Gaming as a Hobby | Costs, Benefits & More (2023)

I started gaming as a hobby at the age of 5. Masakari was even a little younger as a younger brother. Meanwhile, I’ve played video games in my spare time for over 35 years and have never regretted it.

For me, there is no better hobby that you can do alone or together with others. Some of the best memories I associate with gaming, so I would like to answer some questions about gaming as a hobby in this post.

Note: This article was written in English. Translations into other languages may not provide the same linguistic quality. We apologize for grammatical and semantic errors.

What is Gaming?

Generally speaking, gaming stands for playing video games. The term includes all game genres, all platforms (PC, console, mobile), solo and multiplayer games, and online and offline games. Gaming can be divided into casual gaming and competitive gaming.

Gaming has many facets and game types. We have taken a closer look at the topic here:

Is Gaming a Hobby?

Generally speaking, gaming is a passion that is mainly carried out in one’s free time. For casual gamers, gaming is a hobby. Competitive (pro) gamers, on the other hand, who earn their living with gaming, can no longer be called a hobby.

Of course, a hobby becomes more serious when money is involved. But a hobby remains a hobby, even if you act a little more ambitious, even if you earn a little from it. Only when you aim for a professional career in your hobby and want to make a living with it becomes serious.

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Is Gaming a Popular Hobby?

More and more people in the USA and around the world are playing video games. Gaming is also on the rise in the media. The gaming industry is the fastest growing industry in the world. It is estimated that over 3 billion people play video games and can be considered casual gamers.

Gaming has come out of its shadowy niche existence and into everyday life in the last 20 years. The industry and Market behind gaming are now bombastic. We took a closer look at it in this post:

How Many Casual Gamers in the USA?

Studies show that over ⅔ of the US population regularly plays video games. According to estimates, this corresponds to around 177.7 million gamers.

Gaming is becoming increasingly popular in every country in the world. The term casual gamer covers all people who regularly play video games, whether on a PC, console, or mobile device. Almost every household in the USA has the opportunity to participate in the hobby of gaming through mobile devices or smart TVs.

Source: https://www.emarketer.com/content/us-gaming-ecosystem-2021

Who Does Gaming?

Typically, gaming is a leisure activity that can be practiced more intensively by people without a profession. However, gaming is now accepted as a hobby by almost all segments of the population. Older people with no technical knowledge are an exception. The proportion of non-gamers is declining.

The spectrum of gamers ranges from housewives or househusbands to managers of large corporations. The gaming topic is still largely taboo in professional life, but as soon as people talk privately, gaming has become very important.

Gamers can be divided into several types. We’ll get into that in another post soon.

Why is Gaming the Best Hobby?

With virtual and augmented reality and today’s technical possibilities, everyone can realize themselves in the field of gaming and slip into any imaginable role. Whether racing driver, pilot, animal, or fantasy creature, gaming actively transcends physical and mental boundaries. No other hobby offers this variety and opportunity for interaction.

As soon as a person has access to a browser and the Internet, this hobby can be experienced directly. The entry-level is thus much lower than for other hobbies, where numerous and expensive pieces of equipment have to be purchased.

Is Gaming a Healthy Hobby?

It has been scientifically proven that gaming can have a positive effect on psychological well-being. On average, casual gamers do not live unhealthier lives than non-gamers. Athletes in esports live on average 21% healthier.

Scientific source 1.

Scientific source 2.

Is Gaming a Hobby Good for Socializing?

It has been scientifically proven that multiplayer games played in teams can lead to strong social interactions and relationships. The intensive exchange about the hobby and playing together over a longer period are a good basis for friendships.

Scientific source.

Is Gaming a Cheap Hobby?

Generally speaking, anyone who owns a device with a browser can play for free. The entry threshold for the hobby of gaming has never been as low as it is today. Depending on the game, the required equipment can lead to increased costs for hardware and software.

Of course, there are no upper limits. Someone who wants to install a computer in a real car for a racing simulator will have to shell out considerably more money than someone who buys a new mobile device for their favorite gaming app.

What Are the Most Expensive Parts of Gaming?

Generally, the more hardware performance a game requires, the higher the costs for the player. The increased demands on the graphics card, RAM, and processor lead to high financial expenses for the smooth display of graphics-intensive games.

Gamers can put a lot of money into hardware, but also into accessories if they want to. However, the most expensive part of hobby gaming in terms of FPS games is always the graphics card. It guarantees a stable and high frame per second (FPS) rate and can show your performance undisturbed.

We have written these posts about the harmful effects of too little FPS here:

Is Gaming a Productive Hobby?

In general, everyone defines for themselves what is considered productive. If value-adding or personal goals are associated with gaming and achieved, gaming can be classified as a productive hobby.

Extreme examples include scientific games that help decode DNA sequences or find stars with specific characteristics in space telescope data. A player can feel productivity when a goal is achieved within a game, even on a small scale.

How Many Hours of Gaming is Okay?

In general, the same principles apply to any recreational activity, and thus no limiting time constraint. Duties and responsibilities take precedence over a hobby. Physical and mental health must not be negatively affected by gaming.

There are general guidelines from the WHO for media consumption for children under five years of age. For older children or adults, personal circumstances always play a role. There are no guidelines, and gaming as an activity is not harmful in itself. With increasing gaming time, time for other, possibly more essential activities becomes smaller or disappears completely. This can, of course, lead to negative effects and even pathological behavior. However, this is true for any hobby.

Is Gaming a Waste of Time?

In general, the hobby of gaming is considered a waste of time if personal benefits are missing and another activity would have brought more benefits or would have been more important or even necessary.

There are two extremes in this context. On the one hand, there is hobby gaming with a financial return. And on the other hand, pathological gaming, where duties are disregarded or health impairments are accepted.

Let’s talk about the benefits of gaming that make this hobby so enjoyable.

What Are the Benefits of Gaming?

Gaming has a particularly positive effect on the psyche and is seen by many as a stress-reducing counterbalance to work, school, and social pressure. Scientifically confirmed are, for example, selective benefits in reaction speed, motion recognition, social interaction, communication, decision-making, and concentration. However, these statements always refer to specific limited scenarios and mostly to selected genres or games.

Which Hobbies Have Similar Characteristics?

Typically, gaming is a hobby that is performed while sitting. However, with virtual and augmented reality and motion detection, gaming continues to evolve into an active movement activity. Video gamers are always actively thinking and making decisions. Gaming is therefore comparable to most active hobbies.

Which Hobbies Are Totally Different?

In general, all hobbies that do not require active actions are different from gaming. For example, watching TV, Netflix, and going to the movies are hobbies that require passive consumption.

Can I Earn Money with Gaming?

In general, all gaming activities that contribute to value creation in the industry or society are remunerated. The spectrum of activities ranges from developing, testing, and evaluating video games to Esports as an athlete to the entertainment sector as a Let’s Play streamer.

If you have a question about the post or pro gaming in general, write us: contact@raiseyourskillz.com.

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GL & HF! Flashback out.

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