In 2023, the Italian video game market experienced positive growth, surpassing 2.3 billion euros with a 5% increase from the previous year, according to the report “Video games in Italy in 2023” published by IIDEA. The majority of Italian video gamers are men, with 8 million (61%) and an average age of 30, while female gamers number 4.9 million (38%) with an average age of 31. Additionally, there are 0.1 million individuals who identify as neither male nor female, a new figure reported for the first time in 2023.
The hardware segment in Italy had a record-breaking year in 2023, experiencing a 63% increase from the previous year due to the availability of new consoles. Hardware sales reached an estimated value of 487 million euros, up 70% annually. Accessories also saw growth, with sales up 46% to 178 million euros. Despite an overall decline in software purchases by just over 8%, it remains the largest segment in the Italian gaming market, valued at around €1.6 billion or around €71% of the total market size. New game purchases increased by around €6% from last year’s figures and totaled €777 million euros for physical and digital channels alike.
In terms of platforms, mobile devices were once again found to be extremely popular among Italian gamers, with around nine million users playing games like Brain/Puzzle (which accounted for around twenty percent), Trivia (eighteen percent) and Role Playing/Strategy games (sixteen percent). Consoles came in second place with almost six million gamers focusing on sports (twenty-nine percent), racing (twenty-six percent), and shooter games (twenty-two percent). PCs were used by four and a half million gamers primarily for strategy games (nineteen percent), shooter games (sixteen percent), and sports games (fourteen percent).
Overall, it was encouraging to see that many Italians continued to play video games throughout the year despite some challenges posed by the pandemic. However, it was also noted that this trend may not continue beyond this year as only seventy-three per cent of gamers played at least an hour per week on average – one hour less than in previous years.
In conclusion, despite some challenges posed by economic factors such as supply chain disruptions caused by pandemic restrictions or fluctuating exchange rates affecting hardware prices across different regions worldwide; video gaming continues to be a thriving industry worldwide. With ever-growing demand for new releases and innovative technology driving innovation within this sector