When making an assessment on the rise of technology in the modern world, society’s reliance on smartphone devices is impossible to ignore. One of the main functionalities we explore on a mobile phone of today is gaming, with mobile gaming progressing massively in recent times.
Many older members of society will remember the original mobile phones that came to the fore, usually weighing a ton and looking like a brick, and housing Snake as the most enticing gaming opportunity for people. Now, though, innovation has led to more powerful mobile phones than ever before, with the birth of the smartphone and its internet capabilities resulting in an array of enhanced gaming opportunities that can be explored with ease. In 2023, smartphone gaming has certainly evolved, with people being able to sample a wide variety of games on their sophisticated handheld devices.
When it comes to the products available to play on mobile, they have never been so impressive. Console games are making a transition over to smartphone devices, with the likes of Call of Duty and Minecraft recording notable success, while smartphone users can even make the most of virtual reality titles and augmented reality offerings, such as Pokemon Go, as and when it suits them. All users need is a reliable internet connection and an extensive selection of games can be sampled without breaking the bank. Millions of people are certainly discovering the benefits of smartphone gaming, as many of the below statistics highlight.
71% of Google Play’s revenue is estimated to come from mobile games by 2025
According to SensorTower, 71% of Google Play’s revenue is estimated to come from mobile games by 2025, a quite astonishing projection. While people also sample browser games, such as the options available at verified casino brands, which can extend from slots to poker to live games, downloadable titles are a big hit as you can play offline. The fact that 71% of Google Play’s revenue could come from mobile gamers in the next few years highlights just how much growth this category of gaming is illustrating. Player spend is set to reach a massive $138 billion by 2025, too.
Players downloaded an astonishing 82.98 billion mobile games in 2021
In 2021 alone, players downloaded 82.98 billion mobile games in what turned out to be a year of notable growth for the mobile gaming industry. Additionally, AppAnnie found that consumer spend reached $116bn in 2021, with people sampling a plethora of enticing gaming products. The new and improved games that are now accessible on mobile have certainly enticed more people in, with users able to gain immediate access to an array of releases. From console-quality products and strategy games to puzzle titles and RPG releases, the diversity of mobile gaming means that there is something for everyone out there. Downloads won’t slow down anytime soon either.
Mobile gaming overtook PC and console for the first time in 2018
(Image via https://twitter.com/JordanAlty)
While this particular statistic is somewhat outdated, it still highlights the rise of mobile gaming in the modern world. In 2018, Newzoo found that mobile gaming revenues took over 50% of the global games market in that particular year. It hasn’t slowed down since, with mobile gaming now making up a large portion of the overall games market.
Other notable statistics are: User penetration is expected to hit 28.5% by 2025 (Statista), Free Fire games are the most downloaded products, and more than 50% of mobile gamers are older than 34 (Mediakix).