Australians are spending more time online than ever before, and a growing chunk of that is going to games.
New data from Ipsos iris, the digital audience measurement currency endorsed by IAB Australia, shows that 16.8 million Australians visited a gaming website or app in June 2025, up 3.9% from the same time last year.
With three in four Australians aged 14 and over engaging with online games across smartphones, tablets, or computers, the picture emerging is one of gaming as a mainstream digital pastime that cuts across generations and devices.
Games usage spans generations, with older Australians leading on time spent
Despite the long-standing stereotype that gaming is the domain of teenagers and twenty-somethings, the data paints a more complex picture. Australians aged 55–64 are now spending more time playing online games than any other age group, clocking in an average of 19 hours per month.
Across the population aged 14+, the average time spent on games each month was 9.8 hours, or roughly 20 minutes per day.
Men and women appear to spend similar amounts of time playing games online. However, men, along with Australians aged 14 to 24, were more likely to seek out additional gaming-related content, including commentary and updates.
Household ownership of gaming consoles also remains significant, with the Ipsos iris Establishment Survey finding 36% of Australian households now own at least one gaming console, indicating continued interest in dedicated gaming hardware alongside mobile and desktop use.
News audiences remain high, but drop slightly following election surge
News consumption remained strong during June, with 21.05 million Australians, 95.1% of the online population aged 14 and over, accessing a news website or app. Although total audience numbers dipped slightly compared to May, when the Federal election drew widespread attention, engagement levels held steady.
Australians spent nearly five hours consuming digital news content throughout the month, consistent with usage patterns from June 2024.
Key domestic news stories included the disappearance and alleged murder of Queensland teenager Pheobe Bishop, ongoing courtroom developments in the Erin Patterson case, and Game II of the 2025 NRL State of Origin series.
Globally, ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine dominated international coverage. Major events such as Israeli airstrikes on Iranian facilities, Iran’s military response, and the subsequent US involvement kept readers returning for updates.
Coverage of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad also drew national interest. So too did the high-profile wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, which made headlines for its scale, cost, and celebrity guest list.
Online categories with biggest growth: energy, sport and games
While overall online engagement remained steady compared to the post-election highs of May, some sectors saw notable increases in digital audiences during June.
The biggest month-on-month audience gains came from energy suppliers/utilities, sports and games categories. Year-on-year, the strongest performers were automotive content (+6.8%), homes and property (+5.5%), games (+3.9%), and entertainment (+3.7%).
Search, social networking, technology, retail, and entertainment were the five most consumed online categories, each drawing more than 21.8 million unique users.
In total, Ipsos iris recorded 22.127 million Australians using the internet in June. People aged 14 and above spent an average of 4.9 hours online per day, an 8.2% increase compared to June last year.