A recent study from Big Games Machine offers new insights into how gamers watch and interact with YouTube content in 2025. The survey included over 1,000 gamers based in the United States, analyzing behavior across age, gender, genre preferences and content types.
Here’s what the study showed.
Action and puzzle games lead genre preferences
Action games are the most played genre, with 37% of respondents listing them as a top choice. The genre is more popular among men, while puzzle games ranked higher among women. RPGs, sports, simulation and horror games also showed strong engagement.
Younger gamers spend more time watching
Gamers aged 18–24 watch the most YouTube gaming content. More than half of this group watches at least two hours per week. “Let’s Play” videos and short-form content are especially popular among this audience. Older viewers are less active and tend to favor reviews and commentary.
Most-watched content types on YouTube
Guides and tutorials rank as the most popular type of gaming content, followed by reviews, compilations and Shorts. Core viewers, defined as those watching more than two hours of content weekly, are more likely to watch long-form formats, such as video essays.
Women prefer humor and VTubers
Women are more likely to watch Funny Moments and Compilation videos, while men prefer esports content. VTubers, often anime-inspired creators, are more popular among women (23%) than men (14%).
TikTok grows as a gaming platform
TikTok is nearly as popular as Twitch for gaming content, especially among female viewers and PlayStation users. The platform’s reach and short-form format make it a growing space for creators.
Personality and content matter more than channel size
Viewers ranked content type, creator personality, and production quality as more important than subscriber count. Mid-sized creators, those with 100K to 1 million subscribers, are the most watched across all groups.
In a nutshell, creators need to focus on producing a mix of formats across platforms as it helps maintain reach and relevance. For brands, niche genres and platforms like TikTok now play a larger role in where gamers discover new content.
The full report, How Gamers Are Using YouTube in 2025, is available from Big Games Machine and provides detailed benchmarks for creators and game marketers.
Featured image courtesy: Ironmouse