One in 10 gamers may give up video games due to rising energy bills-Michael Beckwith-Entertainment – Metro

Could you give up gaming entirely to combat rising energy bills? (pic: Metro.co.uk)

With energy bills expected to get even more expensive, many UK gamers are thinking of giving up their hobby just to save costs.

We already know that people have been spending less and less money on video games this year, with the UK’s cost of living crisis being a major contributing factor.

Now, some are thinking of not even playing video games anymore, with energy bills having risen and expected to go even higher.

A survey asked 2,000 UK gamers about whether and how their gaming habits have changed because of the rising energy rates, and around one in 10 of them (9%, to be specific) are considering abandoning their hobby altogether.

21% have already begun playing games for shorter periods to cut costs, while 15% have opted to save money via other means, such as groceries.

Nearly half of those surveyed (46%) were reluctant to sacrifice their hobby, with some citing it as being good for stress relief and/or being an opportunity to hang out with friends.

53% said they’re more than willing to curb their gaming habits if it means saving money on energy bills, although 64% admitted to being unaware of gaming’s financial costs.

The survey was conducted by Carbon Cutting Consoles, which also looked into the effect gaming has on the environment. The full results can be found on its website.

The drop in spending for video game products could also be blamed on the lack of any significant releases this year. At this rate, though, it won’t matter if the likes of Sony and Microsoft have stronger 2023 line-ups, if not enough people can afford to buy them.

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Not to mention that gaming has only become an increasingly expensive hobby as time has gone on. After all, publishers such as Sony are now charging £70 for their games.

With manufacturing and shipping costs having also increased, there’s talk of game consoles getting more expensive too. We’ve already seen it with the Oculus Quest 2, whereas Nintendo is eager to avoid raising the price for its Nintendo Switch.

There are genuine fears that many won’t be able to pay their energy bills (Picture: Getty)

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