The continued rise cloud-based technology will enable more and more games to span multiple forms of hardware, leading to a tripling in game downloads on mobile and tablet devices.

That's the conclusion of a report by Juniper Research looking into the future role of the smartphone sector, with the firm claiming annual game downloads across mobile and tablet will jump to 64.1 billion by 2017.

That's three times the number recorded in 2012.

Up in the cloud

But this isn't just a case of a greater number of mobile consumers downloading more and more games. Rather, games themselves are going to change.

As smartphones and tablets get more powerful and games increasingly exist in the cloud, so titles will launch across multiple devices – from console and PC to mobiles and slates.

This trend for a rise in "sophisticated games", as Juniper describes them, will evolve smartphones and tablets into the "primary screen for gamers."

This trend will be coupled with a general rise in demand for games on tablets, with report author Siân Rowlands mid-core games – "who previously spent a lot of money and time playing games but now have jobs, families or other commitments" - are increasingly taking to tablets.

Ode to Ouya

"These people are really embracing the tablet form factor, and innovative gameplay devices such as the mobile based Ouya console, really appeal to them," added Rowlands.

As the mid-core moves on tablets, Juniper concludes, so handhelds will suffer. Nevertheless, the firm doesn't believe that the likes of 3DS and PS Vita will lose out completely.

"Juniper Research believes that mobile and tablet games will not mark the end of this market, but with players such as Nintendo cutting its sales forecasts by 14 percent for its 3DS, and 27 percent for its Wii U, it is hard to deny the challenge by the smartphone and tablet sector," Juniper concludes.

The report comes after Pocket Gamer editor-in-chief Kristan Reed suggested Nintendo needed to pull its focus away from Wii U, throwing its weight instead behind 3DS to ensure it retains its position as 'handheld king'.

You can purchase Juniper's latest report here.