REPORT: Mobile games to generate $90.7 billion in 2021

Consumer spending in mobile games is expected to grow 4.4% Y/Y to $90.7 billion in 2021, according to Newzoo’s 2021 Global Games Market Report. 

This is approximately 52% of the overall gaming market revenue which is expected to surpass $175.8 billion in 2021 and $218.7 billion in 2024. 

Compared to the other segments, mobile gaming saw a relatively bigger growth in revenue as it was less affected by the pandemic. In fact, lockdowns led many people to start playing mobile games which took the industry to a brand new level. 

Also Read: 1 billion mobile games downloaded every week in Q1 2021

However, Apple’s deprecation of IDFA and controversial App Tracking Transparency policy which went into effect in April with the launch of iOS 14.5 will have a very negative impact for games monetized through ads as ad tracking has become a much more difficult task for advertisers of all sizes. 

Also Read: Apple beats TikTok and others’ attempt to bypass App Tracking Transparency in China

The number of gamers worldwide to hit 3 billion in 2021

The research also found that the global number of gamers will reach 2.96 billion in 2021 and 3.32 billion in 2024. 

While more than 90% of gamers, or 2.8 billion, play via mobile devices, PC players account for 1.4 billion and console players 0.9 billion. 

For the research, Newzoo interviewed over 72,000 respondents from 33 countries/markets from January to April 2021.