Mobile gaming is worth $172 billion. It will be worth over $200 billion in two years. The industry’s fast growth rate has investors and brand name publishers on high alert. They all want to make money in this sector.

Supercell, Electronic Arts, Blizzard, Zynga, and Tencent are the most dominant forces in the mobile gaming space. Most of these companies generate over $1 billion from mobile games annually.

In this article, we’ll delve deeper into the growth of mobile gaming and how it impacts the entire mobile phone industry. Let’s dive right in.

Increased Demand for Smartphones

Growing demand for mobile games means one thing for the cellphone industry—more buyers. Statistically, there are over two billion smartphones in the world. The number is expected to double in the next decade.

Android dominates the smartphone space with a 70% market share. Apple comes second at 20% while other operating systems share the remaining percentage of the pie.

The reason Android devices are so popular is that they’re affordable. They also come from different brands, which gives consumers a wide range of options. Apple creates quality smartphones. But its latest cell phones are too expensive for most people.

With that said, you don’t need an expensive phone to play mobile games. If it’s a smartphone with Internet connectivity, you can use it to download and play hundreds of mobile games.

Better Games for Mobile Users

Gone are the days when most mobile games were terrible. Ever since the industry became a moneymaking machine, mobile gaming is no longer dominated by indie developers. Brand name publishers make big investments.

Companies that traditionally create quality PC and console games are now making quality games for mobile users. Take Electronic Arts as an example. It’s been recreating some of its best-selling games to suit smartphone users. You can play FIFA Mobile, NBA Live, The Sims Series, and Madden Football.

Chinese firm Tencent generates over $5 billion from its mobile games annually. But it’s so successful only because it creates quality games. Think of PUBG, Crossfire, Ring of Elysium, and Dragon Raja.

These games have superb graphics. They have well-developed storylines, seamless mechanics, and tuneful soundtracks. You can spend hours on a ton of mobile games now that they’re enjoyable to play.

Increased Attention from Major Industries

The average smartphone user spends 8% of their time playing mobile games. Some people spend up to 10 hours every day on mobile games. This huge reliance on mobile devices is drawing the attention of every industry.

Think of e-commerce. All the big retailers are now on mobile devices. It’s the same case for banks and Fintech startups. They have apps and mobile sites designed for smartphone users.

If you have Visa and MasterCard, you can pay with these cards on your iPhone. If you’re into digital wallets, you can use mobile PayPal GPay, Boku, or Apple Pay.

The online gambling industry is also on mobile. Both casinos and sportsbooks accept smartphone users. Some of them provide incredible innovations that are available on both Android and iOS devices.

Think of crash gambling games. These blockchain-based casino games give you a chance to watch your winnings multiply in real time. But if you don’t time your cash out right, you risk losing it all.

Advanced Mobile Hardware

One of the reasons mobile gaming is growing is that developers have been investing in enhanced mobile hardware. The first generation of smartphones was made up of low-quality phones. They could barely run match-3 games.

As the demand for mobile gaming increased, mobile phone manufacturers upped their game. They invested more in faster processors, bigger RAM, and ROM. They integrated full HD and 4K resolutions on smartphones. And they created better batteries.

These changes resulted in increased demand for smartphones. You don’t need to charge your iPhone every two hours. You can use it to play games for hours before you recharge it.

On the other hand, you can play sophisticated Battle Royale games without damaging your phone. The best part is that these advancements in mobile hardware don’t benefit players alone.

If your phone has an impressive camera, quality speaker, and fast processor, you can use it for different reasons. You can use it to create social media content. You can use it for business or other forms of entertainment besides gaming.

Increasing the Value of Mobile Companies

If you’re an investor, there’s never been a better time to invest in mobile stocks. There are countless mobile businesses to invest in. And some of them are projected to tenfold in value over time.

Let’s start with mobile gaming stocks. Companies like Tencent, EA, and Activision Blizzard are performing well financially. They’re expected to make bigger profits in the coming years, meaning their stocks will increase in value.

Beyond gaming stocks, you can invest in mobile Fintech startups, hardware chip companies, social media giants, and emerging industries. To be clear, stocks do not offer guaranteed profits. So, do your own research and only invest money you don’t need for immediate needs.

Alternatively, think about starting a business that could benefit cellphone users. It could be an app that helps people save money. You could create an online delivery app or a site where people sell used items.

Cross Platform Technologies

Although mobile gaming is soaring, gamers aren’t losing interest in PC and console games. Instead, they’re playing their favorite games on different platforms.

This trend is forcing developers to cross-platform gaming solutions. For example, Xbox has a way for its fans to play many games on mobile. Nvidia, Google, and Apple have similar platforms.

When you think about it, the entire digital industry is doing the same. It’s taking advantage of mobile gaming’s growth. But it’s not getting rid of other platforms. Instead, businesses are merging their platforms to serve all their customers equally.

Think about online retailers. They have websites you can use on your PC and Mac computers. But if you’re also a smartphone user, you can buy stuff through an Android or iOS app.