Women make up nearly half of the active players in a major 2025 global survey—but that snapshot does not prove their participation is rising over time. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) found that 48% of surveyed active players ages 16 and older were women and 51% were men. Its survey covered 24,216 players in 21 countries and defined active gamers as people who play at least one hour a week on a console, PC or laptop, tablet, mobile device, or VR system. ESA’s 2025 Global Power of Play report therefore captures more than console and PC play.
What the latest figures say about women who play games
The ESA’s global profile shows a nearly even gender split among its surveyed active players: 48% women and 51% men. Those figures describe the survey’s respondents, not every gamer in every country, and they are not a year-over-year comparison.
A different measure from Newzoo asks whether people played at all in the previous six months. In its 2025 Global Gamer Study, 76% of women and 83% of men in the online population sample said they had played a game. Newzoo’s analysis covers ages 10–65 across 36 markets, so its percentages should not be compared directly with ESA’s share of weekly active players. The two studies measure different populations and activity windows. Newzoo’s 2025 analysis provides that separate context.
Why mobile and multiple devices matter
Gaming is not limited to consoles and gaming PCs. ESA’s active-player definition includes mobile and tablet play as well as computers, consoles, and VR. That broad scope matters when interpreting who counts as a gamer: a survey that includes weekly play on a phone will represent a wider range of gaming habits than one restricted to dedicated hardware.
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In the ESA’s 2025 device-preference results, 64% of women and 46% of men selected mobile as a favorite device. Computer or laptop was selected by 15% of women and 27% of men, while console or handheld was selected by 21% of women and 27% of men. These are favorite-device responses, not evidence that respondents play on only one platform. The ESA report’s device and genre tables show the breakdown.
Genre preferences show variety, not a rulebook
The same survey found that puzzle games were a preferred genre for 62% of women and 39% of men. It also reported higher male preference for action, fighting, shooter, sports, racing or vehicle simulation, and role-playing categories, while women were higher in simulation and skill or chance games.
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These are group-level survey patterns, not reliable predictions about an individual player. They also show overlap: substantial numbers of women and men selected puzzle games, and the categories span far more than one kind of play. Genre results are useful for understanding broad audience differences, but they should not be turned into stereotypes about what any person enjoys.
Why published percentages differ
A gender share among weekly active gamers is not the same statistic as the share of women who played once in six months. The studies also differ in age range, number of markets, and framing:
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- ESA: 24,216 active players ages 16 and older across 21 countries; active means at least one hour of play per week, across mobile, tablet, PC or laptop, console, and VR.
- Newzoo: online population ages 10–65 across 36 markets; the participation measure is whether someone played during the prior six months.
Because these denominators and time windows differ, the figures answer separate questions. Neither should be presented as a universal count of all women who play games.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does this prove female gamers are on the rise?
No. The available figures establish that women are a substantial part of today’s gaming audience, but they are recent snapshots rather than a directly comparable historical series. Without consistent measurements across multiple years, they do not demonstrate how much participation has changed or identify a cause.
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The survey results also vary by country: ESA reported women outnumbering men among players in Brazil (57% to 43%) and South Africa (58% to 41%). Those country profiles reinforce that a single global percentage does not describe every market, but they still do not establish a trend over time. ESA’s report release summarizes the country-level findings.
Spending is another distinct measure, not a proxy for participation. Newzoo reported that 43% of female gamers and 58% of male gamers in its study had spent money on games. That finding concerns spending behavior in that study; it does not negate the participation figures or show that women’s presence is declining.
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