Mobile overtakes PC as kids’ gaming platform of choice

New NPD data suggests that PC is no longer the prominent platform for children.

The report says 63 per cent of US kids between the age of two and 17 play video games on mobile devices, making it the most popular overall platform and placing it ahead of PC for the first time (45 per cent).

Console gaming has also dropped in popularity among the demographic, although it remained strong among the 9-11 age range.

This shift has occurred as now only 45 percent of kids ages 2-17 are gaming on a home computer, down 22 per cent since 2013,” NPD said. This decline is seen among all of the kids’ age groups, but is most pronounced among those ages two through five.

"The largest and most surprising shift in the 2015 gaming ecosystem was kids’ move away from the computer. 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 behaviour of parents that are likely utilizing mobile devices for tasks that were once reserved for computers."

20 per cent of people are also claiming to be spending more on mobile microtransactions than they were a year ago.

The reasons for the shift are up for debate. Obviously smartphones and tablets are far more common than they once were, and children are becoming increasing comfortable using them at earlier and earlier ages. Developers too are increasingly likely to release child-orientated games on mobile devices.