The mobile gaming industry is among the fastest-growing sectors in the gaming industry. Millions of people are turning from traditional PC gaming and consoles and embracing gaming on their smartphones.
The earliest known mobile game was a Tetris game in 1994. In 1997, Nokia launched the game “Snake”, which went on to become among the most-played mobile game globally.
According to a report by Cross River Therapy, the mobile gaming sector accounted for 49% of the global market revenue in 2023.
But what makes this sector very appealing and leading to rampant growth?
Better Games and Gaming Experiences
Today’s mobile phones are a technological marvel, being able to process data at a high-speed rate and in large quantities. This has made it possible for game developers to create better games that require large amounts of data, a feat that was not possible before.
For example, casino games require high graphics in order to run correctly. Popular games like slot games would not be enjoyable if they did not have good visuals.
A popular game like Double Bubble has garnered a massive following since its inception and is still increasing even as more people learn about it.
Mobile slots are among the most played games worldwide and are expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.6% between 2022 and 2028. This report shows that mobile slots are playing a major role in ensuring that the mobile gaming sector does not reduce its growing spree.
Other popular games like Pubg, League of Legends and COD mobile would have been impossible without the current technology used on phones.
The Increase in the Number of Mobile Devices
It only makes sense that one of the reasons behind this massive growth of the industry is the constantly increasing number of smartphones.
According to a report by Whatsthebigdata, there are currently over 6.84 billion smartphones globally. The report also states that around 91% of college students own a smartphone, and 94.4% of millennials in the United States own a smartphone.
The high population of people has increased the number of mobile phone gamers globally. In 2024, there will be approximately 3.32 billion gamers globally, an increase from 2 billion in 2015.
This increasing figure is directly proportional to the increase in the number of smartphones in the world. Therefore, it only makes sense to say that the increase in mobile phones has had a direct impact on the mobile gaming industry in the last few years.
Low Prices for Gamers
Smartphones have easy access, which has allowed a dramatic drop in game development. Compared to 10 years ago, game production costs have gone significantly lower, considering the amount of work that is done on marketing.
In 2024, most of the games can be easily accessed from the Play Store or App Store without much hassle, thanks to the high level of accessibility. The game development expenses have also been cut down, with the primary revenue coming from in-app purchases.
The Attention of Big Companies
Many major players in the gaming world, such as EA, Konami, Riot Games and Ubisoft have a foot in the mobile gaming sector. Because of this, the advantages that were on the PC and console games have been brought to mobile phones.
For example, Riot Games released the much anticipated League of Legends: Wild Rift on Android and iOS. This mobile version of the League of Legends franchise has increased the number of people now interacting with mobile games.
Similarly, EA and Konami have heavily invested in their football games, FIFA and PES, respectively, bringing the competition to the mobile world. Bethesda, on the other hand, has created a mobile version of their popular Elder Scrolls games, while Ubisoft has a number of Assassin’s Creed games played on mobile phones.
All in all, the entrance of these major players has ensured that mobile gaming is getting more attention since you can now easily play the former PC-only games whenever you are with your phone.
Integration of Cloud Games
Nvidia, Google and Microsoft have introduced the concept of cloud gaming, where you can play PC or console games on mobile phones using an internet connection. This is a new trend that is flooding the gaming market, and soon, more companies will be joining in.
It is only a matter of time before Amazon and Nintendo Switch release cloud gaming services. This will ensure that PC and console gaming is possible on mobile phones without any hassle.
5G Network
Most people are already familiar with 4G networks but are yet to experience the thrill of 5G. 5G mobile network beats the current 4G network by almost 20 times, which is very good for mobile gaming.
The network allows mobile phones to compete with PC and console games by reducing latency and lags. Even though it is yet to be released globally, the few countries that are already using it can attest that it has made mobile gaming much easier.
Conclusion
Mobile gaming has become a major thing in recent years, and experts believe that it might surpass console and PC gaming in the near future. With technological advancements making their way into the mobile world, the future is bright for gaming enthusiasts.