In 2024, Pokémon GO in-app purchase revenues surpassed 544 million U.S. dollars worldwide. The AR game's most profitable year was 2020, when many gamers discovered the title during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pokémon Go: a global phenomenon Pokémon Go took the world by storm in 2016. Within a week of its release on July 19, the mobile app had been downloaded over ten million times worldwide, indicating the enormous hype surrounding the launch of Nintendo’s first venture into mobile gaming. The location-based augmented reality (AR) game involves catching, training, and battling virtual creatures (Pokémon) in real-world locations via smartphone. While the initial Pokémon craze has slowly faded, the game still enjoys millions of active users around the world and the Asia-Pacific region, in particular. Player spending increases in a quest to catch ’em all Pokémon Go ranks among the leading free-to-play (FTP) gaming titles worldwide, generating over four billion U.S. dollars in lifetime IAP revenue. While both app download and usage are free, the game uses a freemium business model that supports in-app purchases. Users can buy additional Pokéballs or other in-game items to level up and increase their chances of becoming a successful virtual Pokémon trainer. In order to maintain players’ interest and participation, developer Niantic continues to expand the game by introducing new features and characters like popular franchise antagonists Team Rocket..

In 2024, mobile gaming title Pokémon GO generated more than 203 million U.S. dollars through in-app purchases across markets in Asia-Pacific. The Americas were ranked first with more than 257 million U.S. dollars in annual app revenues.

In 2024, mobile gaming company Niantic generated over 672 million U.S. dollars in IAP revenues. The most popular mobile gaming titles published by Niantic include the mobile AR hit Pokémon GO and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. Pokémon GO's impact on Niantic's company revenue cannot be overstated — in 2015, in-app revenues amounted to a comparatively low 840 thousand U.S. dollars.

In 2020, mobile gaming title Pokémon GO had its biggest year yet, with a total of 356 million U.S. dollars worth of in-app purchases (IAP) revenues by gamers in the United States. The majority of Pokémon GO revenues are generated via Google Play. However, in 2024, the iOS Store for iPhone and iPad generated more IAP revenues for the AR hit, amounting to a total of 145.2 million U.S. dollars.

The gaming app "Pokémon GO" generated a monthly app revenue of about 15.25 million U.S. dollars in Japan in December 2024. The total app revenue during that year reached almost 153.8 million dollars. The location-based augmented reality (AR) game was developed by Niantic, Inc. and released in 2016.

With a global sales volume of over ***** million units, Pokémon Red/Green/Blue was the franchise’s best-selling video game worldwide as of December 2024. The first full Pokémon game release on Nintendo Switch, Pokémon Sword/Shield, came in second place with **** million units. Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, the most recent series entry for Nintendo's current Switch console, has sold approximately ***** million units worldwide. Pokémon: a global success story Pokémon is an immensely popular Japanese video gaming series published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, centering around an ever-expanding universe of fictional creatures that players can collect, train, and battle. Since launching its first generation of console games on Nintendo’s Game Boy back in 1996, Pokémon has grown to become one of the world’s most successful gaming franchises with over 480 million Pokémon games sold as of May 2023. Pokémon is also one of the most persistent brand names in the gaming industry, with its Red/Green/Blue Version placing among the five best-selling console games of all time in 2023 - 27 years after its release. Venturing into the mobile games market While Pokémon has been a household name for console gaming for several decades, the franchise ventured into the world of mobile gaming for the first time in 2016. With the launch of Pokémon GO, a location-based augmented reality (AR) mobile version of the original hit gaming series, the franchise adapted to the latest trends in the video game market that center around the growing popularity and profitability of mobile games. Pokémon GO is one of the top-grossing mobile gaming titles worldwide.

Mobile gaming has become a huge industry, with successful game developers in line to generate millions from their mobile games. In March 2021, Roblox was the top grossing iPhone gaming app in the United States, generating daily revenues of over 3.09 million U.S. dollars. Second-ranked Candy Crush Saga grossed approximately 2.03 million U.S. dollars per day. Pokémon GO was ranked seventh with a daily gross of more than 463,000 U.S. dollars

Pokémon GO - a global phenomenon
Pokémon GO is a massively multiplayer location-based mobile video game which uses augmented reality. The project is jointly created by The Pokémon Company and Niantic and has been available since July 2016 on the iOS and Android platforms. Just like in the video game series, the goal is to capture Pokémon and battle it out against other trainers. In 2020, Pokémon GO player spending hit 916.5 million U.S. dollars worldwide, which was the mobile app’s most profitable year since launching in 2016, when it grossed approximately 588.77 million U.S. dollars. The location-based augmented reality (AR) game involves catching, training, and battling virtual creatures (Pokémon) in real-world locations via smartphone. While the initial Pokémon craze has slowly faded, the game still enjoys growing numbers of active users around the world and in the Asia-Pacific region in particular.

Online app stores
With individual gaming apps generating millions of dollars of revenue on a daily basis, it is no surprise that app stores are also raking in the revenue. In the second quarter of 2020, Google Play Store recorded gross revenues of 7.7 billion U.S. dollars from mobile games, up from 6.9 billion generated in the previous quarter. The numbers for Apple's App Store were even more impressive, with revenue from mobile games on its iOS platform reaching 33.2 billion U.S. dollars worldwide in 2018. Interestingly, despite Apple's App Store leading the way in terms of revenue, Google Play recorded significantly more mobile game downloads in 2018. A total of 38.3 billion mobile games were downloaded globally across both app stores in that year, out of which the vast majority, 29.4 billion downloads in total, were attributed to Google Play.

According to Cognitive Market Research, the global mobile augmented reality 3D camera market size was USD XX million in 2023 and will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.80% from 2023 to 2030.

The demand for mobile augmented reality 3D cameras is rising due to improvements in the capabilities of mobile devices, the rising use of augmented reality across several industries, and the exponential growth of augmented reality games and entertainment apps.
Demand for target cameras remains higher because improved object tracking and interaction are made possible with the help of target cameras in mobile augmented reality 3D cameras.
The medical category held the highest medical and microscopes market revenue share in 2023.
The North American mobile augmented reality 3D camera market will continue to lead, whereas the Asia-Pacific mobile augmented reality 3D camera market will experience the most substantial growth until 2030.

Rapid Growth in the Gaming and Amusement Industry Drive Market Output

The market is being driven by the increasing use of augmented reality 3D cameras in gaming and amusement apps, providing users with more immersive experiences. One example of how augmented reality could increase user engagement is in mobile 3D games like Pokémon GO. and the consumers' increasing need for more engaging and immersive digital experiences. These are further driving forces in the industry to propel the demand for the mobile augmented reality 3D cameras market during the forecast period.

For instance, in November 2023, Matterport, Inc., a leading 3D digital twin platform for the built world, and Belden, Inc., a well-known network infrastructure and digitization solutions, partnered to provide facilities management with connectivity solutions made possible by 3D digital twins. These technologies will address the demands for broadband, smart buildings, and industrial automation.

Source-matterport.com/news/matterport-and-belden-enter-global-alliance-to-digitize-built-environments

Market Dynamics for the Mobile Augmented Reality 3D Camera Market

High Cost of Cutting-edge Technology Restricts Market Growth

Mobile augmented reality 3D cameras, particularly more sophisticated models, can be costly to create and manufacture. In price-sensitive markets, this high cost can prevent widespread adoption. They rely on complicated technology that faces persistent accuracy, power consumption, and depth sensing issues. One finds that these technological constraints negatively impact performance and user experience. The potential for new mobile augmented reality 3D camera expansion is limited in certain locations where the market is already saturated with similar technologies. This factor hampered the market growth in the coming years.

Impact of COVID–19 on the Mobile Augmented Reality 3D Camera Market

The mobile augmented reality 3D camera market has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic's impact on online gaming has spurred the need for mobile augmented reality 3D cameras. Mobile augmented reality 3D game apps' popularity has skyrocketed due to the availability of these apps’ 3D visualization features in real-time surroundings. The pandemic has had a beneficial long-term impact due to the innovation and digital revolution it spurred. The market is projected to continue rising. What is Mobile Augmented Reality 3D Camera?

Mobile augmented reality (AR) 3D cameras allow users to superimpose digital content onto their real-world surroundings using their mobile device's camera. The technique has recently started to gain popularity because of the abundance of powerful mobile devices equipped with integrated Graphics processing units and multi-core CPUs. Mobile augmented reality 3D camera technology is propelling mobile devices with high-tech 3D cameras in high demand due to the widespread use of augmented reality technology in various industries. There is a rising demand for high-end hardware components to improve user experiences in augmented reality applications as they gain popularity. One of the main factors fueling this expansion is the ever-increasing quality of the cameras of mobile devices. Smartphone makers try to stand out in a crowded market by including mobile AR 3D cameras. This is in response to consumers' growing demand for augmented reality (AR) games that go beyond the s...

First released in November 2022 for the Nintendo Switch, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are the first installments in the ninth generation of Pokémon video games. During the launch weekend, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet sold over ten million units worldwide, including over four million copies in Japan alone. During the quarter ending March 2025, lifetime Pokémon Scarlet and Violet sales amounted to 26.79 million units, making it one of the best-selling Switch games of all time. Premium Pokémon games on Switch Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are not the only Pokémon titles for the Nintendo’s Switch – as of 2025, there were 12 Pokémon games available on the hybrid console, including new mainline games, remakes, and free-to-play titles. The biggest Pokémon games on the Nintendo Switch console are Let’s Go, Pikachu / Eevee, a remake of the original Pokémon Yellow, as well as the first new mainline release Pokémon Sword & Shield (2019), which ranks among the best-selling Switch titles of all time. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, which were released in 2021, are remakes of the popular Diamond & Pearl for Nintendo DS and also rank among the best-selling Pokémon games ever. The 2022 release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus was another successful entry in the series, which featured many changes from traditional Pokémon gameplay mechanics. Free-to-play Pokémon games on Switch Apart from the mobile AR success that is Pokémon GO, the series has generally been known for its premium titles. However, in recent years, Nintendo has experimented with free-to-play titles (F2P), some of which are also available via console. Pokémon Café ReMix (2020), a puzzle café game, and Pokémon Quest (2018) are available for free from the Nintendo eShop. Another F2P entry is Pokémon UNITE, a MOBA title also available on mobile. Pokémon UNITE saw some success in the eSports segment and is also part of the invitation-only Pokémon World Championships.

In the most recently reported fiscal year, Google's revenue amounted to 348.16 billion U.S. dollars. Google's revenue is largely made up by advertising revenue, which amounted to 264.59 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. As of October 2024, parent company Alphabet ranked first among worldwide internet companies, with a market capitalization of 2,02 billion U.S. dollars. Google’s revenue Founded in 1998, Google is a multinational internet service corporation headquartered in California, United States. Initially conceptualized as a web search engine based on a PageRank algorithm, Google now offers a multitude of desktop, mobile and online products. Google Search remains the company’s core web-based product along with advertising services, communication and publishing tools, development and statistical tools as well as map-related products. Google is also the producer of the mobile operating system Android, Chrome OS, Google TV as well as desktop and mobile applications such as the internet browser Google Chrome or mobile web applications based on pre-existing Google products. Recently, Google has also been developing selected pieces of hardware which ranges from the Nexus series of mobile devices to smart home devices and driverless cars. Due to its immense scale, Google also offers a crisis response service covering disasters, turmoil and emergencies, as well as an open source missing person finder in times of disaster. Despite the vast scope of Google products, the company still collects the majority of its revenue through online advertising on Google Site and Google network websites. Other revenues are generated via product licensing and most recently, digital content and mobile apps via the Google Play Store, a distribution platform for digital content. As of September 2020, some of the highest-grossing Android apps worldwide included mobile games such as Candy Crush Saga, Pokemon Go, and Coin Master.

Published in August 2023, Monster Hunter Now is a location-based AR game developed by Pokémon Go maker Niantic and Capcom. In December 2024, the mobile gaming app generated approximately 4.85 million U.S. dollars in in-app purchases.

Released on January 28, 2022, Pokémon Legends: Arceus sold more than 1.4 million physical launch units in Japan and had reached 14.83 million global unit sales as of March 2023. The latest entry in the long-running Pokémon franchise outsold other recent titles in the series on their launch weekends. This fact is even more impressive because Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a single version game and other Pokémon games usually feature two versions of the same game. Gotta catch em all! The Pokémon gaming series is one of the biggest gaming franchises worldwide with over 440 million games sold as of June 2022. The core games are released in generations, each with different Pokémon, characters, and sometimes new regions. Announced in February 2022 and released in November 2022, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were the first games of the upcoming ninth Pokémon generation. The original first-generation games, Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Green were released for the Gameboy in 1998 and still hold the top spot as the best-selling Pokémon games of all time. However, the 2019 release of gen 8 games Pokémon Sword and Shield for Nintendo Switch has turned out to be the most popular of the most recent releases in the series. The Sword/Shield game duo is currently ranked second with over 24.27 million game units sold. Pokémon GO – a mobile success story Virtual Pokémon battles in real-world locations via smartphone? Almost too good to be true and yet Pokémon GO delivered on the highly anticipated concept when it was released in 2016. The augmented reality (AR) game was an instant hit on mobile and still generated over 645 million U.S. dollars in annual in-app purchase revenues in 2022. The game is credited with bringing AR gaming into the mainstream and promoting simple physical exercise but has also been criticized for contributing to accidents as users have not been paying attention to their surroundings while playing.

In the year 2021, the digital content platform Google Play generated gross revenues of approximately ** billion U.S. dollars through mobile apps. This is a global consumer spending increase of about ** percent, compared to the previous year. With gross revenue reaching over **** billion U.S. dollars, Apple’s App Store remained in the lead.

Leading apps on Google Play Store Some of the leading Google apps that can be found on the Play Store included Google Play Games and YouTube Music, however, with over ** million downloads worldwide, Google Meet took the top spot in 2020. The most popular kind of app on the platform was by far the gaming app: in the first quarter of 2020 alone, gaming apps accounted for approximately ** billion downloads. Tool and entertainment applications ranked second and third in terms of download count, respectively.

Leading mobile gaming apps Having generated over 100 million U.S. dollars in revenue worldwide, Coin Master was the leading mobile gaming app on the Google Play Store. Other successful and familiar gaming apps that could be found on many smartphones around the world included Pokémon GO, Candy Crush Saga, and PUBG MOBILE – NEW ERA.

Since its launch on March 3, 2017, the Nintendo Switch has sold over *** million consoles worldwide as of March 2025. Following the poor sales of its predecessor, the Wii U, the Switch was seen as the new hope for Nintendo in the ongoing battle with other console giants, Xbox and PlayStation. The Switch sets itself apart from its competitors by the fact that it can be used as both a stationary console and a portable device, meaning that gamers can play from the comfort of their own homes or on the go. Nintendo cashes in on exclusive titlesOne of the key reasons for the Switch’s success is undoubtedly the popularity of Nintendo’s first-party titles. Blockbuster series such as The Legend of Zelda, Mario, and Pokémon are all exclusive to Nintendo, meaning that fans can only play their favorite games on Nintendo consoles. Unsurprisingly, these Nintendo exclusive games dominate the list of top selling Switch titles worldwide, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sitting top of the pile. Can Nintendo keep up with Microsoft and Sony?Thanks to the success of the Switch, Nintendo has once again been able to stake its claim as one of the big players in the console gaming market. Until 2022, Sony could still claim to be king of the consoles, with unit sales of its PlayStation 4 exceeding the *** million mark in 2019. As of 2023, Nintendo surpassed Sony, having sold over *** million units of the Switch. Microsoft’s contribution, the Xbox One, is lagging some way behind as sales of the consoles are still below ** million units worldwide.