In 2025 year to date, Pokémon GO in-app purchase revenues surpassed 297.44 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 2025 year to date, mobile gaming title Pokémon GO generated more than 113 million U.S. dollars through in-app purchases across markets in Asia-Pacific. The Americas were ranked first with more than 136 million U.S. dollars in annual app revenues.

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.

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.

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.

According to Cognitive Market Research, the global Mobile Games market size is USD 100584.2 million in 2024. It will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.50% from 2024 to 2031.

North America held the major market share for more than 40% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 40233.68 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7% from 2024 to 2031.
Europe accounted for a market share of over 30% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 30175.26 million.
Asia Pacific held a market share of around 23% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 23134.37 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.5% from 2024 to 2031.
Latin America had a market share for more than 5% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 5029.21 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9% from 2024 to 2031.
Middle East and Africa had a market share of around 2% of the global revenue and was estimated at a market size of USD 2011.68 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.2% from 2024 to 2031.
The Android held the highest Mobile Games market revenue share in 2024.

Market Dynamics of Mobile Games Market

Key Drivers for Mobile Games Market

Smartphone Penetration Growth: The swift rise in affordable smartphones and access to high-speed internet is propelling the global adoption of mobile gaming, allowing for a broader audience reach in both urban and rural settings, thereby enhancing accessibility and convenience.

Freemium and In-App Purchases: The effectiveness of free-to-play models that incorporate in-app purchases and advertisements is driving revenue growth. This business strategy attracts a large user base while providing steady income streams for game developers and publishers.

Rising Esports and Social Gaming: The growth of mobile esports tournaments and multiplayer platforms is increasing user engagement. Players are increasingly drawn to competitive, interactive, and community-oriented gaming experiences, which in turn stimulates sustained demand for mobile gaming solutions.

Key Restraints for Mobile Games Market

Monetization Challenges: A heavy dependence on microtransactions and advertisements can lead to user frustration. Developers encounter challenges in balancing revenue generation with user experience, which may hinder retention and long-term profitability in a fiercely competitive market.

Device and Connectivity Limitations: Performance issues on lower-end devices and unreliable internet connectivity in emerging markets hinder seamless gaming experiences, limiting adoption among users who cannot access high-quality, graphics-intensive mobile games.

High Market Saturation: The industry is confronted with fierce competition, with thousands of games launched each year. Challenges in discoverability make it difficult for new developers to attract users, thereby restricting innovation and profitability for smaller studios.

Key Trends for Mobile Games Market

Cloud Gaming Expansion: Cloud technology is transforming mobile gaming by facilitating high-quality, console-like experiences on smartphones without hardware constraints, enabling users to instantly access advanced games through streaming platforms.

AR and VR Integration: The increasing adoption of augmented and virtual reality technologies in mobile gaming is enhancing immersive experiences, with games such as Pokémon Go demonstrating the potential of interactive, location-based entertainment.

Expansion of Cross-Platform Gaming: The rising demand for cross-platform compatibility enables players to experience seamless interactions across consoles, PCs, and mobile devices, thereby enhancing engagement and broadening the scope of mobile gaming ecosystems. Introduction of the Mobile Games Market

The mobile games market refers back to the enterprise targeted at developing, dispensing, and monetizing games for smartphones and tablets. It contains an extensive variety of game genres, from casual puzzles to immersive multiplayer experiences. With the tremendous adoption of smartphones globally, the cellular gaming market has grown unexpectedly, turning into one of the most important segments of the gaming enterprise. Key drivers consist of the accessibility and convenience of gaming on cell devic...

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 **** 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.