A poll of British PC and console gamers are cutting their gaming spending to save money due to the rising cost of living.
With the average spend for the total UK gaming population currently at more than £200 per month, TalkTalk quizzed 2,000 gamers about their spending habits.
The poll found that more than three quarters (76%) agree that online gaming is a cheaper form of socialising than going out, so almost half of all gamers (49%) of are now spending more time online than before.
New network data from TalkTalk reveals that its peak network traffic has more than tripled (+ 206%) since pre-pandemic, with the increase in online gaming playing a key role in this growth, however, while online gaming has never been more popular, it isn’t immune from the effects of the cost-of-living crisis
The research shows that 78 per cent of gamers are adapting their behaviours to save cash, with many sharing game purchases, avoiding new releases and gaming later at night to avoid peak electricity costs.
TalkTalk have also found that 71 percent 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, with over half (52%) 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
Gaming expert and producer Mr Midas has now provided TalkTalk with a series of tips to gamers on how they can save money on gaming without compromising on the speed of their broadband package.
Mr Midas' top five tips are:
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.
2. 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.
3. 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', 'Minecraft' or 'Overcooked! All You Can Eat'.
4. 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'. They also enable mobile gamers to play with friends on the go, at no extra cost.
5. 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 Full Fibre packages offer savings up to £542.05 versus BT, Sky and Virgin Media.
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.
Visit Talktalk.co.uk/broadband/fttp for more information.
