What is Your Gaming Platform Identity?

by  John Uke Last update: March 13, 2024

What drives you to play? Why do you prefer one platform over another? Just like how we argue over Mario Vs. Sonic or PUBG vs. Fortnite, we all have our reasons for getting attached to certain consoles and platforms. Through GameTree’s Gamer DNA, we can see beyond any general fondness for a platform and into the data driving our preferences. For example, based on the infographic below, the biggest reason people seem to play on PC is for “Status” — if this wasn’t true, then the “PC Master Race” meme would probably never exist.

Gamers on PC also really enjoy socializing. Considering how easy it is to talk to people through a computer (as opposed to some other paid console service like Xbox Live, PlayStation Plus or Nintendo Switch Online), the accessibility and affordability of gaming on a PC makes sense. “Difficulty” and “Mechanical Skills” are also high data points for the PC platform, and this is likely because playing with a mouse and keyboard provides more precision than playing with a controller. 

The Nintendo Switch Platform, whose players are driven by a fun overall experience rather than status or mechanical skills, show Gamer DNA with a preference for “Characters”, “Sound”, and “Lore”. If you’re the kind of person who values relaxed game play, then you’re the kind of person who prefers a Switch (versus PC gamers who prefer “Status”). These preferences show up in the platform’s marketing: the Nintendo Switch is perceived as a casual, family friendly console that doesn’t focus on difficulty or competition. 

PlayStation and Xbox fanbases are always at odds with each other, forever competing over which console has better games and graphics. And yet the GameTree Gamer DNA for both consoles show more similarities than differences. For example, both Playstation and Xbox fanbases play for great graphics. The only major difference between the two consoles is “Dominance”, with a whopping 12.1% of Xbox players being much more competitive than Playstation’s 2%. Why a gamer plays on either console is mostly due to personal preference (and probably a bit of nostalgia for whichever gaming platform was their first). 

Tabletop gaming has a little bit of everything, as you might expect. With its immersive and social nature, the “Roleplay” and “Complexity” preferences for Tabletoppers are understandably the highest driving data points — it’s all about the details and strategy. These Gamer DNA preferences expand into real time engagement and in-person community gaming sessions more often than other platforms. If you’re feeling daring, there’s always Monopoly.

Curious how your Gaming Platform Identity and its Gamer DNA data align? Take the quiz! It’s just 15 questions and who knows? Maybe it will inspire you to try out a new gaming platform and discover a world of new games.

You can also click on this link to see GameTree’s full data dump!