Gen Z men are ditching bars for gaming with friends
Forget the sticky floors and pricey pints, young men are trading in pub crawls for headsets.
A new study released by Logitech G, conducted by independent research firm Antenna Insights, revealed that the way young men socialise is changing, and the pub is losing the battle to the video gaming universe.
Logitech G’s study, which surveyed over 1,500 people aged 18-45, also discovered that nearly half (49%) of all 18-24-year-old respondents favour a video gaming night in with their friends over going out to the pub. On a broader scale, the same can be said for one-third (34%) of all 18-45-year-olds.
The majority (61%) of Gen Z men (18-24 years old) in Australia now prefer connecting with their friends through online gaming rather than hitting the local pub or bar.
The days of the ‘traditional’ Friday night out are being replaced by the convenience and camaraderie of the digital world. More specifically, the tide is turning on gaming being considered an antisocial pastime, with it now being an ideal social watering hole to boost friendship satisfaction.
Behind the shift
Three key factors are significantly driving this shift: its affordability (according to 54% of respondents who chose video games), relaxing benefits (47%), and convenience in organising compared to other activities (42%). In other words, forget coordinating taxis, arguing over venues and spending a bomb on drinks.
With meeting at the pub or bar becoming too costly and out of reach for many young people, many are looking to other options for community building. According to Logitech G, the survey findings are a sign of the times, with online gaming acting as a key facilitator of social connection, particularly among the younger male cohort.
“Online gaming has cemented itself as a powerful engine for building and strengthening friendships, with Logitech G’s study directly proving this,” said Daniel Hall, Senior Category Manager at Logitech G ANZ.
“Although in-person catch-ups will forever have a role to play, video games are providing an essential platform for digital socialising in Australia and beyond. It allows friends to connect more frequently than they otherwise would, ultimately leading to more long-lasting social bonds.”
A “third space” for social connection
Logitech G also discovered that online gaming is rapidly becoming a top “third space” – defined as a go-to hub (online or in-person) outside of home and work that drives social connection and fosters community.
Just over one in six (18%) consider online gaming — including PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and mobile gaming platforms — to be their primary third space. This ranked second only to cafes and restaurants, which came in first place at 32%, while pubs and bars came in third place at 16%. More traditional social activities (such as sporting teams and community groups) all came in at under 9%. This trend is even more pronounced among Gen Z men, with 38% describing online gaming as their primary third space for connecting with their social circles.
What’s more is that frequent gamers enjoy significantly more social time with friends each week compared to those who rarely game – 3.8 hours more to be specific.
“The data demonstrates that frequent gamers enjoy the highest friendship satisfaction out of any cohort, especially for daily male gamers. Evidently, online gaming is a sure way to deepen existing friendships, but it also has the potential to spark new social connections beyond established social circles,” Hall added.
An overwhelming 73% of gamers also rely on online play to maintain long-distance friendships, proving its unique ability to keep relationships thriving across physical barriers – from Australia to the UK.
The study coincides with the recent launch of Logitech G’s Astro A20 X Gaming Headset, powered by PLAYSYNC technology. This enables players to easily switch between consoles with a single button press, as the research found that players often have different friend groups for different games.
In a world where social connection is more important than ever, Logitech G’s research offers a critical reflection of modern social dynamics and the growing role of digital platforms in shaping Gen Z male friendships.