Mobile Gaming vs. PC/Console Gaming: Choosing the Right Investment Option

Playing online games without consoles and PCs was once considered an impossible reality. With the emergence of mobile phones, the experience of playing has been remarkably transformed. Now, you can instantly access and play a variety of games anywhere using a mobile device. This has eventually made mobile gaming very demanding. Right now, there are 2.85 billion mobile gamers. By 2030, it is estimated to reach the mark of 3.42 billion (Statista).

On realizing this huge prospect, investment in mobile game development has gained traction in recent years. Despite a massive surge in the use of smartphones in online gaming, the popularity of consoles and PCs in gaming has not yet eroded. With 2.04 billion PC gamers and 2.29 billion console gamers, the PC/console game development industry is also showing no sign of decline (Exploding Topic).

Now! With the introduction of new-age technologies like Generative AI, Blockchain, AR/VR, IoT, etc., the quality of games, whether on mobile devices, consoles, or PCs, has become more polished, advanced, and user-centric. This presents an exciting opportunity for investors, startups, and enterprises to join the gaming industry. But the big question is: which market should they target?

Hence, to overcome this dilemma of choosing between mobile gaming vs PC/console gaming, we have crafted this blog, which will thoroughly discuss:

What are the Benefits of Investing in Mobile Game Development?

Flaunting a robust revenue figure of $139.8 billion, the mobile game industry is projected to achieve a surplus growth figure of $256.19 billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 10% (Grand View Research).

Besides this immense growth trajectory, selecting the mobile game development industry for investment will also offer your business privileges like:

• Target Profitable Genres

Investing in mobile game development raises your profitability chances when you collaborate with an experienced game app development company. This allows you to create genre-specific games from which you can expect maximum global downloads and surplus revenue generation. 

Top Mobile Game Genres With Increased Downloads

Game Genre	Overall Downloads
Simulation	9.8 billion
Puzzle	9.7 billion
Arcade	9.6 billion
Action	2.4 billion
Shooter	2.4 billion
Strategy	2.1 billion

Source: Udonis

Mobile Game Genres with Increased Revenue

Game Genre	Global Revenue
Strategy	$17.5 billion
Role-Playing	$16.8 billion
Puzzle	$12.2 billion
Casino	$11.7 billion
Simulation	$6.1 billion
Shooter	$4.3 billion

Source: Udonis

 

• Generate Additional Revenue Streams

In mobile game development, you have the scope to capitalize on a wide range of revenue generation strategies. It covers:

(i) Rewarded Video Ads

(ii) Playable Ads

(iii) Subscription Offers

(iv) In-app Purchases

(v) Premium in-game content

(vi) Seasonal/Battle Passes, and so on.

But to decide and implement the ideal monetization options for your game, you should communicate with our top-tier gaming app development company. It will also help you gain more insights about game monetization and publishing to ensure a successful result.  

• Captivate Emerging Markets

Investing in mobile games also widens your possibilities to attract new players and ensure surplus revenue flow with an improved ROI. For that, you need to do some thorough market research under expert supervision. Below, we have presented two tables that provide you with a glimpse of the worldwide mobile gaming landscape. This covers:

Regional Distribution

Region	Revenue	Player Base
Asia-Pacific	$85.9 billion	3.2 million
North America	$50.2 billion	2.2 million
Europe	$34.8 billion	2.7 million
Latin America	$9.1 billion	335 million
Middle East & Africa	$7.7 billion	380 million

Source: Newzoo

 

Country-wise Segmentation

Country	Revenue	Players
USA	$52 billion	220.5 million
China	$25 billion	668 million
Japan	$16.6 billion	74.1 million
South Korea	$7.1 billion	33.9 million
Germany	$6.4 billion	52.1 million
United Kingdom	$6.1 billion	41.9 million
France	$3.8 billion	40.0 million
Canada	$3.0 billion	23.6 million
Italy	$2.5 billion	37.1 million
Mexico	$2.3 billion	76.0 million

Source: Newzoo

 

• Increased Accessibility

Presently, there are over 7.21 billion smartphone users in the world (Exploding Topics). This expands your scope to engage and retain a huge global audience with the creation of leading-edge cross-platform mobile games like Apex Legends, Genshin Impact, and others.

To craft robust and secure cross–platform games, seeking help from our Android game development company will be very useful. Besides enhancing your game’s reach across devices and operating systems, it will also allow you to manage your development budget and timeline wisely.       

What are the Possibilities in the PC/Console Gaming Industry?

Remember, in the PC/console gaming industry, your target audience consists of hardcore or serious gamers. Hence, to impress them, you have to adopt measures like:

• Crafting Larger-than-Life Game Titles

In PC/console gaming, people usually enjoy high-octane games like Valorant, Baldur’s Gate 3, God of War Ragnarok, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and others. All these games have received immense appreciation from gamers everywhere. Hence, to ensure your success in this creative industry, you also need to craft epic game titles with the help of an experienced game development company like Red Apple Technologies. 

• Launch Impactful Monetization Models

Like mobile games, PC/console games also come with exciting monetization options like:

(i) Premium

In PC/console game development, you can claim a direct upfront fee from users when they want to access your game. This tends to maximize your profit within a shorter span. 

(ii) Subscriptions

You have already seen how leading brands like Microsoft and Sony, with their popular products like Xbox (Microsoft) and PlayStation (Sony), have tempted gamers to purchase exclusive subscription packages comprising premium in-game content. Like them, you can also launch your own subscription packages when you join the PC/console gaming segment with the help of an experienced game development company. 

(iii) Downloadable Content

This is also a profitable monetization model when you develop games for PC/console platforms. Here, you just have to tempt players to accept and purchase your downloadable content offers to obtain a refreshing gaming experience with the latest content throughout the year. As of now, the downloadable content model has resulted in a 13% revenue growth in the PC game segment and 7% revenue surge in the console gaming segment. (Newzoo)  

• Support Greater Flexibility

When you are developing games for your console/PC gaming audience, you also need to deploy porting solutions under the guidance of an experienced game development studio. It will enable your console and PC users to continue playing popular games from PlayStation to Steam or vice versa. This will not only raise your user reach but also enhance your brand reputation and presence across the globe.  

Where Should You Invest?

When choosing between mobile games and console/PC gaming, it all depends on your budget capacity and business goals. For example, when you are planning to captivate a huge user reach within a shorter span, investing in mobile game development will serve you with an impressive ROI.

But when you have no budget constraint and want to provide an invaluable gaming experience to your users, investing in PC/console game development will prove very fruitful. This will allow you to showcase your creativity and impress game lovers across with the development of magnificent AAA titles, blending high-end features and monetization options to engage gamers firmly.    

Closing Statement

Whether you are planning to invest in mobile games or PC/console gaming, we at Red Apple Technologies will be happy to offer you cutting-edge game development services. Depending on your project vision and other requirements, we deploy high-end development platforms like Unity, Unreal, and other technological components to offer a satisfactory outcome. With us, you also get on-demand staff augmentation solutions that empower you to decide the right outcome with high-end expertise and unparalleled commitment. To deliver an unforgettable gaming experience to your audience, share your game idea with our team now. 

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