In brief: As with video games and streaming services, the mobile gaming market saw an uptick while the world was locked down last year. But has slackening restrictions and the opening of outdoor activities damaged the industry during 2021? No, quite the opposite: consumers spent $1.7 billion on Android and iOS games per week globally throughout the first half of this year, with hyper-mobile games still proving the most popular.
App Annie’s 2021 Mobile Gaming Tear Down report shows that spending on mobile games is on track to pass $120 billion this year. That would mark a 20% increase over the $100 billion in 2020. Weekly spending, meanwhile, is up 24% YoY and 40% compared to the pre-pandemic days of 2019.
Hyper-casual games, which are described as easy-to-play, usually free, and with minimalistic interfaces, continue to take the majority…


