Global: Gamers are much likelier to be early tech adopters

Global: Gamers are much likelier to be early tech adopters

Rishad Dsouza - May 4th, 2022

Gamers tend to research before buying gaming tech like gaming PCs, mobile phones, consoles, and other tech, making them generally more tech-savvy (or at least better informed) than the general public. Does this predisposition make them an ideal audience to pitch fresh technology-based products and services to?

We look into the subject using YouGov Global Profiles, our newly launched tool which collects continuous data on hundreds of consistent data points across a variety of markets.

Globally, gamers are almost two times likelier than non-gamers to agree with the statement “I am often among the first of my friends to try new technology products and services”. About two in five gamers (42%), compared to about a fifth of non-gamers (22%), agree with that statement.

South Africans top the overall list, with almost two-thirds of South African gamers (64%) saying they are often the first in their social circle to try out new technology products and services. Just under two in five non-gamers say the same there (37%).

Over half of urban Indian gamers (54%) agree with the statement compared to just a third of non-gamers (33%). Exactly half of the gamers in UAE indicate their willingness to try out new tech products and services before their friends and family, again sharply outscoring their non-gaming counterparts (27%).

In North American markets of the USA and Mexico, the gap between gamers and non-gamers is even wider. In both markets, over two in five gamers say they often try out new tech before their friends and family (42%), compared to slightly under one in five non-gamers in both markets. Although the overall figures are lower, Canada follows a similar trend (37% of gamers vs 17% of non-gamers).

The relative gap between the two groups is smallest in Slovakia, where roughly a quarter of both gamers (26%) and non-gamers (24%) say they often try out new tech before their friends. A similar trend is noticed in some other East European countries, such as Croatia (39% gamers vs 33% non-gamers), Hungary (29% gamers vs 21% non-gamers) and Czech Republic (26% gamers vs 19% non-gamers).

For marketers looking for an audience to try out bold new tech products and services, pitching to gamers might be a good bet.

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