Mobile gaming is the world’s biggest and most popular form of gaming. In 2016, it surpassed console and PC gaming with a market share of 46%. As of 2023, 700,000 mobile games are available on iOS and Android. This number of games caused a substantial gap between the 10,963 games released by Steam.
The pandemic positively impacted mobile gaming as people sought ways to entertain themselves at home. Despite the economic unrest from the pandemic to post-pandemic times, it has persisted as one of the most relevant technological advances, bringing significant revenue worldwide.
In this article, salient mobile gaming industry statistics will illuminate the hold of mobile gaming in today’s digital world.
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- 44% of the Asia-Pacific market belongs to China.
- In 2020, 79% of active mobile game players were Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
- 31% of 2022 in-app purchases were RPG games.
- The total mobile gaming revenue in the US is $5.71 billion.
- The iOS Appstore generated 56.26% of its revenue from gaming apps.
- Subway Surfer gained over 4 billion downloads.
- In 2023, Candy Crush Saga earned $254 million in revenue.
- The iOS app Honor of Kings: World earned $766 million in revenue.
How Many Mobile Gamers in 2023?
There are over 1.9 billion mobile game users across the globe. By 2027, this population will reach 2.3 billion, resulting in a growth of 398 million.
This increase is foreseeable, as 2020 records show that smartphone users amounted to 3.5 million. The numbers continue to grow due to advancements in mobile technology.
If you’re curious about the mobile gaming industry’s progress, below is all the essential information about its current status. This section includes market size, revenue, gaming demographics, and the ruling mobile gaming applications.
Mobile Gaming Industry Market Size
The mobile gaming industry takes off annually, covering 50% of the total gaming market and earning $92 billion. The leading influencers of this growth are the high number of smartphone users, mobile technology, and mobile gaming app trends.
Dig deeper into the market domain and learn more about the mobile gaming frontrunners by country and region.
1. Asia ranks number 1 in the mobile gaming market by continent.
(Statista)
In 2021, Asia claimed over 48% of mobile gaming users worldwide. This percentage accounts for 1.29 billion gamers. Meanwhile, Europe ranked second with only 551.7 million mobile gaming users.
Many factors contributed to Asia’s significant market share, one being the home to some of the world’s leading mobile and mobile gaming companies. These companies include Tencent, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Xiaomi.
2. China accounted for 44% of the mobile market size for the Asia-Pacific region in 2021.
(Global Data)
China dominates the mobile gaming market in Asia and worldwide, holding the top position with the most significant market share in the APR. The Chinese population influenced the high market size of mobile gaming.
Japan follows next, covering a notable 33%. While South Korea comes in third with 11%, and the rest of APR holds the remaining 12%.
3. India has a 15.29% market share for mobile game downloads.
(Apptica, The United Nations)
India grabbed the largest market for downloads in the world, experiencing a 0.9% increase in the first half of 2023. It surpassed Brazil and the United States. Surprisingly, China only came in third with a 4.59% download market share.
According to the United Nations, India recently became the world’s most populous country, exceeding China. Despite having the most downloads, India is not among the top 15 countries with the most mobile gaming revenue.
Mobile Gaming Demographics
Mobile gaming is accessible to many users worldwide – all a person needs is a smartphone. This accessibility led to 155 million mobile game users in 2021 in the US alone, accounting for 46% of the population.
Mobile games remain relevant across nations and age groups. In 2022, it had a staggering number of downloads at 55.6 billion.With that in mind, this section will show you all the diverse demographics you must know about mobile gamers.
4. Female gamers comprise 46% of the total mobile gaming population in the US.
(Statista, Forbes)
There is a remarkable rise in female mobile gamers in the US, covering almost half the country’s gaming population. Their current share secured a 33% annual increase in numbers.
While these figures show incredible progress for female gamers and developers, women in this industry still have a long way to go. Currently, only 28% are female-attributed in the mobile game industry.
Nevertheless, this growth subverts the belief that only one gender predominantly plays in the gaming sector–male. It also demonstrates the towering capacity for gender inclusivity in this industry.
5. 79% of active mobile gamers in 2020 are Generation Z and Alpha.
(Statista, Venturebeat, TapJoy)
Mobile gaming is trendy among Gen Z, with 86% using mobile devices. They are primarily driven by child-friendly content and games.
Millennials occupy 72% of the market. Records show gamers aged 20 to 39 favor playing games on a smartphone. Meanwhile, GenX has a 68% rate in their mobile gaming activity.
6. In 2020, 65% of US mobile users earning over $250,000 played mobile games at least once or several times daily.
(Statista)
People in higher economic brackets spend more time gaming on mobile devices. A rate of more than 50% is recorded for those earning $150,000. In contrast, those under the $50,000 income only hold a population rate of 48%.
These results are highly determined by access to mobile gaming – depending on a user’s leisure time and financial capability to purchase games and high-end phones.
Revenue in Mobile Gaming
Mobile gaming statistics from 2022 revealed a $92.2 billion revenue on mobile gaming alone. This increase in revenue secured a significant difference from console games, which cost $52.2 billion.
The mobile gaming industry has enhanced its appeal and revenue through in-app products, subscription plans, and advertising. Allowing it to showcase its ability to generate profits and attract users.
The following data will explore all mobile game revenue statistics that matter.
7. RPG games comprised 31% of the total in-app purchases in 2022.
(Statista)
RPG tops mobile games, making it the highest-earning genre, generating over $25.5 billion.The main strengths of RPG is the lore and the characters, allowing users to immerse themselves within the story’s arc.
Some popular RPG games are Genshin Impact, Monster Hunter, Stars Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and many more. Next on the list of top game genres is Strategy games. One popular strategy game as of 2023 is Clash of Clans, which earned $12.1 billion.
8. The United States grossed $5.71 billion in mobile gaming revenue.
(Apptica)
The US covers 26.61% of mobile gaming revenue in the first half of 2023, a 4% increase from 2022. Its mobile market continues to grow with the number of users owning smartphones and discovering games.
Countries that follow the US reported an increase in revenue except for South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The biggest drop was in South Korea, with a 2.6% decline.
9. In 2023, the iOS Appstore obtained 56.26% of its revenue from gaming apps.
(Apptica)
The App Store produced over half of the mobile gaming revenue in 2023. Meanwhile, Android covered the rest, at 43.74%. While iOS had the highest income, Google Play obtained the most downloads in the first half of 2023.
88.63%of the total mobile game downloads were made with Android. This high rate is directly attributed to how most mobile games are developed for Android.
Statistics on Popular Mobile Games
Genres is the new trend in the mobile gaming industry, offering varieties from RPGs to stimulation games and more.
Casual gaming downloads reached 4.15 billion in the first half of 2023—topping in subcategory rating by revenue. Action games come in second with 3.9 billion downloads, while puzzle games ranked 4th on the subcategory list, with 3.11 billion.
Unlike most RPG and action games, casual games do not require too much time, making them easier and more accessible for people of all ages.
The statistics below will introduce and dig deeper into the figures of the most popular mobile games in 2023.
10. Subway Surfer is the most popular mobile game, with over 4 billion downloads.
(Mobilemarketingreads, Businessofapps, Apptica)
Subway Surfer tops the list of the most popular mobile games of 2023, accumulating $155 million in lifetime revenue. As of Q3 of 2023, the game had 116.5 million and 17.5 million downloads on Android and iOS, respectively.
The appeal of Subway Surfer to many users is attributed to the game’s fun, casual, and exciting gameplay.
11. Candy Crush Saga garnered $254 million in app revenue in 2023.
(Statista, Apptica)
The popular match-three puzzle game has been downloaded over 3 billion times since its launch in 2012. Candy Crush Saga is second in the most popular games in 2023. As of Q2 of 2023, it has been downloaded 45 million times.
Candy Crush Saga’s challenging trait, overall design, and marketing made it known and engaging to many users, resulting in its acclaim. It is also one of the highest-earning puzzle games in the industry.
12. Honor of Kings: World got $766 million in revenue in iOS.
(Apptica)
Honor of Kings took the first spot in the highest-earning mobile game in iOS. It is a multiplayer game featuring a battle arena. Tencent, the largest mobile game company in China, developed this game.
The stories behind each character and gameplay optimization prompted the game’s popularity. It is also considered an action-role-playing game, the genre with the most earnings. Roblox follows at 4th with 194 million in revenue.
Final Words
Mobile gaming continues to thrive, particularly on smartphones. As an influential part of the digital world, many mobile games and smartphones now adapt to mobile gaming. Making it more efficient for all to play games anytime, anywhere.
As it dominates the gaming sector, many users will see changes in how developers will improve the platform for all. The mobile gaming figures above have shown that this industry has a promising future ahead and has what it takes to achieve even bigger success in the digital domain.
FAQs
Is mobile gaming more profitable?
A big percentage of the gaming revenue comes from mobile gaming. When it comes to profit, mobile gaming is the biggest income generator.
Why is the mobile gaming industry successful?
One of the main reasons behind the success of mobile gaming is the popularity of mobile devices.
What are the benefits of the mobile gaming industry in the country?
Mobile gaming also generates revenue for the country, contributing to its economic growth—the opportunities mobile gaming gives, such as esports tournaments and job offers that come along with these.
