This study aimed to explore the use of digital games among older adults and provide a set of ‘‘benchmark data’’ with respect to the uses and gratifications of these players. To find out who these older players of digital games are, what games they prefer, and what playing motives they have, an exploratory survey was administered among 124 individuals aged between 45 and 85 years old. The results of this survey confirm that the majority of the older digital game audience exists of solitary players with a particular fondness for casual PC games. The most popular playing motive among the respondents was challenge, while social interaction proved to be the most important predictor for the time that respondents invested in playing digital games.

As older adults are interested in using VR, especially if poor health prevents the continuation of desirable activities or new experiences, it is important to respond to older adults' preferences and remove barriers that limit use and enjoyment.

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The current study aims to integrate the findings of previous research on the use of video games by older adults by applying the Uses & Gratifications (U&GT) paradigm (Blumler and Katz, 1974). A qualitative study was performed with 35 participants aged between 50 and 74, who were selected from a larger sample of 213. Based upon their primary playing motives and the gratifications they obtain from digital game play, a classification was developed, resulting in five categories of older adults who actively play games: “time wasters”, “freedom fighters”, “compensators”, “value seekers” and “ludophiles”.

The current study aims to integrate the findings of previous research on the use of video games by older adults by applying the domestication framework developed in the 1990s. A qualitative study was performed with 35 participants aged between 49 and 73, who were targeted purposefully from a larger sample of 213. The analysis revealed how older adults appropriated digital games using pre-existing, public and co-constructed meanings, as well as how such meanings influence the incorporation of digital games in their daily routine. The study also reveals how the transformation of personal meanings into the public realm can be obstructed by social factors. Finally, the usefulness of the domestication framework for this topic of study as well as implications for future research are discussed.