Mobile gaming is popular because of its ready availability. Most consumers own a mobile phone, while not as many own consoles. And many popular mobile games have low entry points, as they are based on familiar genres like puzzles and card/casino games. Then there is the obvious reason that mobile games can be played anywhere, which makes them more accessible than similar games played on computers. This is partly why we expect the number of monthly mobile phone gamers will increase slightly in 2021, while the number of desktop/laptop and tablet gamers will decrease slightly. Even as the pandemic subsides, there will still be reasons for consumers to play mobile games as they begin to commute and travel once again.
Nearly all mobile phone gamers play via smartphone gaming apps. This year, there will be 157.3 million monthly smartphone gaming app users in the US—up 1.3% from 2020—which amounts to 98.8% of mobile phone gamers.
Due to mobile gaming’s approachability, its audience tends to skew slightly older compared with digital gamers overall. In 2020, a good portion of mobile gaming growth came from older users who turned to gaming for the first time in order to entertain themselves and connect with others during the pandemic.
An October 2020 survey by market research company The NPD Group and Sensor Tower found that the number of mobile gamers (using either smartphones or tablets) in the US and Canada who were ages 45 and older grew by 17%, while the number of those ages 25 to 44 grew by 13%—the two highest growth rates across all age groups.