It’s no secret that mobile gaming’s market is much bigger than PC or console, with an overall value of $92.6 billion compared to $41.5 billion for PC and $50.3 billion for consoles. Mobile games have really come into their own in the last decade. This is due mainly to the wide availability of budget-friendly smartphones in emerging markets and easier fast internet access worldwide. Asia is the biggest leader in mobile gaming, with over 50% of the global mobile gaming revenue coming from the continent. In this article, we take a look at mobile gaming’s growth and how it’s integrated itself into modern technology. Read on!
Although often overlooked if you’re focusing on more “serious” gaming platforms such as PC or consoles, mobile games are more accessible, convenient, and immersive than ever before. Mobile gaming also has one distinct advantage over other forms of gaming: It’s exceptionally portable, allowing you to compete and play games on the go, which is very hard to do with other gaming devices besides the likes of Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch.
Mobile games are interesting to not just younger audiences but also to older people, and the fact that most mobile games operate on a free or freemium model makes it easy for users to install them and try them out, which is much harder on other platforms.
Technological Advancements Fueling Mobile Gaming Growth
Mobile phones today have hardware capabilities that are much more impressive than one might think. Interestingly, most of the hardware developments that mobile phone manufacturers made in the last decade were perhaps not directly tied to gaming but helped grow the market.
Things such as fast multi-core processors, better screens with higher refresh rates and resolutions, and larger batteries were all created to improve the overall user experience but are also incredibly useful when it comes to gaming. An interesting trend of “gaming phones” is also present mostly in Asia, with brands such as ASUS and Nubia creating phones aimed primarily for gaming. These phones feature advanced cooling, gaming-focused triggers and inputs and even larger batteries than regular smartphones. Some predictions claim that the gaming phone market in Asia will reach over $40b in revenue.
Today, games like EA FC Mobile have graphics that are on par with the console version of the same game just several years ago, and look realistic not just by mobile standards, but in general.
Mobile Gaming’s Impact on Other Entertainment Sectors
The growth of mobile gaming globally has helped other industries as well, but it has also forced the gaming industry to take it more seriously and create more games for phones. Mobile eSports games are also on the rise, with some tournaments attracting more than a million viewers.
In fact, according to the eSports data platform Esports Charts, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is the second-most popular esports game in the world, and it is only bested by League of Legends in terms of viewership. The popularity of mobile eSports has transformed the way viewers enjoy matches as well, with more users watching the games through the in-game clients on their phones than through Twitch or other popular streaming platforms.
The rise of mobile gaming has also transformed the betting industry, with casino sites not on GamStop and other operators recording rises in revenue coming from bets placed on mobile eSports titles such as Arena of Valor, PUBG MOBILE, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. In Asia, a market where betting is often restricted, betting on mobile eSports titles still has more regulatory freedom than some other forms of betting.
The Future of Mobile Gaming and New Trends
Emerging markets, such as the SEA region or South America, are the ones where mobile gaming is growing the fastest. The combination of a large number of young people, easy access to a wide range of mobile phones and 4G and 5G internet has allowed mobile games to be incredibly accessible in many parts of the world.
With phones being more accessible and popular, we can only expect an increase in overall market share for mobile gaming, heavily focused on developing countries. In addition, the rise of popularity of some mobile esports titles and other games will continue bringing mobile esports and gaming into the mainstream which will, in turn, create even more users.
