Has mobile gaming continued to grow in 2024?

Here in the United Kingdom, it’s estimated that around 86% of us used a smartphone to go online and browse the internet last year. If you compare this to 2009, this is an increase of a staggering 58%. A study also found that 39% of people with smartphones use them for gaming. And so if you look at the trend year over year, it is certain that statistics in all areas of smartphone usage are going to keep increasing. By the time we reach 2025, experts have predicted that around 65 million of us here in the UK will be smartphone users. Today, we’re going to look at mobile gaming and how much that has grown last year and this year, as well as what the future holds.

Building momentum

From 2022 to 2023, the mobile gaming industry saw a year-on-year growth of 0.6%. There is no doubt that the demand for mobile gaming is continuing to grow. With millions being spent both on the games themselves, on in-app purchases, and also on nettcasino. The reason that we are seeing this growth is that smartphones and their capabilities are continuously growing. All of the tasks that we traditionally used to rely on a computer for are now able to be done mostly on a smartphone. This practicality and accessibility have meant that more people will now do most of their tasks on a smartphone.

Each year, it gets harder and harder for game developers to make the most of their latest inventions. Each day, new games get uploaded to the respective app markets, either on the Play Store or the App Store. This means that the marketplace gets more and more crowded, presenting more competition than ever before to developers. And it’s for this reason that consumers, more than ever before, are prioritising quality over quantity. They have more choice, but they don’t want to spend hours hunting through the apps. They will typically read reviews and go for a game that is highly rated and has top quality.

On the topic of developers, as they are seeing the increase in mobile gaming, including in 2024, they are starting to pivot their focus to cross-platform capability. Allowing those gaming on smartphones to play against their console- and PC-based counterparts. The reason this is such a big focus is that one thing that gamers love to do is play with their friends. But some of them may not have a console, for example. But if a game is available across multiple platforms, it then expands its player base.

A lot of people also drew to mobile gaming, as it gave them an opportunity to start gaming and playing at online casinos. It also meant that they could socialise either with their friends or with other players. This social aspect, for some, is hugely important. For those who don’t particularly go out, having a community and a shared interest and passion in a mobile game can be really great for their mental health and can help them grow as a person and in confidence.

In Summary

To conclude, it will be interesting to see what the rest of 2024 brings for the mobile gaming industry. Each previous year has brought along different trends. And this ever-changing and growing landscape also means that game developers are constantly having to change their strategies in order to stay competitive and keep growing their player bases. One thing we can guarantee for certain is that the number of people with smartphones and access to the internet on said smartphones will only continue to grow.