Americans are embracing mobile gaming — mostly by playing at home

Millions of Americans are playing games on mobile devices. That’s no surprise, for sure, but it’s confirmed by formal research released today by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the trade group for the game industry. And where and how they play is a bit surprising.

A third of Americans 13 and older play video games on their smartphones, tablets, and portable gaming devices, according to the report, “Mobile Games: Expanding Gameplay Across America,” with industry analyst The NPD Group handled for the ESA. About two-thirds of mobile gamers say that playing mobile games has not taken away from the time they spend on other game devices, such as home gaming consoles like the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One or PCs. Fifty-four percent of mobile gamers say their overall playtime has remained steady across devices, while 11 percent are spending more time on other electronics.