Juniper Research has issued a report which forecasts substantial growth in gaming revenues from tablets – from $491 million in 2011 to $3.1 billion by 2014.

The report argues tablets offer the optimum screen size for gaming, and that games designed for tablets typically enjoy superior graphics and user interfaces. 

These factors encourage users to buy more games and make more in-app purchases, according the report's author Charlotte Miller. Indeed, the games are often more expensive too. 

Miller also reasons that the relative expense of tablets suggests that tablet owners have more disposable income than smartphone owners, and are therefore more likely to purchase games.

Deep pockets

It's these factors that lead Miller to state that tablets will account for nearly a third of overall mobile games revenue by 2016.

The report predicts a less rosy future for gaming on feature phones, though. Mobile games revenue from these devices will halve over the next five years, apparently.

"The tablet is the perfect device for playing mobile games - the screens are large enough for the user to see the action, no matter how big their hands are," Miller explained.

"Tablet owners also tend to have a larger disposable income, as tablets are often bought outright rather than subsidised by operators.

"Higher user satisfaction with games and a bigger wallet mean that tablet games look to be highly lucrative."

[source: Juniper Research]