Consumers in the UK spent a staggering £4.4 billion ($6.1 billion) on games in 2020.

As detailed in the latest report by the Entertainment Retailers Association, the impressive figure represents a growth rate or 17.7 per cent from the £3.8 billion ($5.3 billion) generated in 2019.

Overall, the entertainment sector grossed £9.3 billion ($13 billion), an increase of 18.3 per cent year-on-year, with the games market accounting for the majority over video and music.

The record-breaking earnings are thanks in no small part to the coronavirus, with games, movies and music proving to be a popular way to pass the time.

Going mobile

Moreover, the mobile platform continued to prove popular with 34.7 per cent of gamers using a smartphone.

Undoubtedly, the popularity of mobile increased last year due to the ongoing pandemic, as phones are a convenient form of entertainment.

“The entertainment market was already growing without coronavirus, but with much of the leisure sector shuttered due to lockdown, music, video and games were in the right place at the right time," said ERA CEO Kim Bayley.