ReportSensor Tower
Sensor Tower Global Mobile Gaming Industry Outlook 2024
1 Jan 202425 pages~25 min full read
Global mobile gaming revenue reached $76.7 billion in 2023, a 2% year-on-year decline, but is projected to recover to $78 billion in 2024 and exceed $100 billion by 2028.
See it on page 24Consumer spending is shifting toward casual and hybrid-casual models, with casual revenue growing 8% to $28.6 billion and hybrid-casual revenue surging 30% to over $2.1 billion.
See it on page 7Traditional high-revenue segments, specifically RPGs and Strategy games, experienced a 10% decline in 2023, though they remain the largest categories at $20 billion and $14.8 billion respectively.
See it on page 8The United States remains the top global market with $22.2 billion in revenue, followed by the Chinese iOS market at $15.1 billion.
See it on page 6Casual titles like MONOPOLY GO!, which generated $1.2 billion, and Royal Match, which surpassed Candy Crush Saga in monthly revenue, are currently driving market growth.
See it on page 11New mid-core titles such as Honkai: Star Rail and Whiteout Survival achieved significant growth in APAC markets by leveraging innovative themes and integrated gameplay mechanics.
See it on page 16Global mobile gaming experienced a minor 2% year-on-year decline in in-app purchase revenue in 2023, totaling $76.7 billion. Despite this slight contraction, the market remains 22% larger than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Projections indicate a recovery to $78 billion in 2024, with a long-term growth trajectory expected to surpass $100 billion by 2028 at an average annual growth rate of 6.8%. These findings are based on Sensor Tower App Performance Insights, covering the App Store and Google Play across major global markets including the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea.
The industry is currently defined by a shift in consumer spending from mid-core and hardcore titles toward casual and hybrid-casual models. Casual game revenue grew 8% to $28.6 billion in 2023, now accounting for 38% of the global market. Hybrid-casual games showed the most aggressive growth, increasing 30% to exceed $2.1 billion. In contrast, traditional high-revenue genres like RPGs and Strategy games both saw 10% revenue declines as the pandemic-era stay-at-home boost faded. Despite these drops, RPGs and Strategy remain the largest individual segments, generating $20 billion and $14.8 billion respectively.
Geographically, the United States remains the largest market at $22.2 billion, followed by the Chinese iOS market at $15.1 billion. While the Japanese and South Korean markets saw declines of 13% and 7% respectively, specific titles defied broader trends. MONOPOLY GO! and Royal Match emerged as major drivers in the casual sector, with the former generating $1.2 billion and the latter surpassing Candy Crush Saga in monthly revenue. In the mid-core space, new entrants like Honkai: Star Rail and Whiteout Survival achieved significant growth, particularly in APAC markets, by utilizing innovative themes and integrated gameplay mechanics.
