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Mobile gaming is a multibillion-dollar industry that has grown considerably over the years in part due to advancements in smartphone technology, graphics, and user experience. Interactive augmented reality (AR) games like Pokémon Go and Monopoly Go!, along with console adaptations like Call of Duty: Mobile and GTA: San Andreas, are among the titles driving growth in mobile gaming. Monopoly Go!, for example, was the most downloaded mobile game on iOS and Android in early 2024 and accounted for the most revenue among Android downloads. In addition, more than half of the nearly 300 billion mobile apps downloaded globally in 2023 were games.
Mobile gaming is popular worldwide. Below are the countries with the largest markets based on downloads and revenue.
China
There are many different reports on the size of mobile gaming markets in respective countries. Although these reports have different estimates for total downloads and annual revenue, most list China as having the largest market, which is no surprise considering the country is home to more than 1.4 billion people. GlobalData, in 2021, reported China's mobile gaming market was valued at $29 billion in 2021, up 5 percent from the year prior due in large part to the pandemic and shelter-in-place restrictions that prompted an increase in gaming activity.
More recently, Earthweb reported that approximately 685 million people in China, almost half of the country's population, play mobile games and contribute to the sector's $49 billion in annual revenue. Tencent, one of the leading developers in China, has created several notable games, including Dream Star, which had nearly 7 million downloads alone in January 2024. Zenjoy and Funplus are among the other key players in China's mobile gaming sector.
United States
The United States was third on GlobalData's 2021 list of the largest mobile gaming markets with a valuation of $13 billion, but the country is now among the leaders in terms of revenue from mobile games. The US accounted for more than one-quarter of all global mobile gaming revenue ($5.71 billion) during the first six months of 2023, according to Apptica's Mobile Games: State of the Market study, which involved data from Google Play and the App Store. More recent estimates suggest the US mobile gaming market has nearly 200 million players and $47 billion in annual revenue.
Monopoly Go! was easily the most popular title in the US in 2023, despite only launching in April. Based on the popular Hasbro title, the AR game surpassed $1 billion in global revenue by November and was downloaded 33 million times in the US last year. Roblox was the second-most downloaded game in the US in 2023 with 21 million downloads. Royal Match (18 million), Subway Surfers (13.9 million), and Block Blast 3D (13.3 million) were among the other most-downloaded titles.
Japan
Outside of China, Japan is the biggest mobile gaming market in Asia with roughly 75 million players and more than $22 billion in annual revenue as of 2021. During the first half of 2023, Japan was second behind the US in total revenue, accounting for 19.43 percent of global revenue. Genshin Impact, Pokémon Go, and Royal Match were among the top downloads in February 2024. Nintendo, Geisha Tokyo, KAYAC, and BabyBus are among the most notable game publishers in the country based on downloads.
India
India is the fastest-growing mobile gaming market in the world, both in terms of total players and revenue. Moreover, India led all countries in total mobile game downloads during the first half of 2023 with 4.32 billion installs. This represented more than 15 percent of all downloads globally. Brazil and the US ranked second and third, respectively. India has 195.5 million mobile gamers in 2023 and is projected to have 239 million by 2027, at which point the overall gaming market is expected to reach $1.6 billion in value, according to Niko Partners.
Revenues across all gaming platforms in India exceeded $865 million in 2023, representing a 21.2 percent increase from 2022. There's even greater potential for growth considering that, as of 2021, India had the fifth-highest mobile gaming penetration rate in the world.
Ludo King was the most popular title in India in 2023 with 101 million downloads. Indian Bikes Driving 3D and Free Fire MAX were second and third with 62 million and 55 million downloads, respectively.
Germany
While some countries, including Brazil, have more total mobile games, Germany ranked fifth in Earthweb's report on total mobile gaming revenue with $7 billion. The United Kingdom was sixth with $6 billion in annual revenue. Moreover, Germany was fourth in total mobile gaming revenue during the first half of 2023, accounting for 3.66 percent of the global share. Coin Master, Royal Match, Pokemon Go, Brawl Stars, and Gardenscapes are among the most downloaded mobile games on the App Store and Google Play.
