Facebook recently released a report discussing the mobile gaming habits of consumers during 2020. Most of the discoveries are nothing we didn't already know – although some of the new numbers are much larger than anticipated. For example, out of all types of mobile games, the vast majority of players in all regions prefer free-to-play, ad supported games.
Across the US, UK, South Korea, and Germany, there's not another mobile gaming format that's more popular than those supported by ads. Free-to-play with microtransactions is a close second, followed by game purchases with no ads, battle passes, and monthly game bundles. On average, more than 35% or players in all the above regions gravitate towards ad-based games. Despite everyone's universal hatred of ads, it seems that it's still the most popular way to get your mobile gaming fix.
Facebook's report also discussed the growth of mobile gaming through 2020, claiming that the US alone saw more than 28 million new mobile gamers – a growth of 28%. The UK didn't see as many new players as the US – gaining 8.6 million – although it grew by an incredible 50%. Those are some staggering numbers, although they aren't entirely unexpected. Reports have been coming out at a steady rate since the beginning of the pandemic, discussing the massive boom in mobile gaming during lockdowns. Some analysts don't think the trend will continue in 2021, although, if the pandemic continues to persist through the year that prediction will likely change.
As far as player spending is concerned, new mobile players in Germany seem to be the most willing to open their wallets, spending a monthly average of $32.45. Existing mobile gamers in the country are a bit more frugal, with a monthly spend of $17.21.
For the study, "new" gamers are defined as folks who didn't participate in mobile gaming prior to the pandemic and now play at least an hour a week. Existing gamers are the opposite – they played for at least an hour a week prior to the pandemic and continued to do so in 2020.