Revealing statistics about the Nintendo Switch audience has shown the console’s popularity amongst women. The Switch beat out the PS4 and Xbox One as the most popular console for female gamers.
The information was revealed by EEDAR, a company which provides analytics related to video games. EEDAR showed that 50 percent of Switch owners are women. In comparison, women only make up 45 percent of gamers using Microsoft and Sony’s big consoles. There has been a surge in female players picking up Nintendo’s console since it was released in early 2017. In the first six months, women only made up 30 percent of Switch owners. This is a significant jump. The stat shows the console’s popularity has attracted a large audience different to that of the PS4 and Xbox One.
The statistic is a positive sign in an industry constantly fighting the perception that it is hostile to a female audience. Recently, Red Dead Redemption 2 brought out the worst in players who saw fit to stream the beating up of a suffragette. The game development side of the industry has also shown to be lacking in its representation of women within in significant roles.
The report raised other interesting numbers relating to the ages within the Switch audience. 18-24-year olds have been strongly represented in the audience since the console’s releases. Recent figures show this younger demographic has taken over 25-29-year olds as the largest age group of Switch owners. A significant surge occurred in the 35-44 category. Evidently, there is still plenty of interest in the console from users over 30 and beyond.
Broadly, the report shows the Switch’s audience is one of the most diverse in terms of gender and age. It will be interesting to see how these figures progress as the Switch becomes more and more open to different genres of games. Not to mention the potential impact on numbers the rumors of a new Switch console may have.
