23+ Mobile Gaming Statistics for 2021 – Insights Into a $76B Games Market

Nowadays most people walk around with their mobile phones almost glued to their hands. It seems we really are addicted to our devices. We spend most of our time chatting with friends, scrolling through social media, surfing the Web and playing games, all in the name of keeping our brains entertained. Our eyes are always focused on the small screens and there’s that constant clicking sound that can be heard everywhere.

Here’s an interesting question for you:

What type of apps do you think are most popular?

You’re probably thinking about social media apps or photo editing ones. Or even dating apps, like Tinder, Badoo, etc.

Well, guess what.

You are wrong. At least according to mobile gaming statistics.

Games rule the app world.

Fascinating, right? In a century, widely dominated by Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, where influencers are thought to be the new voice of brands and everyone and their aunt is taking selfies, games are still the number one favorite type of apps for mobile device users.

Now let’s talk numbers.  

Fascinating Mobile Gaming Statistics

• 21% of Android and 25% of iOS apps downloaded are games.
• Games account for 43% of all smartphone use.
• 62% of people install a game on their phone within a week of owning it.
• 78% of gamers are Android users.
• The number of active mobile gamers worldwide is over 2.2 billion.
• 57.9% of the games played are puzzle games.
• More women spend money on in-game content than men.
• The mobile games’ revenue was expected to hit $76.7 billion by the end of 2020.

So let’s break this down, shall we?

Starting with the most recent mobile gaming stats for 2021.

Mind-Blowing Mobile Gaming Statistics for 2021

We spend an awful lot of time on our phones.

But what do we do?

Play games, mostly.

Game apps are top-rated among mobile phone users. The COVID-19 lockdown only adds fuel to the fire – a significant number of people resort to mobile gaming to ease boredom. 

Wanna know more?

Here are some of the most outstanding mobile gaming statistics.

1. The mobile games’ revenue was expected to hit $76.7 billion worldwide by the end of 2020.

(Source: Iron Source)

At the end of 2019, mobile games revenue grew to $68.5 billion. However, mobile gaming stats for 2020 show that this figure is estimated to experience a 12% increase by the end of 2020.

2. Slap Kings was the most-downloaded game for March 2020.

(Source: Sensor Tower)

With 35.6 million installs in the month of March alone, the Lion Studios game, “Slap Kings”, earned the title for the most-downloaded game. Gaming industry statistics for 2020 revealed that 13.6% of these installs were from the United States, with India accounting for 9.4%.

3. The most-played genre of mobile games is casual games.

(Source: Udonis)

Casual games are generally simpler, shorter, and require less learned skills to play. Mobile game genres statistics for 2020 showed that about 58.86% of people who play mobile games are casual gamers. Puzzle and Arcade mobile games follow closely at 56.5% and 55.08% respectively.

4. Asia is the biggest gaming marketplace in the world.

(Source: Statista)

According to mobile gaming statistics for 2020, Asia makes up almost half of the mobile gaming market with approximately $34.114 billion revenue from over 905 million users. China alone generates $21.02 billion which is about 61% of the Asian revenue.

5. PUBG mobile is the top mobile game worldwide in terms of revenue. 

(Source: Sensor Tower)

As of April 2020, PUBG, owned by the Chinese game publisher, Tencent, has generated over $225.2 million in revenue. China, which happens to be the host country, accounts for 58% of its revenue, with 9.6% coming from the United States, and 4.9% from Saudi Arabia.

6. More women spend money in-game than men worldwide.

(Source: Mopub)

Mobile gaming gender statistics show that 4.5% of women who play mobile games pay for the in-app game content, compared to 3.3% of men who do. 

7. About 53% of internet users between the age of 45-54 years play mobile games.

(Source: Mopub)

According to mobile game statistics for 2020, 12% of gamers within this age range play board/card games, 11% play puzzle games, and 11% play shooter games.

US Mobile Gaming Statistics

Although Asian countries are known to top the gaming industry, the United States is not so far behind. According to US mobile game market statistics, the United States is home to over 203 million gamers. 

Get ready, we have more US mobile game market statistics prepared for you.

8. 6% of all Android game publishers are from the United States.

(Source: 42 Matters)

The total number of worldwide Android gaming publishers is set at 164,700. However, US mobile game market statistics show that there are more than 10,144 American Android game publishers.

9. 33% of American mobile games are available for both Android and iOS.

(Source: 42 Matters)

American game publishers put in extra effort to ensure the availability of their games for both Android and iOS. Only a meager 18% of publishers worldwide can boast of such feat.

10. Imangi Studios is the biggest mobile game publisher in the US.

(Source: 42 Matters)

The American company which is best known for its gaming app, “Temple Run” owns 4 mobile games that have been downloaded more than 1.2 billion times worldwide.

The mobile gaming industry seems to be on top of the game. To prove that, we have some interesting facts prepared for you:

General Mobile Gaming Statistics

11. 74c of every dollar spent in the app store was spent on mobile games.

(Source: App Annie)

It’s only logical. Mobile games are easily accessible, provide quick entrainment and rarely ask for any special skills. You can play while waiting for your coffee or in the queue of your local supermarket. Or when using the bathroom. Hey, we’ve all been there! No judgment.

It helps there is such a huge variety of gaming apps. Most of them are easy and don’t require special skills or knowledge, which makes them perfect for basically anyone.

12. There are now 2.2 billion mobile gamers worldwide. 203 million of them are in the US. 56% of them play more than 10+ times a week.

(Source: Hubspot)

Mobile gaming growth is already a force to be reckoned with. With future development like AR coming to the mass customer, this trend shows no sign of slowing down.

13. 62% of people install a game on their phone within a week of owning it. Users spend more than 43% of their “smartphone time” playing games.

(Source: GO-Globe)

And to think it all began in 1997 when Nokia released the groundbreaking Snake. In 2002 games were available for download via WiFi and with App Store launching in 2008 they become a staple in every users’ app collection. True addiction-level gaming arrived in 2012, with the release of Candy Crush.

This little game with a simple premise broke the glass ceiling of the profits everyone thought a mobile game can deliver. Unsurprisingly, other big hits followed suit, as these next few mobile gaming stats will show.

Lo and behold, Candy Crush no longer occupies the gaming throne. It has been overtaken by Fortnite and Pokemon Go.

14. By the end of 2018, Candy Crush generated $1.1 billion and Fortnite – $1.3 million. Pokemon Go topped the chart with its $1.4 million in daily profits.

(Source: Pocket Gamer)

In January 2020, COD Mobile and PUBG top the charts and Pokemon Go is at 9th place.

At this stage, you’re probably wondering:

Who plays mobile games?

Usually when people hear the word “gamer”, they imagine a teenage boy, relentlessly playing World of Warcraft. We are all aware of that stereotype. Especially the older generations tend to think games are only for kids and young adults, if that. It’s easy to see where the confusion comes from – for years, young men have led most gaming fanbases. They are the most vocal, easily recognized group of them all.

If you’re one of those people who think that the same rules apply to the mobile gaming industry, then prepare to be even more amazed:

Most mobile gamers are women. Middle-aged women.

15. Only 37% of mobile gamers are men.

(Source: Highsnobiety)

Female gamers also play more often and are more willing to pay for games. That makes them more valuable than male players. What was thought to be a male kingdom turns out to be dominated by women.

16. In fact, 60% of females play daily. And 36% of those who play spend money on mobile games.

(Source: Highsnobiety)

Yeah, you heard that right. The mobile gaming demographics show that this gaming universe is mainly inhabited by women.

But that’s not all, folks.

17. 55% of mobile gamers are around 55 years old, while 21% are between 25 and 34 years old.

(Source: Imarc)

That’s hardly the end of the surprises we have prepared for you.

18. Only 8% of mobile gamers are teenagers.  

(Source: Technology and Adolescent Mental Health)

And society here blames teenagers for always being on their phones and never reading books. Hypocritical much?

Here comes the catch though:

19. According to mobile gaming statistics, 85% of gamers do not identify as such. Surprising, considering 30% of all play games daily.

(Source: Applovin)

People around the age of 55 don’t really consider themselves gamers, although they still spend a lot of time playing. We are going to blame the stereotype for their unwillingness to show their true colors. Actually, the percentage of older people who have never played a mobile game is under 20%. That comes to show that living in such a fast-paced environment has made us all constantly entertainment-hungry.

Now let’s take a look at mobile game revenue by genre. We figured out a lot of people play, but what exactly do they enjoy?

Here’s your answer:

Puzzle games.

More than half of smartphone users prefer puzzle games. The honorary second place goes to arcade games. Action and racing games are also quite popular, along with strategy and adventure ones. Simulation and word games finish at the bottom of most mobile gaming statistics.

20. Compared to 2017, in 2019 there’s was a 34% increase in revenue from puzzle games, with $3.8 billion. Arcade games account for $1.9 billion and have a 95% increase between 2017 and 2018.

(Source: GameSpace)

Hyper-casual games are also huge among customers.

But wait:

What exactly is a hyper-casual game?

To put it simply, it’s a minimalist game with a simple user-friendly design. They’re engaging and don’t really require above-average skills. Good examples would be Helix Jump, Love balls, SpinUp Jump, DunkShot. You get the idea.

Mobile gaming stats suggest their simplicity is what makes them immensely popular among users. Their popularity is only expected to grow in 2021.

We should pay special attention to the aforementioned PUBG and newcomers, such as Dauntless and even Plants vs. Zombies 3. AR technology is becoming more and more popular and is soon to turn into the new craze, once more games are released. It is interesting to see what kind of game revenue they will generate.

We saw the truth about females being more passionate players than males. Next, we found that middle-aged people tend to play mobile games more than teenagers. Finally, we pointed out the latest trends among genres and shined some light on the newcomers.

But there’s one more important question we have yet to answer:

Who plays more – the Android or the iOS camp?

Let’s find out.

21. 21% of the Android and 25% of iOS apps downloaded are games. But 78% of the players worldwide belong to the android game markets.

(Source: GO-Globe)

They are seen as eight times more valuable than iOS players.

22. 59% percent of Android users prefer casual games.

(Source: WePC)

23. Ketchapp was the leader among iPhone gaming app publishers worldwide, with 24.07 million downloads in January 2018.

(Source: WePC)

Unsurprisingly, most of the casual and hyper-casual games that users seem to love are available to us because of Ketchapp.

So how much is the gaming industry worth in 2018?

24. 51% of global revenues is attributed to mobile games, as opposed to 25% to console and 24% to PC games.

(Source: GO-Globe)

Mobile games managed to grab 46% of the global gaming revenue in 2017. In 2018 the number went up by 5% and it grew by 3% more in 2019. In 2020, that number was expected to reach 59%.

Many claim smartphones are losing their popularity. Their predictions fall short once we see how mobile gaming is taking over the world. Numbers do speak louder than words.

To Sum It Up

The modern mobile device user mostly uses their phone to play games. The casual and hyper-casual games rule the gaming world, with AR technologies coming to claim the throne. Interestingly, most players are middle-aged and not teenagers and most of them are women.

Hope you found these mobile gaming statistics as fascinating as I did! Until next time!