By the end of 2020, it is believed that there will be 2.7 billion gamers around the world according to a Newzoo report.

Of which, 2.5 billion will play on mobile phones, while there will be 1.3 billion on PC and 800 million on consoles. However, that number is set to be on the rise in the coming years with 2023 being the year it exceeds three billion, which will be a 5.6 per cent CAGR increase from 2015 to 2023.

Overall, the Asia-Pacific region boasts the most gamers at 54 per cent, or rather 1.5 billion. In second with 386 million is Europe while the Middle East and Africa are just behind with 377 million. Latin America has 266 million, and finally, North America comes in at 210 million. Worldwide, the number of gamers increased by 5.3 per cent year-on-year in 2020.

Revenue increase

When it comes to revenue, the mobile platform relies heavily on in-game purchases as there are no digital copies to buy like with consoles. However, thanks to subscription services like Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass the market for premium mobile games is growing. Currently, 98 per cent of all revenues through smartphones came from in-game purchases.

This year, the games market is expected to achieve $159.3 billion in revenue. By 2023, that is likely to increase to $200 billion.

Last month, Newzoo claimed that the mobile games market would be the least affected by the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. It will bring in $77.2 billion.