Almost half of UK gamers have played on a smartphone in last 6 months

More than two-thirds of the UK population have played a videogame in the last six months according to report by Lightspeed Research, a division of market research house Kantar Worldpanel.

The study, which is based on the answers of 999 gamers, concluded 18-24 year olds are more likely to have played on their smartphone than their home console.

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Indeed, though Lightspeed claims home consoles remain the most popular way to play games overall, smartphones and social games are fast closing the gap.

47 percent of those surveyed have played a smartphone game in the preceding six months, compared to the 60 percent who have played on a home console.

Furthermore, 20 percent of those surveyed have made an in-game purchase of some kind, a figure that rises to 33 percent among 18-34 year old players.

Overall, Lightspeed's figures suggest both an increasingly diverse audience for games, and significant growth in social, casual, and mobile gaming.

As Ralph Rish, Lightspeed's marketing director for Europe explains, "Gaming is no longer the preserve of the young: gaming has gripped people of all ages in the UK, whether on a dedicated console for a few hours, or for a few minutes on a smartphone."

[source: Lightspeed Research]