A new survey from the NPD Group reveals that an increasing portion of video game players are choosing digital games over physical games when they purchase new titles. 

The "Exploring Digital Gaming" survey revealed that 36 percent of individuals in the United States age 13 or older play digital games on PCs, consoles, or mobile devices, according to Gamespot. However, only 16 percent of gamers exclusively play digital games, meaning a digital-only future is still far away.

It is unclear what sort of growth the digital game market has experienced year over year, but the survey revealed which platforms experience the most digital sales. PC users represent the majority of digital gamers, with 90 percent of digital gamers using Steam and other digital platforms on the PC for their gaming needs. The survey found that 28 percent of console owners play digital games. While 67 percent of those who primarily use consoles download more than one digital game per year, only 14 percent buy downloadable games every month. When users were asked which they preferred—digital or physical—25 percent of users said they prefer digital games while 30 percent would rather have a physical copy of the game.

Interestingly enough, one analyst for the NPD Group revealed that many digital gamers do not plan their digital purchases out in advance and are more impulsive in buying these digital games over physical games.

"Most digital players, regardless of device, don't plan their purchases," NPD Group analyst Liam Callahan said in a statement about the survey. "They purchase simply when they find something they like. But primary console players do have a greater tendency to purchase at or before the time of release relative to PC players. As more consumers purchase the new consoles (Xbox One, PlayStation 4), we expect to see greater digital spending from digital console gamers as consumers indicated that purchasing these consoles will most likely increase their digital spending."

The survey used data gathered from Dec. 19 through Jan. 2, 2014. from over 6,000 members of the NPD Group's online panel age 13 or older. These numbers seem to back up the backlash that was reported by gamers when Microsoft attempted to focus more on a digital future with the Xbox One. The original plan for the Xbox One had the console always connected to the Internet and imposed penalties on users who tried to play used games on the console, but after fans rejected this version of the console Microsoft quickly changed the machine to the version available today.