Hyper-casual median CPI reached an all-time high of $0.42 in Q4 2022, with iOS experiencing a significant $0.17 increase compared to the previous quarter.
iOS consistently outperformed Android in retention, with top-tier (top 2%) games achieving 45% Day 1 retention on iOS compared to 38% on Android.
The United States recorded the highest iOS median CPI among top ad-spending countries at $0.80, while Brazil fell out of the top ten ranking.
Android median CPI grew by $0.05 in Q4 2022, with South Korea and Canada seeing the steepest regional increases at $0.06 each.
Day 7 retention for the top 25% of games reached 10% on iOS versus 6% on Android, highlighting a widening performance gap between platforms.
Median Day 7 retention across all titles remained low at 7% for iOS and 4% for Android, emphasizing the critical nature of early-stage player engagement.
The benchmark focuses on hyper‑casual mobile games during the fourth quarter of 2022, comparing performance metrics across iOS and Android and highlighting shifts from the previous quarter. Data are drawn from GameAnalytics, which tracks more than 100 000 titles and reaches roughly one‑third of the global mobile player base, providing a broad, cross‑regional view of the segment.
Cost‑per‑install (CPI) reached an all‑time high of $0.20 median on both platforms, with the overall median CPI rising to $0.42. Android’s median CPI grew by $0.05 while iOS saw a larger increase of $0.17. Among the top ten ad‑spending countries, the United States posted the highest iOS median CPI at $0.80, overtaking France and Germany, while Brazil dropped out of the ranking. South Korea and Canada recorded the steepest CPI hikes on Android, each climbing $0.06 from Q3 2022. The report covers major markets in North America, Europe, Asia‑Pacific and Latin America, reflecting a worldwide scope.
Retention benchmarks reveal a consistent advantage for iOS. In the top‑2 % of games, Day 1 retention was 45 % on iOS versus 38 % on Android, and Day 7 retention stood at 19 % versus 14 %. For the top‑25 % tier, Day 1 rates were 33 % (iOS) and 28 % (Android), with Day 7 at 10 % and 6 % respectively. Across all titles, median Day 1 retention was 24 % on iOS and 23 % on Android, while median Day 7 retention was 7 % versus 4 %. The gap between elite, good and average games is pronounced, underscoring the importance of early‑stage player engagement.
Overall, Q4 2022 saw rising acquisition costs and modest but platform‑dependent retention