A new study by ExpressVPN has found that approximately one in three Brits play video games on their work devices, with men averaging three hours less of work per week than women.

Since the shift to more remote working, some employees now spend up to 67 percent of their work hours doing other tasks, the study found.

Gaming from home

ExpressVPN’s data come from a survey of 2,000 US and UK employees – specifically those who work from home either fully or in a hybrid situation. Among those in the sample, in addition to gaming, buying crypto and streaming were also found to be popular on company devices.

Given that 32.1 percent of consumers in the UK consider mobile to be their top gaming platform, making it more popular than PC and console gaming, it could well be the case that many if not most work devices being used for gaming are for mobile games specifically. Free-to-play mobile gaming is also the most popular in the UK.

One reason for gaming on work devices was speculated to be for its combative value against stress and pressure, as 78 percent of senior managers in the survey expected employees to work outside of their contracted hours. As for the employees themselves, 68 percent of men and 41 percent of women felt they were obligated to work outside of their standard hours when working from home.

The most likely groups to carry out personal activities like gaming comprised individuals aged 35 to 44, and those in C-level executive positions.

In total, 32 percent of the 2,000 people surveyed were using their work devices for gaming, and 30 percent would continue to do so even if told to stop by their managers.

Despite the clear popularity of gaming across a wide span of demographics, the UK's market declined for the first time in a decade in 2022, with £5.38 billion generated compared to £5.47 billion in 2021.