RALEIGH – The Triangle region, which is hope to gaming powerhouse Epic Games – the publisher of globally popular Fortnite – and numerous firms such as Red Storm Entertainment, scores well in a new survey of “Best Cities for Gamers” from consumer data firm WalletHub.

Raleigh came in 12th in the study which was released Wednesday.

Durham is ranked 16th.

The rankings come as demand for video games and hardware continues to grow in the wake of the pandemic.

The industry “received a huge boost during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no signs of slowing down. Year-to-date hardware sales are already up 81% compared to the previous year, and software sales are up 18% even without including digital downloads,” WalletHub notes.

Rankings of the nation’s 100 largest cities are based on 22 statistical categories, including average internet speed, internet cost, available jobs in the video game industry and the number of arcades as well as video game stores.

Raleigh received a score of 56.26 out of 100. Durham received a score of 53.79.

Irving, Calif. topped the list at 73.63 followed by Raleigh rival Austin, Texas at 65.93.

Here’s how Raleigh ranked:

The Gamer Lifestyle in Raleigh (1=Best; 50=Avg.):
  • 51st – Avg. Internet Speed
  • 11th – Video-Game Job Openings per Capita
  • 11th – Internet Cost
  • 48th – Video-Game Stores per Capita
  • 16th – Arcades per Capita
  • 13th – Share of Households Owning a Computer

Breaking down Durham’s data:

The Gamer Lifestyle in Durham (1=Best; 50=Avg.):
  • 24th – Avg. Internet Speed
  • 31st – Video-Game Job Openings per Capita
  • 24th – Internet Cost
  • 86th – Arcades per Capita
  • 33rd – Share of Households Owning a Computer

For the full report, see: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-cities-for-gamers/36270