data.ai and IDC Report Reveals that Mobile Extends Lead Over PC and Console as the Gaming Market is Set to Hit $222 Billion

SAN FRANCISCO & NEEDHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#ComputerGaming—data.ai (formerly App Annie), the first unified data ai company, today in partnership with International Data Corporation (IDC), released the Gaming Spotlight 2022 report. Powered by Game IQ, the report reveals that mobile gaming represents 61% of the overall gaming market, which is set to hit $222 billion in 2022.

The report reveals that mobile gaming is set to surpass $136 billion in 2022 — growing 1.7x faster than the gaming market overall. Globally, users downloaded 45% more mobile games per week in Q1 2021 from pre-pandemic levels, clocking in at over 1.1 billion games per week. In Q1 2022, consumers spent over $1.6 billion per week on mobile games on iOS and Google Play, up 30% from pre-pandemic levels.

Select findings include:

• Asia Pacific saw the biggest growth in market share for global consumer spend: China led the growth in Q1 2022 while North America and Western Europe made up half of mobile game spend
• Mobile is democratizing gaming: The report shows that mobile genre preferences are more varied, with 8 distinct subgenres being represented among the top 10 games
• Core games still dominate for app store consumer spend: Core Games with real-time online features such as PvP (player-versus-player) or cross-platform play among the most popular genres across the gaming spectrum like PUBG Mobile
• Appetite for Easy-to-Play Hypercasual & Simulation Games Surged in 2021: 4x March-Battle Strategy games emerged as the most monetizable genre while Open World RPG saw the biggest rise in consumer spend market share
• Growing inclusivity: Nearly 50% of top mobile games by consumer spend in the United States skew female while Gen X & Baby Boomers saw steady growth in mobile game spending
• Game streaming increased engagement & monetization: Gaming-focused platforms such as Twitch, Omlet Arcade, and BOOYAH Live saw accelerated growth in engagement by prioritizing community building features that encourage real-time connection and interactions between game streamers and audience

“Mobile is democratizing the space and is now the primary driver of growth for digital games consumption. We are seeing greater diversity across gaming genres allowing publishers to serve new gamers across generations and genders,” said Lexi Sydow, Head of Market Insights, data.ai.

“From a mobile in-game advertising standpoint, our US gamer survey results from late last year suggested that studios and publishers should emphasize rewarded videos and playables, and that contextual data about gamers will grow more important over time as Apple, Google, other vendors, and regulatory bodies in several key countries prioritize customer data privacy and security,” said Lewis Ward, Director of Gaming and VR/AR, IDC.

Read the full Gaming spotlight here. The IDC report, Gaming Spotlight 2022: An IDC-data.ai Joint Study (Doc #US49135922), will be published in early June 2022.

About data.ai

data.ai has clearly established the mobile standard and now becomes the unified data standard. As the trusted source for the digital economy, our mission is to be the first Unified Data AI company that combines consumer and market data to provide insights powered by artificial intelligence. We passionately serve enterprise clients to create winning digital experiences for their customers.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,200 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC’s analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world’s leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.

Contacts

Anushia Nair

press@data.ai
+44 7552-606310

Michael Shirer

press@idc.com
508-935-4200