Mobile gaming statistics from 2020 and 2021 are not relevant anymore. Yet, so many sources recycle the same statistics and just put a 2023 label on them.
Find this super annoying?
We feel you.
When it comes to mobile gaming, information that is two or three years old is already passé.
Luckily, you no longer need to spend hours searching and despairing — this article gathers the most relevant and up-to-date mobile gaming statistics for 2023 and beyond.
Mobile Gaming Statistics: 2022 Wrap-up
More gamers and downloads, less revenue.
- At the end of 2022, the estimated number of mobile gamers was over 3 billion (eMarketer)
- The projected 2022 mobile gaming market revenue was $92.2 billion, which is a 6.4% decline from 2021 (Newzoo)
Source: data.ai
- In 2022, users downloaded a total of 89.74 billion mobile games, which is 6,67B more than in 2021 (data.ai)
Source: Google for Games, Ipsos
- People spent an average of 5.3 hours playing mobile games every week in 2022 (Google for Games, Ipsos)
- In 2022, 24% of mobile gamers played more than the year before, while 58% played the same amount of time (Google for Games, Ipsos)
Predictions for 2023 and Beyond
The global recession has significantly impacted all industries, including mobile gaming. Let’s see what two leading market intelligence companies predict for 2023 and beyond. Spoiler alert — the predictions are quite different from one another.
data.ai
- The revenue downturn trend is set to continue — in 2023, mobile games will reach $107 billion in revenue, which is 3% less than in 2022
- The decline rate will drop from 5% in 2022 to 3% in 2023
Sensor Tower
- After falling by 2.3% in 2022, mobile game consumer spending will rise from $86 billion to $93 billion in 2023
- The mobile gaming market will grow at a 5.6% annual rate until 2026 when it will reach $117 billion
Mobile Gaming Statistics: Top Markets
Asia continues to be the world’s most profitable mobile gaming region.
- The biggest number of mobile gamers comes from Asia (48%), followed by Europe (20%), Latin America (11%), and North America (7%), according to Statista
- According to Business of Apps, the three biggest mobile gaming markets by revenue are China (34%), the US (22%), and Japan (10%)
Mobile Games Ad Spend
Source: Statista
Cutting advertising spending during the recession? Nope.
- In 2022, global mobile game ad spending reached $61.6 million. In 2023, it is set to increase to $79.9 million (Statista)
- By 2025, yearly ad spending on mobile games is projected to hit $130.9 million (Statista)
Mobile Gaming Statistics by Platform
Google Play leads in game downloads, App Store leads in revenues.
- In Q3 2022, Google Play had a total of 30 billion downloads, roughly 50% of which were games (data.ai)
- In the App Store, there were 8.7 billion downloads in Q3 2022, and games accounted for one-third of all downloads (data.ai)
- In the first three quarters of 2022, the App Store has made $65 billion in revenue, which is more than double the amount generated by Google Play (Mobidictum)
PC, Console & Mobile Gaming
Cross-device gaming is one of the biggest mobile gaming trends in 2023.
- Mobile gaming accounts for 50% of total gaming revenues, console games bring in 28% and PC games make up 21% (Newzoo)
- 7 in 10 mobile gamers play games on multiple devices (Google for Games, Ipsos)
- 71% of cross-device gamers will download or buy a PC or console title based on a mobile game they like playing (Google for Games, Ipsos)
Mobile Gamer Demographics
Source: Statista
Women outnumber men in the mobile gaming market.
- In 2022, 52% of US mobile gamers were female, while 48% were male (Statista)
Source: data.ai
- The top 2022 mobile games by MAU by gender group were Pokémon GO (male) and ROBLOX (female).
- According to Business of Apps, the biggest age groups of mobile gamers are 25–34 (29.5%), 16–24 (28.3%), and 35–44 (23.1%)
Source: data.ai
- The top mobile games by MAU by age group in 2022 (data.ai) were: Roblox (18.-24), Project Makeover (25–34), Toca Life: World (35–44), and Candy Crush Saga (45+)
- 85% of people who play mobile games don’t consider themselves to be mobile gamers (AppLovin)
Mobile Gaming Statistics: Player Behavior
Why do people play mobile games, how much do they play and how do they act while playing? Let’s go over different mobile gaming statistics on player behavior to find out all this and more!
Motivation
According to Google for Games and Ipsos, the top five things that trigger people into playing mobile games are:
- the need to kill time (51%)
- relaxation (46%)
- excitement (27%)
- enticing mobile game ads (20%)
- good ratings in the app stores (17%)
Social Connections
People are social creatures, and so are mobile gamers.
- 45.3% of mobile gamers believe that playing games is a great way to meet new people (Business of Apps)
- 35% of players play with their friends, 22.5% play with colleagues, and 19.9% play with family members (Business of Apps)
Retention & Loyalty
Source: Games with Google
Players are less and less loyal to particular mobile gaming titles.
- 37% of mobile gamers say they typically play two different games at the same time, 24% play three, and 21% play only one (Games with Google)
- In 2022 D30 retention in mobile games has decreased for the third year in a row (AppsFlyer)
Mobile Gaming Statistics: Consumer Spending
Source: data.ai
Mobile gamers spend less due to recession.
- In 2022, mobile games consumer spending was $109.51B, which is $6.31B less than in 2021 (data.ai)
- Mobile games account for 61% of total app user spending (data.ai)
- 55.8% of US mobile gamers spend less than $10 on individual in-game purchases (Business of Apps)
Top Mobile Gaming Genres by Consumer Spending
According to data.ai, the most profitable genres in 2022 by in-app purchase spend were:
- RPG ($25.5B)
- Strategy ($12.1B)
- Match-3 ($8.7B)
- Casino ($8.3B)
- Simulation ($8.1 B)
- Action ($5.3B)
- Shooting ($4.8B)
- Sports ($2.8B)
Top Mobile Gaming Genres by Downloads
While mid-core genres traditionally lead in revenue, casual genres generate more downloads. Here’s which performed best in 2022, according to data.ai:
- Hyper-casual (17.5B downloads)
- Simulation (10.1B downloads)
- Action (6.2B downloads)
- Kids (4.2B downloads)
- Puzzle (3B downloads)
- Match-3 (2.8B downloads)
- Shooting (2.6B downloads)
- Racing (2.5B downloads)
Best Mobile Games of 2022 by Downloads
Source: AppMagic
- Subway Surfers (200M+)
- Garena Free Fire: Winterlands (200M+)
- Stumble Guys (200M+)
- Roblox (100M+)
- Candy Crush Saga (100M+)
Best Mobile Games of 2022 by Revenue
Source: AppMagic
- Honor of Kings ($2B+)
- PUBG Mobile ($1B+)
- Genshin Impact ($1B+)
- Candy Crush Saga ($1B+)
- Roblox ($500M+)
Mobile Games That Will Reach 2 Billion in Revenue in 2023
Source: data.ai
- Call of Duty: Mobile
- State of Survival: Zombie War
- Brawl Stars
- Townships
- Marvel Contest of Champions
- Bingo Blitz
- Clash of Kings
- Uma Musume Pretty Derby
- Onmyoji Mirror Shouyun Returns
- Empire and Puzzles
- Professional Baseball Spirits A
Final Thoughts on Top Mobile Gaming Statistics for 2023
Feeling kinda dizzy from all the numbers?
Bookmark this article and head back to it whenever you wish to find up-to-date, most relevant mobile gaming statistics.
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