THE best cities in the UK for gamers have been revealed in a new study.

Research by SolitareBliss found Brighton has the best gaming culture in the UK and is the third-best city for gamers in the country.

It has the highest number of gaming companies compared with its population, as well as over four times as many gaming events per 100,000 people than London.

Brighton’s average download speed was 14 per cent higher than the national average.

However, the city ranked only 24th for its number of gaming job opportunities.

Cambridge took the top spot, followed by Wakefield in second.

Top ten UK cities for gamers

  1. Cambridge
  2. Wakefield
  3. Brighton
  4. St Albans
  5. Kingston-upon-Hull
  6. Lichfield
  7. Dundee
  8. Bath
  9. London
  10. Portsmouth

At the other end of the scale, Perth in Scotland was ranked the worst city for gamers, with internet speeds 32 per cent slower than the national average, zero gaming events and some of the fewest gaming stores by population.

Cities were ranked based on four categories - average download speed, gaming stores in the area, local gaming culture, determined by local gaming events and companies per 100,000 people, and gaming job opportunities within a ten-mile radius per 100,000 people.

A spokesman for SolitareBliss said: “During 2020, 62 per cent of UK adults played video games.

“Gaming is a huge industry that is enjoyed by people of all ages, and the UK has a reputation for producing some of the world’s biggest game developers.

“Cambridge made the top spot as it scored well across the board, with its residents receiving high download speeds and a rich local gaming culture thanks to its reputation and history as a centre of innovation for computing, which draws talent and companies alike to the city.

“Other cities in the UK could learn from Cambridge, which shows that gaming is not only just a hobby, but also a global digital industry that is growing each year.”