Updated Mar 21, 2026 by data.ai
Report · January 1, 2021
Published by data.ai
Mobile gaming has solidified its position as the primary driver of global digital games consumption, with spending projected to extend its lead to 3.1 times that of home consoles in 2021. This growth is characterized by a merging of the mobile and console experiences, as mobile devices increasingly offer console-quality graphics and cross-platform social features. Data indicates that global consumers downloaded over 1 billion games per week in Q1 2021—a 30% increase over pre-pandemic levels—while weekly spending rose 40% to $1.7 billion. The industry is increasingly defined by cross-platform connectivity and real-time online features. Top-grossing titles like Roblox and Genshin Impact demonstrate the success of multi-platform rollouts that prioritize cross-play and cross-save functionality. This trend is supported by a surge in console companion apps and game livestreaming platforms. For instance, Steam saw a 60% increase in peak daily concurrent users between October 2019 and March 2021, while engagement and monetization on apps like Twitch and Discord reached new heights as social gaming habits became more ingrained during the pandemic. Market research into gamer sentiment reveals a nuanced landscape for ad monetization. While overall sentiment toward in-game ads improved in the United States between 2019 and 2020, formats offering a direct value exchange performed best. Rewarded video ads and playable ads received the highest positive sentiment, whereas standard video ads remained the most divisive due to their perceived intrusiveness. Findings suggest that ad oversaturation correlates with negative sentiment and potential churn, particularly in high-saturation genres like word and trivia games. This analysis covers global market trends from 2014 through early 2021, with specific deep dives into U.S. gamer surveys from Q3 2019 and Q3 2020. The data is synthesized from App Annie’s mobile market estimates and IDC’s primary research, which includes surveys of over 3,000 gamers and analysis of digital and physical spending across mobile, PC, and console segments.
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GAMING SPOTLIGHT Contents • 2021 Gaming Trends • US Gamer & Ad Monetization Deep Dive, Q1 2021 • Key Themes & Takeaways
Amidst Cross-Platform Play, Mobile Gaming is Set to Further Extend Its Global Lead to 2.9x PC/Mac • Mobile gaming is now the primary driver of growth for digital games consumption and is set to extend its global lead to 3.1x home game consoles in 2021. As COVID-19 prompted a surge in game console sales, broader availability of the newly released XBOX Series X/S and PlayStation 5 consoles will also spur gaming growth further in 2021 and beyond. • The console and mobile experience is also merging; mobile devices are now capable of offering console-like graphics and gameplay experiences along with crossplatform competitive and social gaming features. The gaming market at large will benefit from increased engagement. Consumer Spending on Games Worldwide Consumer Spending on Games by Major Device Group $130B Mobile Gaming 120B +0.3pts +1.0pts 120B $110B $100B $90B sual Casual-Simulation Casual-Racing Casual-Kids $80B 0 $70B $60B in My Talking Tom Friends Ramp Car Jumping Baby Panda World City PC/Mac Gaming 50B 41B $40B Genres By Growth in Consumer Spend Share Home Consoles 30B 39B $20B $10B Handheld Consoles $4B $0B 2014 2015 +1.4pts 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021F Mobile Gaming PC/Mac Gaming Home Consoles Handheld Consoles
n My Talking Tom Friends Ramp Car Jumping Baby Panda World City PC/Mac Gaming 50B 41B $40B Genres By Growth in Consumer Spend Share Home Consoles 30B 39B $20B $10B Handheld Consoles $4B $0B 2014 2015 +1.4pts 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021F Mobile Gaming PC/Mac Gaming Home Consoles Handheld Consoles Source: App Annie & IDC All totals include applicable digital and physical game spending but exclude ad revenue. Mobile gaming includes all app stores (iOS App Store, Google Play and third-party Android stores). Home game console total includes discs, digital games and gaming-related subscription services (Xbox Live, PlayStation Plus and Nintendo Switch Online); handheld consoles are typified by Nintendo 3DS and Switch Lite.
Worldwide Consumer Spending Shares on Games Americas & Europe Saw by Region Q1 2020 vs Q1 2021 the Biggest Growth in Combined iOS Handheld Game PC and Mac Home Game +Google Play Consoles Gaming Consoles 100% Mobile Games Spending +4.1 pts +0.3pts +1.8 pts • US and Germany led growth for the gain in market share for mobile game spending in North America and Western Europe 75% from Q1 2020 to Q1 2021. APAC still makes up around half of mobile gaming spend in Q1 2021, but its market share has levelled as other regions have caught up. Saudi Arabia and Turkey led growth in Rest of World for mobile consumer spend. 50% +1.0pts sual Casual-Simulation Casual-Racing + Casual-Kids 0.4 pts in My Talking Tom Friends Ramp Car Jumping Baby Panda World City • Nintendo Switch Lite is now exclusively driving spend in Genres By Growth in Consumer Spend Share handheld game consoles. 3DS was discontinued globally in September 2020, but its e-shop remains open in most regions. 25% • APAC spend in PC/Mac gaming lost 4% market share in 2020 +1.4pts mostly due the closure of internet cafes as a result of the COVID- +1.8 pts +.7 pts 19 pandemic. +.6 pts 0% • There’s room for growth in APAC’s console market as PS5 Q1 2020 Q1 2021 Q1 2020 Q1 2021 Q1 2020 Q1 2021 Q1 2020 Q1 2021 officially launched in China on May 15, 2021 and Xbox Series X/S § North America Source: App Annie & IDC launched June 10, 2021. § Western Europe § Asia-Pacific § Rest of World
Top 10 Worldwide Grossing Mobile, Handheld and PC Games Games With Real-Time By Platform Q1 2021 Online Features Dominate Rank iOS App Store & Google Play Nintendo Switch Lite Steam (2020) Grossing Charts 1 ROBLOX Super Mario 3D World + Counter-Strike: Roblox, United States Bowser’s Fury Global Offensive Nintendo, Japan Valve Corp., US 2 Genshin Impact • Across all major platforms, games with real-time miHoYo, China online features such as PvP (player-versus- 3 Coin Master player) indicate an appetite for connection and Moon Active, Israel social experiences exists across the gaming 4 Pokémon GO spectrum; in many ways, games helped combat Niantic, United States feelings of isolation resulting from the pandemic. 5 Honour of Kings Monster Hunter Rise Dota 2 Capcom, Japan Valve Corp., US Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Grand Theft Auto V Nintendo, Japan Rockstar Games, US Animal Crossing: New PlayerUnknown’s Horizons Battlegrounds Nintendo, Japan PUBG Corp., South Korea Super Smash Bros. Cyberpunk 2077 • Cross-play features are becoming increasingly Tencent, China Ultimate CD Projekt, Poland Nintendo, Japan prominent in the top games — the ability to PUBG MOBILE Super Mario Party Fall Guys: Ultimate access the same game progress across devices 6 Tencent, China Nintendo, Japan Knockout (whether on mobile or console, for instance) Devolver Digital, US appears to be on the rise, as is playing against 7 Candy Crush Saga The Legend of Zelda: Destiny 2 players using different platform versions of the Activision Blizzard, United States Breath of the Wild Bungie, US same game. Nintendo, Japan
Mobile gaming has solidified its position as the primary driver of digital games consumption, with global spending projected to extend its lead to 2.9 times that of PC/Mac and 3.1 times that of home consoles in 2021. This growth is underpinned by a significant surge in engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic; by Q1 2021, global users were downloading over 1 billion games per week, a 30% increase over pre-pandemic levels. Consumer spending followed a similar trajectory, reaching $1.7 billion per week, up 40% from late 2019. While the Asia-Pacific region maintains nearly half of the global market share, North America and Western Europe saw the most significant growth in mobile spending during the period. A central thesis of the market analysis is the convergence of mobile and console experiences. High-performing titles like Roblox and Genshin Impact demonstrate that cross-platform play and real-time social features are no longer novelties but essential drivers of long-term engagement. This trend is supported by the rising popularity of console companion apps and the expansion of PC gaming, with Steam reaching a record 26.85 million peak daily concurrent users in early 2021. Additionally, the rise of game livestreaming on platforms like Twitch and Discord has created new avenues for monetization and community building. Regarding monetization, survey data from over 3,300 US gamers indicates a shift in sentiment toward in-game advertising. While video ads remain divisive due to their full-screen nature, rewarded video and playable ads have achieved net positive sentiment because they offer an immediate value exchange, such as in-game currency or a trial experience. However, the data warns of ad oversaturation; gamers in high-saturation genres, such as word and trivia games, report significantly more negative opinions of ads compared to those in low-saturation genres like sandbox games. The findings suggest that publishers must balance ad frequency with format quality to mitigate churn.
The global gaming market in 2023 was defined by a complex interplay between mobile contraction and steady growth in the PC and console sectors. While mobile remains the industry’s largest segment, consumer spending fell 2% to $108 billion, a decline attributed to macroeconomic instability and privacy-related shifts such as Apple’s App Tracking Transparency framework. Conversely, the PC and home console markets expanded by 4% and 3% respectively, bolstered by the rising popularity of subscription services. Handheld gaming also experienced a demographic fragmentation, with the Nintendo Switch Lite attracting a younger, female-leaning audience while the Steam Deck appealed to older, male gamers. Emerging technologies like cloud-streamed gaming are gaining significant traction, projected to reach $3.8 billion in revenue with mobile devices facilitating over a quarter of global streaming hours. Success in the first half of 2023 was concentrated among high-performing titles that leveraged Gen Z engagement and sophisticated in-app purchase models. Monopoly GO and Honkai: Star Rail emerged as standout performers, generating hundreds of millions in revenue within their first months of release. Established franchises like Royal Match and FIFA Soccer also reached significant lifetime milestones, surpassing $1.7 billion and $1 billion respectively. These successes occurred despite a challenging user acquisition landscape where gamer sentiment toward traditional advertising formats has turned increasingly negative. While rewarded video and playable ads remain the most tolerated formats, overall ad fatigue is rising due to market oversaturation. To navigate this evolving environment, the industry must adapt to shifting privacy standards and the impending implementation of Google’s Privacy Sandbox. Although data suggests that privacy frameworks have not directly damaged iOS ad sentiment, the general decline in ad acceptance necessitates a move toward more diverse formats and contextual market data. Strategic focus is shifting toward combating rising acquisition costs through high-value player engagement and the optimization of cross-platform experiences. As the market stabilizes, the integration of cloud services and the continued dominance of mobile-first economies in emerging regions will likely dictate the next phase of global industry growth.
Mobile gaming has emerged as the primary engine of the global games market, projected to reach $136 billion in 2022 and accounting for over 60% of the industry's total $222 billion valuation. This segment is expanding 3.3 times faster than the home console market, driven largely by the Asia-Pacific region and the sustained popularity of core titles such as Genshin Impact and Roblox. While macroeconomic instability and geopolitical conflict have caused localized spending declines in Eastern Europe, the broader global trend points toward a more inclusive player base. Female gamers and Gen Z cohorts are increasingly influential, serving as primary drivers of monetization and shifting the demographic focus of the industry. The monetization landscape is undergoing a significant transformation toward hybrid models, with 42% of top-grossing U.S. games now combining in-app purchases with advertising. Although global audiences generally accept advertisements in exchange for free content, privacy concerns regarding individual tracking have intensified. In a post-IDFA environment, success depends on leveraging contextual third-party data rather than granular user tracking. Player sentiment varies significantly by format; rewarded video and playable ads enjoy the highest levels of acceptance, while standard video ads remain divisive, particularly among the high-growth female and Gen Z demographics. Strategic intelligence for this evolving market relies on extensive global research infrastructure, utilizing data from over 1,100 analysts across 50 countries. By surveying more than 350,000 end users annually, market analysts provide the necessary framework for developers, publishers, and hardware manufacturers to navigate shifting consumer behaviors and technological transitions. This comprehensive oversight ensures that stakeholders can adapt to the rapid pace of innovation and the diversifying needs of the global gaming community.
The 2023 Gaming Spotlight provides a comprehensive analysis of the global gaming landscape, focusing on market shifts across mobile, PC, and console platforms during the first half of 2023. Utilizing data from data.ai and IDC, the analysis highlights that while mobile remains the largest market opportunity, it faces a projected 2% year-over-year decline in consumer spend to $108 billion. This softening is attributed to macroeconomic instability, privacy regulations like Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT), and stricter regulations on adolescent gaming in China. In contrast, home console and PC/Mac spending are expected to rise by 3% and 4% respectively, driven by increased hardware availability and subscription-based revenue. Geographically, the Asia-Pacific region remains a primary revenue driver, with South Korea showing significant market share gains. The report identifies a shift in handheld gaming; while the Nintendo Switch Lite faces declining interest, newer devices like the Steam Deck are gaining traction, albeit with distinct demographic profiles. Mobile gaming success in H1 2023 was defined by titles like Monopoly GO and Honkai: Star Rail, which leveraged strong intellectual property and sophisticated monetization strategies, such as high-value in-app purchases and social engagement features. A significant portion of the analysis examines user acquisition and monetization challenges. Findings indicate that US gamer sentiment toward in-game advertising is deteriorating, with negative sentiment toward banner and video ads rising significantly. Rewarded video remains the most tolerated format due to its clear value exchange, though even its popularity has dipped. The report concludes that as acquisition costs rise and tracking becomes more difficult, publishers must optimize creative strategies—particularly through playable ads for action genres—and diversify monetization models beyond traditional ads to include subscriptions and battle passes to maintain growth in an increasingly competitive and privacy-conscious environment.