Hey there fellow mobile gamer! Mobile gaming has exploded from a niche hobby into a dominant form of entertainment enjoyed by billions today. Let‘s explore the key statistics defining the booming world of mobile gaming in 2023 and beyond.
The Staggering Growth of Mobile Gaming
To start, the scale of mobile gaming today is simply staggering. Mobile now accounts for over half of the entire gaming industry revenue worldwide! According to researchers at Newzoo, mobile gaming generated 53% of global gaming revenue in 2022, topping the combined 25% from PC gaming and 22% from consoles [1]. For perspective, back in 2013, mobile gaming comprised just 21% of the industry. That‘s more than double the market share in less than a decade!
The number of mobile gamers has mirrored this meteoric growth. There are now an estimated 3 billion mobile gamers globally as of 2022 [2]. That‘s double the approximately 1.5 billion console gamers and 1 billion PC gamers out there [3]. And in the US alone, there are now over 150 million mobile gaming fans like you [4]. With smartphone penetration steadily rising across the world, especially in developing countries, the total number of mobile gamers will likely continue expanding.
Young Gamers Power Mobile Gaming‘s Rise
Driving much of this growth is the sheer popularity of mobile gaming among young demographics. According to Nielsen, the 16-34 age group represents nearly 60% of all mobile gamers globally [5]. It‘s easy to understand the appeal for younger audiences – mobile games are accessible, affordable, and facilitate hanging out with friends in a digital space.
Here‘s a more detailed breakdown of mobile gamers worldwide by age:
- 28.3% are between 16-24 years old
- 29.5% are between 25-34 years old
- 23.1% are between 35-44 years old
- 12.8% are between 45-54 years old
- 6.3% are between 55-64 years old [5]
While the youth dominate in terms of numbers, older demographics still comprise a significant share of mobile gamers. Nearly 1 in 5 mobile game players are 35 or older.
Duration of Play Varies by Age Group
Although younger users represent the majority of mobile gamers, older players tend to spend more time gaming in terms of daily averages. From Q4 2020 to Q1 2021, mobile gamers aged 40+ spent around 20 minutes per day playing games. In contrast, those 19 or under only played for 13 minutes on average per day [6].
Here‘s the full rundown of daily mobile gaming time across age brackets:
- Ages 19 and below: 13.08 minutes
- Ages 20-24: 12.88 minutes
- Ages 25-29: 16.56 minutes
- Ages 30-34: 17.29 minutes
- Ages 35-39: 18.07 minutes
- Ages 40-44: 19.28 minutes
- Ages 45-49: 20.44 minutes
- Ages 50+: 20.99 minutes [6]
While older gamers have more leisure time, the high engagement from under-30 users demonstrates the habit-forming nature of mobile games.
Asia Leads in Total Mobile Gamers
Zooming out to the regional level, Asia stands tall as the global capital of mobile gaming. In 2021, Asia was home to nearly 1.3 billion mobile game players, accounting for 48% of all mobile gamers worldwide [7]. This massive user base reflects the rising popularity of mobile gaming in countries like China, Japan, India and Southeast Asia.
After Asia, here are the regions with the next highest mobile gamer populations:
- Europe: 552 million
- Latin America: 309 million
- North America: 208 million
- MENA (Middle East and North Africa): 146 million
- Sub-Saharan Africa: 126 million
- Oceania: 25 million [7]
As smartphone adoption expands globally, especially in developing regions, the number of mobile gamers in each region could grow substantially in the years ahead.
Mobile Games Generate Tens of Billions in Revenue
The meteoric rise in mobile gamers has translated into booming revenues from mobile gaming apps worldwide. In 2022, mobile games generated an estimated $92 billion globally, up 7% from the year prior [8]. For comparison, PC gaming revenue was $41.4 billion and console gaming revenue was $55.8 billion in 2022 [9].
Driving these massive revenues is the rise of "freemium" mobile titles that monetize through in-app purchases and post-download spending. For instance, Candy Crush Saga raked in around $1 billion in 2022 primarily from users purchasing power-ups and extra lives [10].
Here are the top grossing mobile games worldwide this past year:
- Honor of Kings: $1.65 billion
- Genshin Impact: $1.25 billion
- PUBG Mobile: $1.12 billion
- Candy Crush Saga: $1 billion
- Roblox: $0.82 billion [10]
The incredible earnings of these hits demonstrates how well designed mobile games leverage tactics like seasonal battle passes and gacha random reward systems to drive in-app spending.
Projected to Become a $172 Billion Industry by 2023
Looking ahead, analysts predict mobile gaming growth shows no signs of slowing down. Thanks to an expanding player base and new revenue streams like in-game advertising, the global mobile games market is forecasted to reach $172 billion by the end of 2023 [11].
For perspective, the market was valued at just $62 billion in 2017 – meaning it has nearly tripled in value in just six short years! And by 2026, projections push the mobile gaming market value to $201 billion [12]. I don‘t know about you, but I can‘t wait to see what the future holds for mobile gaming!
Puzzle and Hypercasual Games Most Played Genres
With countless mobile gaming options today across a wide range of genres, which game types are most popular with users? According to Data.ai, puzzle games like Candy Crush lead the market in the US, accounting for roughly 25% of playing time [13]. Close behind are hypercasual and arcade-style games at 23% share of playtime. Rounding out the top 5 most played genres in the US are strategy, RPG, and action games.
Globally, multiplayer battle royale titles like PUBG Mobile and Garena Free Fire have gained massive popularity. Location-based AR games such as Pokemon GO also have considerable player bases worldwide. But across regions, easy-to-pick-up puzzle, hypercasual, and arcade-style games dominate in terms of total hours played. Their simple, addictive game mechanics appeal to the broadest range of audiences.
The Future is Mobile
In summary, the stats clearly show that mobile gaming is the future of interactive entertainment:
- 3 billion mobile gamers globally in 2022
- 53% game industry market share
- $92 billion in consumer spend in 2022
- Expected to reach $172 billion market size by 2023
While younger demographics may dominate in sheer numbers, even older users dedicate significant time to mobile gaming today. And straightforward casual game genres lead in popularity across age groups and regions. As smartphone technology continues improving and expanding across the world, expect mobile gaming to eat up even greater portions of the gaming landscape going forward. The era of mobile gaming has clearly arrived, my friend!
So in conclusion, I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see where this incredible journey takes us next. Now enough reading about mobile games – it‘s time to play! What game do you want to dive into first today? Let me know in the comments!
Sources
[1] Newzoo 2022 Global Games Market Report[2] Liftoff Mobile Gaming Apps Report
[3] Newzoo 2022 Global Games Market Report
[4] Nielsen Mobile Gaming Almanac
[5] Nielsen Mobile Gaming 360 Report
[6] Liftoff Mobile Gaming Apps Report
[7] Data.ai Global Mobile Gamer Connections Report
[8] SensorTower Store Intelligence Data Digest 2022
[9] Newzoo 2022 Global Games Market Report
[10] SensorTower Top Grossing Apps Data 2022
[11] Statista Mobile Gaming Outlook 2023
[12] Juniper Research Future of Mobile Gaming Report
[13] Data.ai US Mobile Gamer Connections Report
