Half (50%) of Irish adults identify as gamers, rising to 75% among young adults aged 18-24, statistics from Pure Telecom show, as the Nintendo Switch 2 racks up record sales following its much-anticipated release.

The survey of 1,000 adults in Ireland was conducted last year and found that the average gamer spends one hour and 47 minutes playing online games each day, with male gamers (two hours and 20 minutes) spending an extra half an hour on their consoles daily.

Gamers are spending an average of €180.30 per year on online gaming, which includes money spent on new games, add-ons, in-game purchases and consoles. For 18-to-24-year-olds, that rises to €291.50.

At €260 per year, males gamers also spend double the amount that female gamers (€132.50) do on online gaming every year.

A fifth (21%) of online gamers credit it for being a social outlet for them, and a third (35%) of gamers in Ireland say that online gaming is good for their mental health, while 19% believe it enhances their problem-solving skills.

The Switch 2 sold more than 3.5m units in its first four days of release, making it the fastest-selling hardware launch in Nintendo history, and the company is predicting global sales of 15m by the end of its current financial year in March.

Doug Bowser, president and COO of Nintendo of America, commented: “Fans around the world are showing their enthusiasm for Nintendo Switch 2 as an upgraded way to play at home and on the go.”

Since the original Switch was introduced in 2017, Nintendo has sold over 152 million units globally. The new console is priced at €469 for the standalone console and €505 with the Mario Kart bundle at Currys.

(Pic: Getty Images)