Fifty-eight percent of gamers across 22 countries prefer single-player games, according to an Ampere Analysis survey of 34,428 players published in November 2025. Multiplayer titles generated 76% of total gaming revenue that same year. This article covers verified preference survey data, country-level breakdowns, age and gender splits, revenue figures, and studio development priorities drawn from MIDiA Research, Ampere Analysis, Vorhaus Advisors, and Statista.
Multiplayer vs Single-Player Gaming Preferences: Key Statistics
- 58% of global gamers prefer single-player games, per Ampere Analysis (34,428 respondents, 22 countries, November 2025).
- Multiplayer games generated approximately $171.6 billion in 2025 — 76% of total gaming industry revenue.
- 70% of under-19 gamers prefer multiplayer; 64% of gamers aged 55 and older prefer single-player.
- 65% of US gamers prefer single-player — the highest proportion of any country in Ampere’s dataset.
- Only 3% of US PC and console gamers spent 75–100% of their gaming time in online multiplayer.
What Global Surveys Say About Multiplayer vs Single-Player Gaming Preferences
Two large-scale surveys conducted in 2024 and 2025 both found single-player as the majority preference. MIDiA Research surveyed 9,000 gamers across ten countries in 2024 and found 53% preferred single-player. Ampere Analysis surveyed 34,428 gamers across 22 countries in November 2025 and put the global figure at 58%.
The Vorhaus Advisors survey of US PC and console gamers, published via Statista in March 2024, found that over 50% of respondents spent 75–100% of their gaming time playing alone. Only 3% spent the same share of time in online multiplayer. For most players, multiplayer is occasional rather than their primary mode of play.
Cooperative multiplayer — games like It Takes Two or Baldur’s Gate 3 co-op — accounts for 18% of preference responses in data from Dataintelo via CoopBoardGames, sitting between the fully competitive multiplayer and single-player camps. Seven percent of gamers surveyed expressed no strong preference for either mode.
| Metric | Figure | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Global gamers preferring single-player | 53% | MIDiA Research 2024 (9,000 gamers, 10 countries) |
| Global gamers preferring multiplayer | 47% | MIDiA Research 2024 |
| US PC/console gamers spending 75–100% of time solo | Over 50% | Vorhaus Advisors / Statista, March 2024 |
| US PC/console gamers spending 75–100% of time in online multiplayer | 3% | Vorhaus Advisors / Statista, March 2024 |
| Cooperative multiplayer as preference category | 18% | CoopBoardGames citing Dataintelo |
| No strong preference either way | 7% | CoopBoardGames citing Dataintelo |
| Global single-player preference (Ampere, 22 countries) | 58% | Ampere Analysis, November 2025 |
Source: MIDiA Research via Kotaku / TechSpot; Vorhaus Advisors via Statista; CoopBoardGames citing Dataintelo; Ampere Analysis via The Indiependent
Single-Player vs Multiplayer Gaming Preferences by Country
The Ampere Analysis November 2025 survey found single-player preference above 50% in the majority of the 22 countries it covered. The US led at 65%, with Japan at 63% and Thailand at 62%. The UK and Germany both came in at 58%, matching the global average exactly.
China and Sweden were the only two countries where fewer than 50% of respondents preferred single-player. China’s result reflects its market history: limited access to Japanese and Western home consoles for decades meant the country’s gaming culture developed around PC MMOs and mobile multiplayer titles built for concurrent play. Sweden’s multiplayer lean is noted in Ampere’s data but no structural explanation appears in published reporting.
| Country / Region | Single-Player Preference |
|---|---|
| Stati Uniti | 65% |
| Japan | 63% |
| Thailand | 62% |
| United Kingdom | 58% |
| Germany | 58% |
| Global average (22 countries) | 58% |
| Sweden | 49% (multiplayer lean) |
| China | 47% (multiplayer lean) |
Source: Ampere Analysis via Kotaku and The Indiependent — survey of 34,428 gamers, November 2025
Single-Player vs Multiplayer Preferences by Age and Gender
Age is the clearest predictor of gaming mode preference. Under 25, multiplayer is the majority — 70% of under-19 gamers prefer multiplayer, per MIDiA Research data cited by IconEra. The flip happens at 25: from that point, single-player preference becomes the majority and grows with each age band, reaching 64% among gamers 55 and older, according to Ampere Analysis.
MIDiA Research’s explanation, cited by Kotaku, is practical. Under-25s can more easily coordinate gaming sessions with friends. Players above 25 face work and family commitments that make live-service games — which reward consistent daily or weekly sessions — harder to sustain. This pattern maps directly onto why gaming habits shift as players age.
Gender showed no meaningful gap in Ampere’s November 2025 data. Men and women both came in at 55% single-player preference globally, a finding Ampere’s Louise Wooldridge noted directly in published commentary on the survey.
| Demographic | Single-Player Preference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Under 19 | ~30% | 70% prefer multiplayer — strongest multiplayer cohort |
| 20–24 | ~35% | Multiplayer still dominant |
| 25–34 | 56% | First cohort with majority single-player preference |
| 55 and older | 64% | Strongest single-player cohort |
| Male gamers (global) | 55% | Near-even split |
| Female gamers (global) | 55% | Identical to male cohort |
Source: MIDiA Research via MIDiA Blog; Ampere Analysis via Kotaku; IconEra citing MIDiA Research
Multiplayer vs Single-Player Gaming Revenue and Market Size
The preference data and the revenue data tell opposite stories. Multiplayer games generated approximately $171.6 billion through in-game purchases in 2025 — 76% of total gaming revenue — despite single-player being the preference of the majority of global players. Single-player games brought in $42.3 billion through premium sales, representing 18.7% of the total, according to Dataintelo data cited by CoopBoardGames.
The structural gap is monetization duration. A single-player game earns the bulk of its revenue in the weeks following launch. A live-service multiplayer title — the model behind the biggest titles on Steam — can generate recurring income from the same player base across years of battle passes and seasonal content. That timeline difference is why publisher decisions follow revenue allocation rather than preference data.
The multiplayer games market was valued at $202.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a 6.5% CAGR between 2026 and 2033, per Verified Market Reports. The MMO segment alone accounted for $41.89 billion of that in 2024. The overall global gaming market reached $298.98 billion with 3.32 billion players in 2024.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Multiplayer revenue via in-game purchases (2025) | ~$171.6 billion (76% of total) |
| Single-player revenue via premium sales (2025) | ~$42.3 billion (18.7% of total) |
| Multiplayer games market size (2024) | $202.5 billion |
| Multiplayer market CAGR (2026–2033) | 6.5% |
| MMO market size (2024) | $41.89 billion |
| Global gaming population (2024) | 3.32 billion players |
Source: CoopBoardGames citing Dataintelo; Verified Market Reports; TechRT
Where Game Studios Are Actually Building
Around 60% of gaming studios were focused on multiplayer development in 2024, while only 9% were working exclusively on single-player titles, per CoopBoardGames. That gap between studio focus and player preference is the commercial calculation visible in most major publisher strategies. The live-service subscription model has reinforced this direction, as platforms tied to recurring monthly fees need multiplayer content to justify ongoing engagement.
Multiplayer carries friction costs that single-player does not. In 2023, 41% of players reported encountering verbal abuse in online environments, and approximately 390 million accounts were penalized globally for rule violations, according to Market Growth Reports. Moderation at that scale is an operational expense that has no single-player equivalent.
Average weekly gaming time across all players reached 8.6 hours in 2025, up from 8.2 hours in 2024. US teens represent the most consistent multiplayer cohort: 72% reported playing remote multiplayer weekly in a 2023 Statista survey. Given that the under-19 group also has the lowest current spending power, the commercial weight of their preference will grow as they age into higher income bands over the next decade.
The age data resolves what looks like a contradiction between preference and revenue. Single-player’s 53–58% global preference majority includes the heaviest-spending bands above 25. Multiplayer’s strongest cohort — under-19s at 70% — holds the lowest spending power today. As that group moves through their 20s and into full income-earning years, the competitive gaming revenue trajectory and multiplayer commercial weight are both likely to strengthen.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Studios focused on multiplayer development (2024) | ~60% |
| Studios working exclusively on single-player (2024) | 9% |
| US teens playing remote multiplayer weekly (2023) | 72% |
| Average weekly gaming hours per player (2025) | 8.6 hours |
| Players who encountered verbal abuse in multiplayer (2023) | 41% |
| Multiplayer accounts penalized for violations (2023) | ~390 million |
Source: CoopBoardGames; Statista; Market Growth Reports
FAQ
Do more gamers prefer single-player or multiplayer?
Single-player is the global majority preference. Ampere Analysis (November 2025, 34,428 gamers, 22 countries) found 58% prefer single-player. MIDiA Research’s 2024 survey of 9,000 gamers across 10 countries found 53%.
Which country has the highest single-player gaming preference?
The United States leads Ampere Analysis’s 22-country dataset at 65% single-player preference. Japan (63%) and Thailand (62%) follow. China and Sweden are the only countries in the survey where multiplayer preference was the majority.
How much revenue do multiplayer games generate compared to single-player?
Multiplayer generated approximately $171.6 billion (76% of total gaming revenue) through in-game purchases in 2025. Single-player brought in $42.3 billion (18.7%) through premium sales, per CoopBoardGames citing Dataintelo.
At what age do gamers typically shift from multiplayer to single-player?
The shift happens around age 25. Under-19s prefer multiplayer at 70%. From 25–34, single-player preference reaches 56% and continues rising, hitting 64% among gamers aged 55 and older, per Ampere Analysis via Kotaku.
Do male and female gamers differ in their multiplayer vs single-player preferences?
No. Ampere Analysis’s November 2025 survey found both male and female gamers globally at 55% single-player preference. Ampere’s Louise Wooldridge confirmed the finding directly in published commentary on the survey.
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