2024 gaming spotlight: Mobile to reach $83 billion — showing recovery amid industry challenges

Projections from Sensor Tower and our partner IDC indicate that mobile gaming will maintain its share of approximately 50% of the total $165 billion global consumer gaming spend in 2024. In comparison, console game revenue is expected to account for 25%, PC/Mac for 24%, and handheld consoles for approximately 1%. 2023 was a challenging year for mobile gaming spend, but there are signs that the decline may have bottomed out. With a potential 6% year-over-year growth in 2024, driven by recent hit successes and new launches, a new period of growth seems likely. This report explores what lies ahead for the global gaming market in 2024, with a particular focus on the role of mobile gaming.

Simulators and MOBA games boost mobile downloads, while 4X strategy leads consumer spending growth

One aspect of our joint analysis looks at shifts in market share among the various game genres, which is key to understanding which ones are expressing outsize growth even as the overall market has contracted from the high points witnessed in 2021. These shifts were minor in the grand scheme, reflecting fractions of percentage points, yet are still helpful in deciphering consumer affinity as other signals diminish, particularly in mobile games.

Looking at downloads, Simulators led by volume among the top five subgenres by downloads share, while revenue share was redistributed towards 4x Strategy, Coin Looters and MOBA, led by Last War: Survival Game, MONOPOLY GO! And Brawl Stars  respectively.

Read the Full Report to uncover the Most Popular Games By Market and how Sensor Tower’s Game Intelligence transforms how you publish games today.

Mobile games that defined H1 2024

Exploring beyond genres, our Gaming Spotlight goes inside the data to identify the most successful breakout mobile titles so far in 2024. Games that have performed well in the first half of 2024 are diverse, including a familiar board game turned into an on-the-go mobile experience, a savvy Match-3 game blending puzzle and lifestyle mechanics, and  4X strategy games set in post-apocalyptic themes. Leveraging strong IP, capitalizing on market momentum, and utilizing live operations are common themes driving their success.

Read the Full Report to uncover detailed insights powered by Sensor Tower on store downloads and revenue, top markets, and audience insights for these games.

Consumer focus on privacy and changing views towards in-game advertising

According to IDC, U.S. mobile gamers favored rewarded video (RV) ads, showing an 11% positive sentiment, while video ads were the least popular with an -11% sentiment. Playable and native ads had slight positive sentiments of 5% and 3%, respectively, whereas banner/display ads had a -7% sentiment. Over the longer term (Q3 2019 to Q3 2023), video and banner/display ads had notably lower net sentiment scores of -24% and -19%. This indicates a consistent preference for RV ads and a general aversion to video and banner/display ads among gamers.

This finding was also supported by Mistplay, who found that gamers are primarily motivated to engage with ads and install new games due to rewards and incentives (42%), relevance to game genre (40%), and engaging gameplay (38%). However, nearly 50% of players cite "too many ads" as a top reason for churning, with 14% leaving after seeing an ad and installing a new game. To improve ad engagement and reduce churn, incorporating special incentives and relevant content in ads is recommended, as it can increase conversion rates and long-term engagement by adding value throughout the player's experience.

Read the full Gaming Spotlight Report to uncover how mobile gamers perceive all types of ad formats, and the strategies you need to know to put your best foot forward with an advertising mobile strategy. 

Go deeper: Download the 2024 gaming spotlight report to uncover the trends you need to know across mobile, console, and PC gaming

Download the full report to uncover: 

• Which gaming platforms are driving the most growth and how to leverage a cross-platform strategy to compete

• How shifting tastes make way for emerging genres and how Game Intelligence can help you identify and create a robust strategy to win on mobile

• Which regions represent the biggest growth opportunities for mobile, PC or console and how to capitalize on this growth

• What are the Mobile Games that defined the first half of 2024 and the impact they are making around the world. 

• What are the latest trends in User Generated Content and what challenges and opportunities they present for Mobile Gaming

• How consumer sentiment towards an advertising monetization is changing and why trustworthy contextual market data is needed to inform successful mobile strategies

And more!