Mobile game industry research summary: Ever since the invention of smartphones, mobile games have become a common way to spend free time and a profitable industry for developers. Odds are you’ve played at least a few mobile games and maybe even spent your hard-earned money on them.
To find out more about the popularity of mobile games and the success of the industry, here are some crucial insights our research uncovered:
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There are over 1.92 billion mobile gamers around the world in 2023.
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Mobile gaming revenue is responsible for 77.7% of total gaming industry revenue.
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8% of total mobile time is spent on mobile games.
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Global mobile gaming industry has a market size of $172.10 billion in 2023.
For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
User Demographics | Downloads | Monetization | Revenue
Mobile Gamer User Demographics
Not everyone chooses to play mobile games, but those that do can have a huge impact on the market. Demographically, people from certain countries are more likely to play mobile games, for example. For more insights, here are some interesting facts:
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There are over 155 million US mobile gamers.
That’s over 46% of the entire US population, meaning that every other American you meet is likely to be a mobile gamer.
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Women are 22% more likely to be mobile gamers than men.
Approximately 55% of women are mobile gamers, compared to only 45% of men. This is in slight contrast to other forms of gaming, where 51% of men participate, and 49% of women do.
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30% of mobile gamers play mobile games every day.
Many mobile gamers play games daily, especially when they go to the bathroom, use public transportation, or are waiting for something. These games are typically quick and easy to play, making them a convenient choice during a limited time frame.
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Women are 79% more likely to spend money on mobile games than men.
In general, women are 31% more likely to make in-app purchases and 35% more likely to spend more money than their male counterparts. For this reason, it’s unsurprisingly that the mobile games industry might specifically try to target women.
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64% of mobile gamers are between the ages of 18-34.
Generally speaking, older people are less likely to play mobile games when compared to younger people. For example, only 34% of those aged 55+ play mobile games.
Mobile Game Participation Rate By Age
Age range Share of mobile game participants 18-34 64% 35-54 58% 55+ 34% -
Japan has the highest mobile spending per capita, at $149 over nine months.
Others among the top five countries with the most spending include South Korea ($95), The United States ($90), Australia ($62), and Canada ($50).
Top 10 countries by mobile spending
Country Average mobile spending (over nine months) Japan $149 South Korea $95 United States $90 Australia $62 Canada $50 United Kingdom $40 Germany $32 France $21 Thailand $12 Russia $6
Mobile Game Downloads
Mobile game downloads may have had some stagnation in recent years, but even so, they are still pulling massive numbers year after year. This can partially be linked to the growing popularity and capability of smartphones. To find out more, here are some key trends:
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There were 55.6 billion mobile game downloads in 2022.
This marks a 0.5% increase from 2021 when there were approximately 55.3 billion mobile game downloads.
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The number of annual mobile game downloads increased by 129% between 2015 and 2022.
Up until 2021, when the number of downloads saw a slight decrease, the number of mobile games being downloaded each year had been increasing steadily.
Mobile game downloads over time
Year Annual mobile game downloads 2015 24.3B 2016 27.9B 2017 34.7B 2018 38.4B 2019 42.1B 2020 56.1B 2021 55.3B 2022 55.6B -
25% of iOS and 21% of Android apps downloaded are games.
However, due to the popularity of mobile games in many Asian countries, Android actually dominates the market. A whopping 78% of all mobile gamers worldwide are playing on an Android device.
Mobile Game Monetization
One of the most prominent ways mobile games make money is through ads. This is especially true for free games, which rely heavily on ads to monetize their content. With that in mind, here are some interesting statistics:
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US mobile advertising spend is expected to reach $355.1 billion in 2023.
Mobile advertising spending reached an all-time high of $313.4 billion in 2022, meaning that by the end of 2023, year-over-year spending will have increased by 13.3%.
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US mobile ad spending has increased by 182% between 2017 and 2022.
In 2017, mobile ad spending was approximately $111.1 billion, which is less than half that of what it was in 2022.
US mobile ad spending over time
Year Mobile ad spending 2017 $111.1B 2018 $143.4B 2019 $175.4B 2020 $209.6B 2021 $262.5B 2022 $313.4B 2023* $355.1B -
The average CPM for interstitial ads in the US is $9.64 on iOS and $10.11 on Android.
Ads on Andriod make slightly more on average than those on iOS, but realistically, the interstitial CPM ad rates for Startapp can be anywhere from $3-$10.
Mobile Game Revenue
Even free-to-play mobile games can generate a surprising amount of revenue through ads, in-game purchases, and a large enough user base. To find out more about mobile game revenues in 2023, here are the facts and trends:
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Mobile games produced $92.2 billion in revenue in 2022.
While this is a 6.1% year-over-year decrease from 2021 ($98.2 billion), it’s still a substantial 35% increase in revenue from 2019 ($68.3 billion).
Mobile game revenue over time
Year Mobile game revenue 2019 $68.3B 2020 $86.9B 2021 $98.2B 2022 $92.2B -
The mobile gaming industry is projected to have a CAGR of 12.3% through 2030.
By 2030, the industry is projected to be worth up to $338 billion, or nearly double what it’s worth today.
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iOS mobile game revenue was 60% higher than Andriod’s game revenue in 2022.
iOS games produced approximately $50 billion in revenue in 2022, while Andriod’s Google Play games only produced $31.3 billion. This trend has been consistent since 2016.
iOS vs. Android mobile game revenue over time
Year iOS game revenue Android game revenue 2016 $23.4B $14.3B 2017 $29.6B $17.4B 2018 $32.3B $21.6B 2019 $38.0B $25.2B 2020 $47.6B $31.9B 2021 $52.3B $37.3B 2022 $50.0B $32.3B -
Android’s revenue share from mobile game spending is 26% higher than iOS.
Even though iOS earns more revenue from mobile games, Android gains a larger portion of its overall revenue from mobile games. More specifically, games account for 61% of revenue generation on iOS and 77% on Android.
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RPGs are the most popular mobile gaming genre, producing $22.5 billion in revenue in 2022.
Others among the most popular and profitable mobile game genres include Strategy ($15.6 billion), Puzzle ($8.9 billion), Casino ($7.6 billion), and Shooter ($5.4 billion).
Mobile game revenue by genre
Genre Mobile game revenue RPG $22.5B Strategy $15.6B Puzzle $8.9B Casino $7.6B Shooter $5.4B Simulation $3.8B Sports $3.0B Lifestyle $2.9B Action $2.7B Geolocation AR $1.9B
Mobile Game FAQ
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What is the most played mobile game?
The most popular mobile game as of 2022 is Subway Surfers, with 304 million downloads. This mobile game was first made way back in 2012 but has seen a great deal of popularity in recent years.
Others among the top five most popular mobile games include Stumble Guys (254 million downloads), Roblox (208 million), Candy Crush Saga (138 million), and Race Master 3D (128 million).
Mobile Game Revenue By Genre
Mobile game Number of downloads (2022) Subway Surfers 304M Stumble Guys 254M Roblox 208M Candy Crush Saga 138M Race Master 3D 128M -
What is the current state of mobile games?
The current state of mobile games is positive and trending towards innovation. In many ways, the mobile games market follows trends within the smartphone market, meaning that more advanced smartphones will lead to more diverse and high-quality mobile games.
Additionally, here are some other trends to look out for in 2023:
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Games integrating with 5G networks
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More capabilities (i.e., larger games and better graphics)
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AR and VR games
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What is the most popular mobile game genre?
Hyper-casual games are the most popular mobile game genre, driving 25% of all downloads. While RPGs are by far the most popular genre due to the presence and need for in-game purchases, hyper-casual games are the most popular.
Some examples of hyper-casual mobile games include Base Attack, Blob Runner, Catch And Shoot, City Takeover, Going Balls, Guess Their Answer, Lumbercraft, and more.
Besides hyper-casual games, the second and third most popular genres are Action and puzzle games, which each hold over 10% of all downloads.
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Are mobile games profitable?
Yes, mobile games are profitable. In 2022 alone, mobile games produced $92.2 billion in revenue, making them just as profitable as FedEx.
For the most part, profit made from mobile games comes from three main sources:
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Advertisements
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Purchasing the app (if not free-to-play)
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In-game purchases (microtransactions)
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What percentage of gamers play on mobile?
57% of gamers play on mobile. Compared to 46% who play on a console and 42% who play on a PC. Part of the reason for this popularity is accessibility, as over 66% of the global population has a smartphone, compared to less than 50% with a computer.
For that reason, mobile gaming is now the dominant form of gaming and accounts for 45% of all gaming worldwide.
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Why is mobile gaming so popular?
Mobile games are popular for many reasons, including accessibility and flexibility. To understand these two benefits in more detail, here are some key examples:
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Accessibility: mobile games are accessible for many reasons. The first is that the majority of the world owns a smartphone and can download most mobile games for free. Secondly, many mobile games are simple and easy to learn, making them less unapproachable for people who wouldn’t typically play games.
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Flexibility: Did you know that 50% of mobile gamers play games while they’re on the toilet? Quick and easy gameplay makes it possible for people to play mobile games even when they’re busy or on a time crunch. And, given how much people work, this has added to their popularity.
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Conclusion
Mobile games are an incredibly popular and highly profitable industry in 2023. The industry is currently approaching $200 billion in revenue, which it will likely achieve within the next few years. This revenue is the result of mobile gaming accounting for a whopping 77.7% of all gaming industry revenue.
Despite a slight dip in revenue and downloads between 2021 and 2022, the industry is still expected to grow and keep going strong. More specifically, with a CAGR of 12.3%, the industry could see revenues of $338 billion by 2030.
Overall, mobile gaming is the dominant form of gaming in 2023 and will likely continue to take over the gaming industry.
References
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Statista – Number of users of mobile games Worldwide 2017-2027
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Statista – Distribution of global time spent on mobile in 2020 to 2022, by category
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Statista – Mobile gaming habits in the United States – Statistics & Facts
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MarketingDive – Study: Women are 79% more likely than men to make in-app purchases in mobile games
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BusinessofApps – App Download Data (2023)
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Setupad – What are Interstitial Ads and How to Use Them Right?
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Statista – Mobile gaming app revenue worldwide from 2019 to 2022
Author
Jack Flynn is a writer for Zippia. In his professional career he’s written over 100 research papers, articles and blog posts. Some of his most popular published works include his writing about economic terms and research into job classifications. Jack received his BS from Hampshire College.
