Popularity of Consoles Increased in Germany in 2024, but Smartphones Remained the Leader

In 2024, smartphones remained the most popular gaming platform in Germany, with 22.9 million players. Console gaming reached a new record of 20.5 million players. Meanwhile, 19 million Germans played on more than one platform.

In 2024, smartphones remained the most popular gaming platform in Germany, with 22.9 million players - a figure that has remained relatively stable over the past two years. However, the number of console gamers increased significantly last year. Around 20.5 million Germans played on consoles in 2024 - the highest number ever - up from 18.7 million in 2023. Console gaming has shown strong overall development in recent years, with the number of console players in Germany rising by 29 per cent since 2019. This is largely due to the great popularity of the current console generation. These figures were released by game, the German Games Industry Association, and are based on data and statistics compiled by YouGov Shopper, Nielsen IQ, and data.ai (a Sensor Tower company).

The number of PC gamers in Germany fell to 13.1 million in 2024, a decrease of 400,000 since 2023. This continued the downward trend for this market segment in recent years. Compared to 2019, when there were 16.3 million PC gamers in Germany, this represents a decline of 20 per cent. Conversely, more German players are turning to tablet computers, with this group growing by 300,000 in twelve months to reach 10.3 million. Many Germans don't limit themselves to just one device: around 19 million people use two or more platforms.

"For years, the tremendous success of the smartphone as the most widely used gaming platform has been unsurpassed," comments Felix Falk, Managing Director of game - The German Games Industry Association. "It offers millions of Germans an accessible way to play, along with a huge variety of games for beginners and experienced players alike. But the game console is closing in on the top spot. A major contribution to this is coming from the great popularity of the current generation of consoles, which is enjoying ongoing technical development in various aspects – from more high-performance versions to special accessories that continue to optimise the gaming experience."

Having reached heights in recent years, the German games market experienced a decline in growth in 2024. Last year, sales revenue from games, gaming hardware, and online gaming services in Germany totalled €9.4 billion – a 6 per cent drop from the previous year. The downturn was particularly evident in game purchases for PCs, consoles and smartphones, which fell by 17 per cent to €921 million, and in hardware purchases, which fell by 10 per cent to €2.9 billion. However, revenue from online gaming services increased by 12 per cent from 2023, running counter to the overall market trend.

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