Video games are enormously popular in the United States, with 164 million people—or 65 percent of adults—playing regularly, according to a study released on Thursday.

The study by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and Ipsos reflects the shifting landscape of modern gaming: 46 percent of those playing are women, while 60 percent of the 4,000 people surveyed play on their smartphones.

The median age of gamers is 33, a decrease from 34 in last year's study and 35 in a study released in 2016.

Adult gamers play with others 63 percent of the time, spending nearly five hours per week online or three-and-a-half hours against opponents who are physically present.

Three-quarters of Americans have at least one gamer in their household, and 70 percent of families have a child who plays. In 79 percent of cases, the person in the household who games is an adult.

From their beginnings in arcades, video games have grown into a lucrative industry in the US, with sales surpassing $43.4 billion in 2018, according to the ESA.

© 2019 AFP