Japan and Korea games market to hit $30bn by 2029

• Japan and Korea’s games market hit $29.1bn in 2024, with a rebound to $30.3B projected by 2029.
• East Asia’s gaming population is expected to reach 101.7m by 2029.
• Korea leads Asia with the highest ARPU at $30.77; Japan follows at $21.82.

Japan and Korea's games market generated $29.1 billion in 2024, down 3.1% year-over-year.

That's according to a new report from Niko Partners which showed that a slight decline to $28.5bn is expected in 2025 before rebounding to reach $30.3bn by 2029. 

Moreover, the East Asia games market is projected to grow to 98.4 million gamers in 2025, with steady growth reaching 101.7m by 2029. 

Japan’s ARPU (average revenue per user) is expected to hit $21.82, while Korea leads all Asian markets with an ARPU of $30.77.

Player preferences 

Elsewhere in the report, Niko Partners found over 40% of hardcore Korean gamers are highly sensitive to poor localisation, especially cultural inaccuracies and bad translations. 

Even so, RPGs continue to dominate the East Asian games market on mobile and PC, with Korean players favouring online MMORPGs, while Japanese gamers prefer single-player RPG experiences.

In Japan, 8% of gamers prefer games with anime/manga art styles. Meanwhile, esports tournaments are a key marketing channel for Korean male gamers, appealing to 24.4% compared to 11.4% of females.

You can access the full report here.