In 2025, 40.2 million French people will have played at least one video game, a level never reached in the country’s history. This is one of the lessons of the latest study of the SELL (Union of Leisure Software Publishers), entitled The French and video games. Carried out with Médiamétrie among a representative sample of 4,000 people aged 10 to 80, this annual survey paints a typical portrait of the player and analyzes their consumption habits and practices. Here’s what you need to remember.
What is the player profile in 2025?
“Video games have never brought together so many players”welcomes James Rebours, president of SELL. In 2025, 40.2 million people say they have gambled at least once a year, a record mainly held by adults “which represent 88% of players”he says. A figure which illustrates the roots of this media, long mocked and marginalized. Compared to the previous survey, 1.9 million more people now fall into the category of occasional gamers.
One question remains: who is the French player, and why does he engage in this practice? In its study, the SELL draws a fairly precise portrait (see image of one): on average, he is 40 years old, devotes 6 hours 25 minutes to this practice each week and uses two supports. It is mainly driven by the desire to have fun (93%), to escape from everyday life (87%), to spend a friendly time with other people (73%) or to practice an activity to progress (65%).
A practice that affects all generations
As in its previous survey, the SELL recalls that video games now affect “all strata of the population”. The study identifies 10.9 million players aged 16 to 30, 3.9 million among 10-15 year olds and 5.4 million among seniors. Although younger people play more regularly than their elders, the latter remain active: 19% of seniors play several times a day, 31% almost daily and 16% once or twice a week.
“Almost perfect parity between men and women”
“In 25 years, the evolution of the practice of video games is spectacular: at the dawn of the 2000s, only 20% of French people played, or around 12 million people, and female players represented only 10% of the public”recalls James Rebours. The situation has changed. In 2025, women will represent 49% of gamers, which represents a total of 19.5 million players. They spend an average of 5 hours 52 minutes per week, mainly on smartphones (59%) and home consoles (42%). In addition, they favor casual games (45%), platform games (27%) and social games (25%).
What are the practices and consumption habits of French players in 2025?
If each generation displays its preferences in terms of support, smartphone gaming still dominates (55%), ahead of home consoles (47%) and computers (40%).
Furthermore, here are the types of games favored by the French:
- Casual and mobile games: 39 %
- Strategy games: 28 %
- Car racing games: 27 %
- Role-playing and adventure games: 27 %
- Platform games: 26 %
- Action games: 26 %
- Sports games: 26 %
- Shooting games: 22 %
- Online multiplayer games: 20 %
- Games for children: 20 %
Multiplayer practice is growing strongly, SELL tells us. “65% of players share their sessions with others, including 63% of adults and 84% of children. Online gaming progressed by three points this year and is increasingly asserting itself as a place for sharing and meeting”specifies James Rebours.
How do players consume video games?
The video game remains “the number 1 cultural asset in France”says the union. On average, a player spends €119 per year on video games, excluding subscriptions. More than half (52%) still buy their games in store, compared to 48% online. The reasons given? Easier to choose (43%), time saved (38%) or store-specific promotions (38%). Furthermore, despite a certain attachment to the physical format, subscription to gaming platforms is increasingly attractive: 44% of players will subscribe to it in 2025. But 37% continue to purchase games or additional content at the same time.
