Millennials’ Ultimate Retirement Plan: Gaming

How Millennials Will Shape the Most Tech-Savvy Retirement

Millennials, Gaming, and the Future of Retirement

The sun shines down on a hot summer day in a Florida community. People slide on their headbands over leathery, suntan-lotioned scalps and equip their supportive wrist straps. They check to make sure their electric golf carts are charged, then put the pedal to the plastic, letting the wind flow through their thinning hair as they approach the pickleball court. A quick glance at Facebook shows a flood of grandkid photos, which they dutifully like with a generic “so cute” comment. It’s the stereotypical image of boomer retirement.

But for us Millennials? Well… we’re left wondering if we’ll even be able to enjoy retirement. Still, we’ve got big plans—for our simulated farms.

The video game boom of the ’90s, which put consoles in nearly every U.S. home, stole the hearts of one generation more than any other: Millennials. We were the perfect age for it. We are the Pokémon champions. And, statistically, we haven’t stopped playing since. Nearly half of all gamers today are Millennials (49%, to be exact), and we’re the most likely generation to play online games.

So, what does the future look like for us? Truthfully, it’s not much different than now. Many of us will fluctuate in our gaming habits over the years, but for a lot of us, gaming remains a top-three hobby—even if it’s not number one.

We’re also the most computer-literate generation. The generations above us rely on us to fix their printers, while the ones below us may have the reflexes of a cat but zero understanding of the inner workings of their iPads. We’ll be more flexible with technology in our retirement than any generation that preceded us—including Gen X. (Sorry, but ultimately, you spent less time on AOL Instant Messenger than we did and more time playing outside. For better or worse.)

The Hottest Take: We Won’t Retire in VR

Here’s a take that might surprise you: I don’t think Millennials are headed toward retirement inside VR headsets. Sure, VR is amazing, but let’s face it—once you hit a certain age, your reflexes slow down. This is why most professional gamers peak in their late teens. By your 30s, learning new information becomes harder, and this speed bump affects every generation. Barring some incredible breakthrough in brain science (totally separate conversation, but hey, maybe we need age limits for public office—would you want your grandparent running the country?), our generation isn’t going to suddenly pivot to hyper-complex tech at 70.

What this means is that Millennials are currently at or have already hit their peak understanding of technology. And here’s where my hottest take comes in: the types of games we’re playing now are the types of games we’ll be playing in retirement.

Think about it. We already see games specifically marketed to Millennials, and it’s only going to grow. You know which generation still clings to MMORPGs? You guessed it—Millennials lead the charge. So when the hottest new game drops for VR Ray-Ban glasses, there’s a good chance we’ll still be playing our cozy farm sims (Stardew Valley) or reliving the glory days of Call of Duty with people our age.

Nostalgia Over Futurism

Our retirement will be one of the most tech-savvy yet, but it might look more nostalgic than futuristic. Instead of living in some Black Mirror episode, we’ll be enjoying a uniquely Millennial blend of old-school gaming and modern convenience. So, whether it’s running dungeons in World of Warcraft or harvesting crops in a digital field, our gaming retirement is bound to look a lot like the games we’ve loved all along.

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