Playing video games is as much a part of British culture as fish and chips and trips to the seaside! Whether it’s console blockbusters, indie gems, mobile hits or more exotic formats like online casino gaming, we’ve been keeping ourselves entertained with interactive digital content since we first got our hands on a Commodore 64.
Now, by no means is the way that we play video games here in 2025 the same as it was back in the 1980s and 90s. From Gen X to Gen Alpha, the ways in which games are played and consumed has evolved with each new generation.
We’re not just great at playing video games, though. Did you know that we’ve been leading the way in game development and innovation for decades?
A Legacy of Innovation
From the early days of arcade gaming to the modern era of blockbuster hits, our little island has made major contributions to the development of the gaming industry since its inception. Some of the world’s most influential games have been crafted right here on our shores.
Grand Theft Auto is a pretty influential franchise, right? Would you believe us if we told you it was created by the same studio responsible for Lemmings?
It’s true! Each GTA game has been developed by Rockstar North in its Edinburgh headquarters. While every iteration in the series has had a seismic impact on the industry, the stand-out moment was the development and launch of Grand Theft Auto V. The 2013 hit changed open-world gaming forever; even now it remains one of the best-selling titles of all time.
But it’s not just the industry giants making lasting contributions to video game development. The UK’s indie scene has delivered some of the most inventive gaming experiences of recent years. Guildford-based Hello Games went from cult status to mainstream success with No Man’s Sky, while Mediatonic’s Fall Guys became a pandemic-era sensation,
As strong as our legacy of gaming innovation is, it’s not over yet. Looking ahead, anticipation is building for the release of several UK-developed games – the 2026 reboot of Playground Games’ Fable springs to mind. And yes, you’ll be able to experience a flash of national pride when you manage to get your hands on GTA VI come the autumn, as Rockstar North have led the development team once again.
Shifting Player Habits
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Let’s dig in a little deeper into how we play games across the country. As we mentioned earlier, gaming is so embedded in British culture that it’s part of daily life in the country. Even if we’ve outgrown them, the vast majority of us grew up with at least one video game obsession!
Have you ever stopped to think just how different gaming is nowadays compared to a decade or two ago? The landscape has seriously transformed…
Once dominated by physical media, the UK gaming scene is now overwhelmingly digital. In 2023, digital game sales accounted for a whopping 3.164 billion of all purchases and that figure has only increased since then. The days of camping outside GAME for a brand new release are long gone, replaced instead by instant downloads and subscription-based access.
Then there’s mobile gaming, which has quietly taken over as the most popular platform for gaming, not just in the UK but across the globe. According to USwitch, 37% of us prefer to play games on our smartphones – that’s over 16 million of us! It’s no wonder that mobile games are so sophisticated these days, given how strong consumer demand is for them.
Digital innovation has even made fruit machines and casino games relevant for modern audiences. The UK’s online casino sector is booming, generating billions in gross gambling yield (GGY) every year.
This growth has been accelerated by the sheer convenience of iGaming platforms, which make it easy for players to access extensive libraries of casino games without needing to leave the house. You can even play hundreds of slot games on a single platform alone, all featuring different themes, bonus rounds and RTPs. These quickfire games are proving to be a compelling alternative to the more time-consuming AAA games found on mainstream platforms.
The Future of Gaming in the UK
Given that we’re now in an era of gaming where we can stream cinematic titles to our smartphones and more, it’s hard to imagine how much further the British gaming scene can progress. Keep imagining, though, because we’re only at the beginning of 21st Century gaming.
Expect more innovation in cloud gaming and cross-platform play in the months to come. The success of Xbox CloudGaming and PlayStation Plus set a new standard for the industry, with more companies embracing this ‘Netflix for games’ model. Meanwhile, we’re only just beginning to scratch the surface of what Artificial Intelligence can do in video game development, which will open up new possibilities for dynamic, player-driven experiences.
One thing’s for certain: from North of the border to the south coast, gaming is thriving across the UK. For players, developers and industry insiders alike, the next few years look incredibly exciting.
