Within the last twenty years, smartphone technology has revolutionized how the average person lives. Not only do mobile phones allow for an unprecedented degree of communication worldwide, but they’ve also transformed into mobile entertainment centers. From social media to video streaming to mobile games, consumers have access to the specialised apps of any company or brand that creates one.
According to Newzoo, 3.9 billion people across the globe used smartphones last year. In 2021, smartphone users spent $116 billion on mobile games alone, which was up $16 billion from 2020, according to App Annie. Another study from Sensor Tower predicts that the industry of mobile gaming alone will be worth $138 billion by 2025.
Still, in the last five years, most gaming and tech publications have been focused on eSports leagues like The International and ongoing attempts to streamline VR technology. So, what happened in the realm of mobile gaming? And where will the industry head to in the coming decade?
Casual Titles in the Lead
Thanks to the video streaming platform Twitch, eSports has taken off worldwide. Amateur gamers have endless access to their favorites’ streams, are able to join like-minded communities of professional gaming hopefuls. In other words, Twitch has fostered a community that has helped catapult titles like League of Legends and Call of Duty to new heights.
Much of the attention often falls on global favorites like the titles mentioned above. But mobile gaming paved the way for smaller developers. In fact, the world’s most-downloaded game is Candy Crush, which came from a no-name production team at King.
So, how did mobile gaming get so big? The rise of casual games. For example, one of the most overlooked industries in gaming is online casinos. A slots player can find a title like Starburst straight from their mobile browser or from a mobile app. Now that top brands have mobile apps, even niche casino gamers have round-the-clock access to their favorite titles. In other words, non-traditional gamers are now a huge part of the industry—even if they have no intention of going pro.
A 6G Future (or a Cloud-Based Future?)
Mobile gaming continues to grow significantly in terms of breadth and revenue… but that doesn’t mean the industry lacks obstacles. In fact, one of the biggest problems for mobile gamers is unreliable internet connections. The rise of mobile gaming coincides with the rollout of 5G mobile networks—but 5G isn’t a flawless solution for spotty connectivity.
Going forward, mobile gaming will benefit from the (eventual) expansion of 6G networks. Unless, of course, cloud gaming provides a robust solution before then. Cloud gaming allows remote gamers to stream a title straight to their phone rather than download it to their device.
According to Juniper Research, cloud gaming could be worth over $200 billion by 2023. However, this technology relies on a seamless internet connection, which hints that it might not compete with 6G networks but rather that the two will work together in an integrated capacity. After all, streaming a game to any device requires a strong connection.
Should this pan out, it’s possible mobile gaming will replace traditional consoles like the Xbox or PlayStation, along with PC titles. The idea is that there’s little need for a console if a gamer can access their favorite titles from literally anywhere.
Bridging AR & Mobile
Another prediction for the future of mobile gaming revolves around AR. While VR remains the domain of at-home setups and cumbersome headsets, AR has already been successfully integrated into dozens of mobile games. Pokémon GO, for example, highlighted the creative applications of AR within the gaming field.
Going forward, AR could see meaningful expansion in the mobile gaming industry. At the moment, one of the biggest projects in the tech world revolves around AR glasses. Companies like Microsoft, Google, and Apple are in a race to roll out the first functional set of AR glasses. This type of technology will likely see an application in the gaming industry, as most tech peripherals do.