Updated Mar 17, 2026 by Liftoff
The global mobile gaming market is projected to exceed $100 billion in 2020, supported by 2.6 billion players and a 24% increase in daily in-app payments.
Midcore and strategy games are the most efficient segments, achieving a 39.5% 30-day return on ad spend with low acquisition costs, particularly on Android.
While the average cost per install has hit a record low of $1.47, the industry faces a 24% rise in install-to-purchase costs and a decline in conversion rates to 3.3%.
Japan remains the premier market for monetization and retention, doubling regional peer retention rates and exceeding return on ad spend targets by over 10 percentage points.
iOS offers a higher return on investment than Android but requires four times the acquisition spend, while organic users continue to outperform paid users in long-term loyalty.
The hyper-casual sector is projected to reach $3 billion in 2020, though market saturation is forcing a transition toward hybrid monetization models to address falling engagement.
The global mobile gaming market is projected to exceed $100 billion in 2020, supported by 2.6 billion players and a 24% increase in daily in-app payments.
Midcore and strategy games are the most efficient segments, achieving a 39.5% 30-day return on ad spend with low acquisition costs, particularly on Android.
While the average cost per install has hit a record low of $1.47, the industry faces a 24% rise in install-to-purchase costs and a decline in conversion rates to 3.3%.
Japan remains the premier market for monetization and retention, doubling regional peer retention rates and exceeding return on ad spend targets by over 10 percentage points.
iOS offers a higher return on investment than Android but requires four times the acquisition spend, while organic users continue to outperform paid users in long-term loyalty.
The hyper-casual sector is projected to reach $3 billion in 2020, though market saturation is forcing a transition toward hybrid monetization models to address falling engagement.