U.S. Online Gamers: Who are these early 5G adopters?

Online gamers benefit from fast Internet speeds and low latency. It is no wonder that they are particularly interested in 5G and will more than likely be some of the first adopters. Who are these online gamers and how do they compare to other U.S. mobile consumers?

This market study focuses on U.S. mobile consumers who have an online gaming subscription. The market study provides a comparison between this group and all U.S. mobile consumers according to their awareness of 5G and likelihood to upgrade, and their awareness of Wi-Fi 6 and likelihood to upgrade. The market study also provides defining characteristics of U.S. gamers, including demographic variables, telecom activities and applications used. The market study uses results from iGR’s October 2020 survey of over 1,000 U.S. mobile consumers.

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Key Questions Answered

• How aware of 5G are U.S. online gamers and other U.S. mobile consumers, both in general and where they live?
• How likely are U.S. online gamers and other U.S. mobile consumers to buy a 5G phone and upgrade to 5G service in the next year?
• How aware of Wi-Fi 6 are U.S. online gamers and other U.S. mobile consumers? How likely is each group to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 in the next year?
• How likely are U.S. online gamers and other U.S. mobile consumers to support the deployment of 5G small cells where they live?
• Which online gaming services do U.S. online gamers subscribe to?
• What are some demographic characteristics of U.S. online gamers when compared to all U.S. mobile consumers?
• How do U.S. gamers’ online activities compare to those of all U.S. mobile consumers?
• Which video and communication applications do U.S. gamers use? How do these compare to those of all U.S. mobile consumers?

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Who Should Read

• Mobile operators
• Mobile infrastructure vendors
• Cable MSOs and other fixed broadband providers
• Device OEMs
• Content providers and distributors
• Financial analysts and investors.

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Table of Contents

• Abstract
• Executive Summary
  • Who are the gamers?
  • What This Means
• Methodology
• U.S. Gamers’ 5G Awareness
  • 5G Awareness
  • Awareness of Type of 5G in their Area
  • Support for 5G Infrastructure
• U.S. Gamers’ Likelihood to Upgrade to 5G Service and Willingness to Pay
  • Willingness to Pay for 5G
• U.S. Gamers’ Likelihood to Purchase a 5G Phone and Willingness to Pay
  • Willingness to Pay for 5G Phone
• U.S. Gamers’ Interest in 5G Home Internet and Willingness to Pay
  • Willingness to Pay for 5G Home Internet
• U.S. Gamers’ Wi-Fi 6 Awareness and Likelihood to Upgrade
  • Wi-Fi 6 Awareness
  • Likelihood to Upgrade to Wi-Fi 6
• Who are the Gamers?
  • Online Gaming Subscription Services
  • Home
  • On-the-Go
  • Communications and Video Streaming Apps
• Survey Demographics
  • Demographic Profile of U.S. Consumer Respondents
• Definitions
• About iGR
  • Disclaimer

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List of Tables

• Table 1: 5G Awareness - All versus Gamers
• Table 2: Awareness of Types of 5G - All versus Gamers
• Table 3: Support for 5G Infrastructure - All versus Gamers
• Table 4: Likelihood to Upgrade to 5G in the Next Year, All Survey Respondents
• Table 5: Likelihood to Upgrade to 5G in the Next Year, Gamer Survey Respondents
• Table 6: Willingness to Pay More for 5G - All versus Gamers
• Table 7: Likelihood to Purchase New 5G Phone - All versus Gamers
• Table 8: Price Willing to Pay for a 5G Phone - All versus Gamers
• Table 9: Interest in 5G Home Internet - All versus Gamers
• Table 10: Price Willing to Pay for 5G Home Internet - All versus Gamers
• Table 11: Wi-Fi 6 Awareness - All versus Gamers
• Table 12: Likelihood to Switch to Wi-Fi 6
• Table 13: Gaming Subscriptions
• Table 14: Respondent Age
• Table 15: Respondent Gender
• Table 16: Respondent Marital Status
• Table 17: Respondent Ethnic Background
• Table 18: Respondent Annual Household Income
• Table 19: Respondent Level of Education
• Table 20: Size of Household
• Table 21: Age of Children in Household
• Table 22: Respondent Region
• Definitions Table

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List of Charts

• Figure A: Very Likely or Somewhat Likely to Upgrade to 5G in the Next Year - All versus Gamers
• Figure 1: 5G Awareness, Very Aware and Aware - All versus Gamers
• Figure 2: Awareness of Types of 5G - All versus Gamers
• Figure 3: Support for 5G Infrastructure, Very Likely and Somewhat Likely - All versus Gamers
• Figure 4: Very Likely or Somewhat Likely to Upgrade to 5G in the Next Year - All versus Gamers
• Figure 5: Willingness to Pay More for 5G- All versus Gamers
• Figure 6: Likelihood to Purchase New 5G Phone - All versus Gamers
• Figure 7: Price Willing to Pay for a 5G Phone - All versus Gamers
• Figure 8: Interest in 5G Home Internet, Very Interested and Interested - All versus Gamers
• Figure 9: Price Willing to Pay for 5G Home Internet - All versus Gamers
• Figure 10: Wi-Fi 6 Awareness, Very Aware and Aware - All versus Gamers
• Figure 11: Likelihood to Switch to Wi-Fi 6
• Figure 12: Gaming Subscriptions
• Figure 13: Respondent Age
• Figure 14: Respondent Gender
• Figure 15: Respondent Marital Status
• Figure 16: Respondent Ethnic Background
• Figure 17: Respondent Annual Household Income
• Figure 18: Respondent Level of Education
• Figure 19: Size of Household
• Figure 20: Age of Children in Household
• Figure 21: Respondent Region

For additional information on the U.S. Online Gamers: Who are these early 5G adopters? market study, please contact Iain Gillott at (512) 263-5682 or by email.