In the Consumer Technology Association’s 2022 U.S. gaming survey, 82% of players said they played to “escape,” meaning to relieve stress or boredom or get away from reality, according to GamesBeat’s report of the findings. Escape was a common motivation, not the only one: the report also describes players pursuing goals and competition. The survey covered a market spread across mobile, console and PC gaming, but its broad categories do not mean every player shares the same tastes.
What does “playing to escape” mean?
GamesBeat’s Rachel Kaser reported that 82% of players in CTA’s survey said they played to escape. The article describes escape as relieving stress or boredom, or escaping reality. That finding indicates how respondents described a motivation; it does not establish that gaming reliably reduces stress or has the same effect for everyone.
The figure comes from GamesBeat’s account of CTA’s survey, not from CTA’s public 2022 press release, which provides other findings but does not repeat the 82% statistic. Read it as a reported result from that 2022 survey, not a current measurement of all gamers.
Who was included in CTA’s 2022 gaming research?
CTA’s report, The Future of Gaming: 2022, examined U.S. consumers ages 13–64, including gaming ownership, player segments, sentiment and future trends. GamesBeat says CTA surveyed 2,000 U.S. gamers; respondents qualified by having played at least one hour in the preceding three months. The public materials cited here do not establish a margin of error or describe the survey as a probability sample.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches#1 Best Overall
- BEST VALUE IN GAMING — Experience next-gen speed and performance in the smallest XBOX ever. The XBOX Series S delivers powerful all-digital gameplay in a sleek, compact design.
- UP TO 120 FPS GAMEPLAY — Enjoy smooth, responsive gaming with frame rates up to 120 FPS, powered by XBOX Velocity Architecture, a custom NVMe SSD, and DirectX Raytracing for a heightened level of realism.
- 1TB CUSTOM SSD AND XBOX VELOCITY ARCHITECTURE — Reduce load times dramatically with the custom 1TB NVMe SSD and XBOX Velocity Architecture, enabling lightning-fast performance and seamless world streaming.
- QUICK RESUME — Seamlessly switch between multiple games and resume exactly where you left off. No more waiting through title screens and loading bars.
- FOUR GENERATIONS OF DIGITAL GAMES — Play thousands of digital games from XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, XBOX 360, and Original XBOX with backward compatibility. Many titles are enhanced for better visuals and performance. Smart Delivery ensures you always get the best version for your console.
CTA estimated that 164 million people ages 13–64 in the United States played games—73% of the 224 million people in that age range—and that the total was 9 million higher than in 2019. These are CTA’s 2022 estimates, not worldwide totals or present-day counts.
How much time did players spend, and how did CTA segment them?
CTA reported an average of 24 hours of gaming per week. Its three segments differed in reported average play time:
Rank #2
- Model Number CFI-2000
- Includes DualSense Wireless Controller, 1TB SSD, 2 Horizontal Stand Feet, HDMI Cable, AC power cord, USB cable, printed materials, ASTRO’s PLAYROOM (Pre-installed game)
- Vertical Stand sold seperately
| CTA segment | Players in 2022 estimate | Average weekly play time |
|---|---|---|
| Hardcore | 40.9 million | 37 hours |
| Core | 55.6 million | 29 hours |
| Casual | 67.3 million | 13 hours |
These are CTA’s 2022 U.S. segment estimates and averages. They describe how CTA grouped players by engagement; they do not indicate what genres each group prefers or why any particular person plays.
What does “diverse tastes” mean in this survey?
The findings point to a broad gaming market rather than a single kind of player: CTA and GamesBeat discuss mobile, console and PC gaming, as well as interest in newer technologies such as virtual reality and cloud gaming. Players can also differ in how much time they spend and whether they value goals, competition or escape.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
- 6.2” LCD screen
- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
- Nintendo Switch is the home of Mario & friends
That evidence supports variety across platforms and play patterns, but not a detailed map of every genre or demographic preference. It also does not show that each individual player uses several platforms or has diverse tastes. CTA Researcher Steven Hummel framed the wider trend as a view about entertainment’s future, saying: “Accessible and immersive experiences are the future of entertainment, especially in gaming.” That is a forward-looking comment, not a survey result or a proven prediction.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is the escape finding still current?
No later result in the cited public material confirms whether the 82% figure has held steady. CTA lists a 2024 U.S. Future of Gaming study, but its public page does not show whether it repeated the escape question or how responses changed. The 82% figure should therefore be dated to CTA’s 2022 survey as reported by GamesBeat, rather than presented as today’s rate.
Rank #4
- CPU: x86-64-AMD Ryzen Zen 8 Cores / 16 Threads at 3.5GHz.GPU: AMD Radeon RDNA 2-based graphics engine.
- 16GB GDDR6/256-bit Memory; 825GB SSD Storage Capacity
- Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T), IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1
- HDR technology, 8K output,4K TV gaming, Up to 120 fps with 120Hz output, Tempest 3D AudioTech
- What's Included: Sony PlayStation 5 Digital Edition; DualSense; USB cable, HDMI cable.
Other CTA figures from 2022 have the same historical scope. For example, 43% of respondents said they paid for a gaming subscription service. The survey also found that 40% planned to buy personal audio products, including headphones or microphone headsets, to improve their gaming experience within the next 12 months. That was purchase intent recorded in 2022—not current buying advice or evidence that a headset is needed to enjoy games.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Rachel Kaser, GamesBeat: “CTA: Gamers have diverse tastes, but most play to escape” (published September 26, 2022; updated June 19, 2025).
- Consumer Technology Association: 2022 gaming study release.
- Consumer Technology Association: 2024 U.S. Future of Gaming study page.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →
