Gamers stay home to save the pennies as cost-of-living crisis hits pockets

• New research from TalkTalk shows that people are turning to gaming as a way to stay entertained for less as the cost-of-living soars
• Almost half (49%) of gamers are now spending more time online than ever before
• But pressure on household budgets means that gamers are looking for ways to play for less, with 78% adapting their gaming behaviours to use less energy and avoid higher bills
• TalkTalk and gaming expert Mr Midas provide tips to gamers on how they can save money on gaming without compromising on the speed of their broadband package
• TalkTalk’s great value Full Fibre packages offer savings up to £542.05 vs BT, Sky and Virgin Media

Online gaming is helping beat the cost of living crisis, with three quarters (76%) of gamers in TalkTalk’s latest research agreeing it’s a cheaper form of socialising than going out. No surprise then that the findings show  that almost half (49%) of UK gamers are now spending more time online than before.

Gamers changing habits to help with cost of living

However, while online gaming has never been more popular, it isn’t immune from the effects of the cost-of-living crisis. With the average spend for the total UK gaming population currently at more than £200 per month*, TalkTalk’s research shows that gamers across the UK are cutting their gaming spending to save money amidst the rising cost of living.

• 71% of gamers agree that the cost of gaming has increased this year, and many are looking for ways to make their favourite hobby more affordable.
• Over half (52%) are sharing new gaming purchases with friends, while almost two thirds (62%) aren’t purchasing new games at all, instead focusing on second hand purchases and freebies.
• Even the biggest gaming releases of the year aren’t immune, with two thirds (66%) of gamers saying they won’t initially buy the newly released Call of Duty Modern Warfare II because of budget constraints (TalkTalk saw its second highest network traffic spike of 8.715Tbps due to the Call of Duty Warzone Season 3 update in April 2022)
• TalkTalk’s findings also highlight gamers concerns around the rising cost of energy. More than two thirds (68%) now ensure they switch gaming technology off, instead of on standby, when not in use to save energy, while 78% have started gaming later at night to avoid peak electricity costs. 

Spend less to game more

But while many gamers are taking steps to reduce their spending, it’s not dampening their enthusiasm for gaming, with 41% saying gaming is now their main form of socialising.

To ensure they can continue gaming, many gamers are reducing their outgoings elsewhere. 64% have reduced social activities such as concerts and sporting events, while cutting back on new items such as clothes, shoes and skincare has also been popular (63%).

Gamers also stressed the importance of good value connectivity to suit their needs, with 88% of gamers saying that fast, reliable fibre broadband is crucial to their everyday gaming. 

Gaming expert Mr Midas offers tips to help gamers save pennies

With gamers keen to save cash amidst the rising cost of living, TalkTalk has partnered with Producer and Gaming Expert Mr Midas, to offer advice for gamers on how they can enhance their gaming experience while still saving money. Mr Midas top five tips include:

1. Opt for a monthly subscription

With subscription services such as Game Pass & PlayStation Plus, players an access a huge library of games, for a small monthly subscription, giving them more bang for their buck.

1. Make the most of sales and consider second hand consoles

Look into Black Friday and cyber-Monday deals. Another great way to save money is buying a refurbished console as they can usually be purchased at a discounted price.  All the big multiplayer title releases are still coming to both generations of consoles!

1. Try open world exploration games

Purchasing games with an abundance of worlds to explore, or frequent updates included in the initial price. There are games players can get lost in for hundreds of hours, like Final Fantasy 14, FIFA, Minecraft or Overcooked: All you can eat.

1. Consider free-to-play mobile games

If a fast and reliable Wi-Fi connection is available, then try your hand at a free-to-play mobile game like C.O.D mobile, Apex mobile, Pub G, Genshin and Mario Kart Tour A. They also enable mobile gamers to play with friends on the go, at no extra cost.

1. Switch to one of TalkTalk’s Full Fibre packages 
   Having a fast and reliable Wi-Fi connection is crucial for multiplayer games. TalkTalk has a range of full fibre broadband packages at great value for gamers, with speeds up to 24x faster than standard broadband so they won’t have to worry about missing a winning move or spend hours downloading updates. 

Jonathan Kini, Managing Director of  TalkTalk, said: “This research demonstrates the impact of the rising cost of living on the gaming community. At TalkTalk, we’re committed to supercharging the nation’s Wi-Fi while helping our customers save on their entertainment and really up their game, so they won’t have to keep BRBing every time their screen starts to buffer!”

TalkTalk’s fastest Full Fibre plans are powered by Amazon’s award-winning eero with the latest in Wi-Fi 6 technology. Combining the benefits of game-changing Wi-Fi 6 technology with a 100% full fibre connection, to provide enhanced speed and reliability.

For more information, visit https://new.talktalk.co.uk/bro....

-ENDS-

Savings with TalkTalk

Verified by FDM on 28.10.22

About Mr Midas

Mr Midas is a producer and TV presenter, specialising within the video game and e-sports industry. Midas has hosted on Twitch Rivals, he also co-presents From The Jump (GINX Esports TV in collaboration with RedBull) alongside Twitch Streamer, Cyborg Angel. The show focuses on the latest gaming news whilst also reviewing the biggest and best new games.

Midas is also known for creating, producing, and hosting, GRM Daily show, Games, Gadgets and Rhymes. The show pits some of the best UK Black and Urban acts against each other on competitive games and has thus far achieved over 2 million views. Prior to working in the gaming space, Midas hosted on shows such as Boom TV (4Music and Kiss TV), Musicool (Channel 4), Flavour Talks (Flavour TV). As a host, Midas has worked with some leading gaming titles and events such as E3 gaming expo in LA, Insomnia 64 for Fnatic and Quai54 in Paris.

Midas works hard to make the gaming industry a more diverse and represented space and his work led him to present at the 2018 BAFTA Games Awards, he is now a BAFTA Games Member. Midas’s production credits include a diverse range of brands and include collaborations with the likes of Universal Records, Gamescom, Elgato, EA sports, Nintendo, Activision, Funimation and Square Enix.

*Online Gaming Statistics 2022 (uswitch.com)