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According to new research, over half of all gamers plan to buy a next-gen console within three months of launch, with Sony’s Playstation 5 the clear device of choice.
The findings come via a wide-ranging survey of over 3,000 pop culture fans in the UK undertaken by pop culture agency Experience12. Data was collected between June 25th and July 2nd through MCM Comic Con online channels. 80 per cent of the respondents were aged between 18 and 34 (48 per cent were in the 25-34 year old category; 32 per cent in the 18-24 category). Meanwhile, 58 per cent were male, 38 per cent female, 2 per cent non-conforming and 1 per cent transgender.
When asked to choose which upcoming console they were most excited about, 84 per cent named PlayStation 5, compared to 15 per cent who are most anticipating Xbox Series X.
It is worth noting that this is perhaps an effect of Microsoft’s cross-generational plan, with games being playable on both current Xbox Ones and Xbox Series X following launch, as Xbox’s Matt Booty revealed to us in an interview.
In terms of when they plan to buy these new consoles, 37 per cent said ‘at launch’, 9 per cent expect to buy within a month, 12 per cent within three months and 26% within six months of launch.
Given the intense hype around the game, even following its delay to November 19th, Cyberpunk 2077 is unsurprisingly the most anticipated game among those surveyed. 43 per cent of respondents said CD Projekt’s title was the one they’re most excited about, followed by Square Enix’s Marvel’s Avengers at 15 per cent.
Top 5 Most Anticipated Releases
- Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt)
- Marvel’s Avengers (Square-Enix)
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 Remaster (Activision)
- Dying Light 2 (Techland)
- Halo Infinite (Xbox Game Studios)
In terms of the current generation, the Playstation 4 remains the preferred platform (59 per cent), ahead of the Xbox One (16 per cent), PC (14 per cent) and Switch (8 per cent). However, 12 per cent of those surveyed said they had bought a Switch during lockdown – it would have been interesting to see how the Switch would have fared were it not for the supply shortage during the crisis.
Sticking on the COVID-19 note, headsets were the most acquired peripherals during lockdown (14 per cent), followed by controllers (10 per cent), then mice & keyboards and gaming chairs (3 per cent each).
Facebook is the most popular social media platform among those surveyed (46 per cent), beating Instagram (29 per cent), Twitter (17 per cent), Snapchat (2 per cent) and TikTok (1 per cent).
Facebook is also where most gamers find out about upcoming releases –28 per cent utilise this platform for news on releases, slightly ahead of YouTube at 25 per cent. Twitter is used by 15 per cent for this purpose, followed by ‘online ads’ (13 per cent), plus ‘friend recommendations’ and ‘Instagram’ (3 per cent each). Traditional print magazines, podcasts and TV ads were listed by just 1% of respondents. Speaking as a traditional print magazine ourselves, we recommend our release date page – personally hand picked releases by the most handsome staff writer in the business.
73 per cent of those surveyed watch livestreams, with 50 per cent choosing Twitch as their preferred platform, ahead of YouTube at 39 per cent and Facebook Live at 8 per cent.
‘Learning about upcoming films, tv or games’ was the key reason for watching livestreams for 38 per cent of respondents, followed by ‘learning about games I’m playing’ at 23 per cent, ‘chatting and socialising’ at 10 per cent, ‘influencer content’ at 8 per cent and ‘games competitions’ at 6 per cent.
Finally, the survey polled which TV adaptations of video game IPs gamers are most excited about.
HBO’s adaptation of The Last Of Us is in first at 34 per cent, followed by Season 2 of The Witcher (Netflix) at 19 per cent. The Uncharted movie is eagerly anticipated by 9 per cent.
But another 9 per cent say ‘stop trying to make games into TV shows or films,’ so I guess we can’t all be happy.
