can plug in a keyboard (at least on an Xbox) and browse the web.

You can stream music.  The optical audio connection with my stereo system when I am playing music sounds pretty good.

You can use Skype with an Xbox One.

There are plenty of things to do on a console besides game.  Not sure of exactly what you can do on a PS4, since I don't have one, but I would imagine there is not much difference between what you can do on an Xbox One.

SEANMCAD

GladDog said:

Ozmodan said:

What else can you do on a console besides gaming unless you count watching a dvd which I don't think should not be counted.  A controller really limits activities to strictly gaming.  Even using the console UI is a real pain when it comes to having to use the controller.

You can watch Netflix.

You can plug in a keyboard (at least on an Xbox) and browse the web.

You can stream music.  The optical audio connection with my stereo system when I am playing music sounds pretty good.

You can use Skype with an Xbox One.

There are plenty of things to do on a console besides game.  Not sure of exactly what you can do on a PS4, since I don't have one, but I would imagine there is not much difference between what you can do on an Xbox One.

So your saying it has some of the features that full access to the internet does but you just have to pay more for those features.

Mikeha

SedrynTyros said:

Recore said:

Consoles are made for gaming and they do that better than PC.

Put the game in and it works as intended 99.9% of the time.  No driver issues, no crashes, no worring about how will it run.


Now outside of gaming PC may be bettter but for just gaming nothing beats a console. 

That's a dubious claim.  There's a reason Blizzard segregates players of the console version of Overwatch from the PC version; the console players would get crushed by the skilled PC players because a good mouse kicks the shit out of a gamepad analog stick in FPS play.

And that has nothing to do with what I just said. 

Keep reaching. 

laserit

GladDog said:

Ozmodan said:

What else can you do on a console besides gaming unless you count watching a dvd which I don't think should not be counted.  A controller really limits activities to strictly gaming.  Even using the console UI is a real pain when it comes to having to use the controller.

You can watch Netflix.

You can plug in a keyboard (at least on an Xbox) and browse the web.

You can stream music.  The optical audio connection with my stereo system when I am playing music sounds pretty good.

You can use Skype with an Xbox One.

There are plenty of things to do on a console besides game.  Not sure of exactly what you can do on a PS4, since I don't have one, but I would imagine there is not much difference between what you can do on an Xbox One.

Agreed

A console is a PC (personal computer) any restrictions are purely artificial and by design.

Mikeha

laserit said:

Recore said:

Consoles are made for gaming and they do that better than PC.

Put the game in and it works as intended 99.9% of the time.  No driver issues, no crashes, no worring about how will it run.


Now outside of gaming PC may be bettter but for just gaming nothing beats a console. 

If I threw some PC's to a Lost Tribe That Time Forgot in the Amazon, you might have a case.

Common sense tells me its the cost of entry that gives consoles the edge in population.

Make up what ever makes you feel better. 

Mikeha

GladDog said:

Ozmodan said:

What else can you do on a console besides gaming unless you count watching a dvd which I don't think should not be counted.  A controller really limits activities to strictly gaming.  Even using the console UI is a real pain when it comes to having to use the controller.

You can watch Netflix.

You can plug in a keyboard (at least on an Xbox) and browse the web.

You can stream music.  The optical audio connection with my stereo system when I am playing music sounds pretty good.

You can use Skype with an Xbox One.

There are plenty of things to do on a console besides game.  Not sure of exactly what you can do on a PS4, since I don't have one, but I would imagine there is not much difference between what you can do on an Xbox One.

I can even download a Torrent on my Xbox One. 

I

laserit

Recore said:

laserit said:

Recore said:

Consoles are made for gaming and they do that better than PC.

Put the game in and it works as intended 99.9% of the time.  No driver issues, no crashes, no worring about how will it run.


Now outside of gaming PC may be bettter but for just gaming nothing beats a console. 

If I threw some PC's to a Lost Tribe That Time Forgot in the Amazon, you might have a case.

Common sense tells me its the cost of entry that gives consoles the edge in population.

Make up what ever makes you feel better. 

Lol

I only care about good games, I could give two fucks about what I play them on and that can even include the kitchen table.

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