Adjust, an AppLovin company, has launched The Gaming App Insights Report, a groundbreaking resource offering a fresh perspective on the mobile gaming industry’s growth trajectory and revenue potential.
Released on March 18, 2024, this report pairs global mobile gaming app data with insights from AppLovin and SparkLabs, showcasing significant increases in gaming app installs and in-app revenue from 2023 into 2024. The report highlights the importance of leveraging AI and embracing Connected TV (CTV) as part of a new framework for success in the highly competitive mobile gaming market.
“The perception that mobile gaming is stagnating due, in part, to a crowded market overlooks one positive by-product of this competition: growth,” said Daniel Tchernahovsky, VP of Global Business Development, AppLovin. “We meet daily with partners who are launching new products successfully and at a rapid pace. In fact, Monopoly Go! became a top-grossing game in 2023 – the same year it was released.”
The Gaming App Insights Report, leveraging data from Adjust’s top 5,000 apps and their entire dataset, provides strategic guidance for navigating changes in audience expectations, technology, and measurement complexity.
“By investing in the right tools, prioritizing next-gen tech, AI and personalization, game developers and studios can scale on new channels and platforms, regain install and session volume, and find users that play and pay,” added Tiahn Wetzler, Director of Content and Insights at Adjust.
Key findings include:
- Hybrid casual games are thriving, bringing in 800% more average revenue per monthly active user (MAU) than hyper-casual games, largely due to the addition of in-app monetization elements to titles. Hybrid casuals also had the highest click-through rate at 30%, again outperforming hyper-casual.
- Gaming in-app revenue is climbing, experiencing a notable 6% YoY increase in 2023, and December rising the highest at 17% above the annual average and 21% YoY. This growth has continued into 2024, with in-app revenue already increasing 13% YoY in January.
- Racing and simulation games topped the charts, with installs growing by 61% and 53% YoY, respectively. Arcade games followed close behind, with 38% and 19% increases in installs and sessions.
- Gaming has significantly higher ATT opt-in rates than the rest of the app industry, with the global average up to 39% in Q1 2024 (vs 36% in Q1 2023). Indonesia, the UAE and Brazil have the highest opt-in rates, all at 49%.
Industry leaders such as Hypercell Games and Mamboo Games contribute real-world insights, emphasizing the value of investing in next-gen tech, AI, and personalization.
For further details and to explore the impact of cross-play and cross-device strategies, The Gaming App Insights Report and Adjust’s new PC and Console Guide are available for download.
