Kids These Days Would Rather Play Video Games On Mobile Devices Than On PCs, Consoles

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Are the days of fighting over the best video game controller over? Perhaps, says a new report: though consoles and computers used to be the most popular for gaming, smartphones and tablets now rule the roost among the younger set.

Mobile devices are the most popular way to game for children between the ages of two and 17, with 63% of kids saying they play games on phones or tablets, according to NPD Group in a report called “Kids and Gaming 2015.”

Of that age group, 45% use a home PC for playing video games, a big drop of 22 percentage since 2013. That decline is even more marked among kids ages two to five, probably as parents are handing over kid-proofed tablets instead of risking their desktop computers and laptops.

Video game consoles are also slipping in popularity, as they’re used by 60% of kids in this survey, compared to 67% in 2013.

“The largest and most surprising shift in the 2015 gaming ecosystem was kids’ move away from the computer,” NPD Group analyst Liam Callahan said in a press release. “In the past, the computer was considered the entry point for gaming for most kids, but the game has changed now that mobile has moved into that position. This may be related to a change in the behavior of parents that are likely utilizing mobile devices for tasks that were once reserved for computers.”

Kids Move Away From Home Computers For Gaming In Droves [NPD Group]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist