ReportSensor Tower
Store Intelligence Data Digest: Q2 2022
1 Jan 202275 pages~47 min full read
In a historic shift for the U.S. App Store, consumer spending on non-gaming applications surpassed gaming revenue for the first time, driven by a 129% increase in non-game subscription revenue compared to 2019 levels.
The global mobile market saw a 2.5% year-over-year decline in total downloads to 35 billion in Q2 2022, though Google Play retained the largest share with 27.2 billion installs.
Meta solidified its market dominance by owning four of the top five most-installed apps globally, contributing to an 11% year-over-year increase in the company's total downloads.
Take-Two Interactive became the top U.S. gaming publisher following its acquisition of Zynga, while Miniclip expanded its portfolio by acquiring the Subway Surfers franchise.
Subway Surfers experienced a major resurgence, recording over 80 million downloads—its strongest performance since 2014—while new mid-core titles like Apex Legends Mobile and Diablo Immortal successfully entered the market.
The subscription economy matured significantly as 400 non-game titles each generated more than $1 million in quarterly revenue, supported by a 40% compound annual growth rate in subscriptions.
Indonesia emerged as a key growth market, surpassing 2 billion quarterly downloads for the first time, while the U.S. saw a notable rebound in travel and ticketing app usage.
The global mobile application market experienced a pivotal transition in the second quarter of 2022, characterized by a 2.5% year-over-year decline in total downloads to 35 billion. While Google Play maintained the largest volume with 27.2 billion installs, the most significant development occurred within the United States, where consumer spending on non-gaming applications surpassed gaming revenue on the App Store for the first time. This shift was fueled by a 40% compound annual growth rate in subscriptions, with non-game subscription revenue soaring 129% above 2019 levels. This trend underscores a fundamental change in consumer behavior as 400 non-game titles generated over $1 million in quarterly revenue, signaling a maturation of the subscription economy.
The gaming landscape remained highly competitive, led by the resurgence of Subway Surfers, which achieved its best performance since 2014 with over 80 million downloads. While Garena Free Fire continued its dominance on Google Play, particularly in Asia, the quarter was defined by the successful entry of mid-core titles like Apex Legends Mobile and Diablo Immortal. Regional growth was most pronounced in Indonesia, which surpassed 2 billion quarterly downloads for the first time, while the U.S. market saw a resurgence in travel and ticketing sectors as consumers returned to pre-pandemic activities.
Publisher dynamics remained concentrated among established giants, with Meta and Google maintaining their global leadership. Meta saw an 11% year-over-year increase in downloads, driven by its ownership of four of the top five most-installed apps worldwide. The industry also witnessed significant consolidation and strategic shifts, notably Take-Two Interactive’s rise to the top of the U.S. gaming market following its acquisition of Zynga, and Miniclip’s acquisition of the Subway Surfers franchise. These movements, combined with the rising influence of domestic publishers in China and the U.S., illustrate a market balancing global scale with localized dominance.
