UK gamers now spend an average of £105.27 a year on in game purchases, according to new Uswitch Broadband research based on a survey of 2,000 UK gamers.
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The UK gaming market gives these numbers extra weight. Ukie said UK consumers spent £8.76 billion on video games in 2025, with software spend alone reaching £6.03 billion. That wider market size helps explain why microtransactions, battle passes, expansions, skins, and in game currency now sit at the centre of gaming revenue.
Fortnite recorded the highest average in game spend among the franchises in the Uswitch Broadband survey, at £37.16 per player per year. Call of Duty followed at £34.55, while the FIFA series reached £33.55.
The list leans toward live service and competitive games. Roblox averaged £30.80, Counter-Strike reached £28.42, League of Legends hit £27.34, and Apex Legends came in at £27.33. Meanwhile, story-led franchises sat lower. Red Dead Redemption had the lowest average among major titles surveyed, at £18.45, followed by The Elder Scrolls at £19.78 and Gran Turismo at £20.30.
That pattern fits the wider model. Live service games usually sell repeat content through battle passes, seasonal drops, in game currency, and limited-time extras. Traditional single-player games often rely more on the first sale, expansions, or one-off downloadable content.
The most common spending category was gameplay-expanding content. Expansions and downloadable content were bought by 66% of gamers, with average annual spend at £13.94. In game currency followed at 63% and £13.43, while battle passes and seasonal content reached 59% and £12.22.
Loot boxes ranked lowest. Half of gamers said they spent nothing on loot boxes, while average spend came in at £9.09. Cosmetic extras also split the audience, with 48% saying they did not buy skins, outfits, or emotes.
Impulse buying drives a lot of the problem. Uswitch Broadband found that 26% of gamers always or often make in game purchases on impulse. Another 35% said they sometimes do, even when they usually think first. Only 15% said they never buy on impulse.
That helps explain the regret number. Overall, 86% of gamers said they had regretted an in game purchase. Of that group, 16% said regret happened often, while 4% said it always happened.
Xbox players appeared near the top on both frequency and spend. They made 92 in game purchases a year on average and spent £142 annually, above the UK gamer average of £105.27. Nintendo Switch players averaged 86 purchases, PlayStation players 85, PC players 73, and mobile gamers 62.
Gen Z gamers also spent more than the average. Players aged 18 to 28 reached £121 per year, showing how strongly younger audiences now interact with digital extras, live content, and recurring game offers.
Uswitch broadband comparison experts said:
“Gamers can take a few simple steps to stay in control of their in-game spending. A good starting point is tracking purchases in real time and regularly checking transaction histories, so there’s a clear view of what’s being spent and where. Setting spending limits before playing can also help create boundaries, while enabling account controls such as PIN requirements or purchase approvals adds an extra layer of protection against unplanned spending.
“It’s also worth being mindful of how in-game prompts are designed to encourage quick decisions. Taking a short pause before confirming a purchase can help reduce impulse buys, particularly during fast-paced gameplay. Finally, regularly reviewing subscriptions, add-ons and recurring purchases can help ensure players aren’t paying for content they no longer use or didn’t intend to keep.”
In game purchases and microtransactions also affect player enjoyment. YouGov research in 2024 found that 71% of UK gamers said in game purchases and microtransactions had negatively affected their enjoyment of video games to some degree.