5 Biggest Mobile Gaming Trends of 2024
More people than ever enjoy playing their favourite games from a smartphone or tablet device rather than from a console, desktop computer, dedicated handheld gaming device or laptop.
As mobile gaming surges ahead in popularity, let’s dive straight in and take a closer look at five of the biggest trends and technological innovations that are shaping the mobile gaming industry in 2024 and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in this constantly evolving digital entertainment sector.
What are the hottest mobile gaming trends shaping the industry in 2024?
In recent years, but more so in 2024, the global mobile gaming industry has recorded significant year-on-year annual revenue growth, and many experts believe that this same pattern is set to continue for the foreseeable future.
The incredible growth is thanks to the latest technological innovations and gaming trends that are helping to take the mobile gaming industry to extraordinary new heights, all of which are providing mobile gamers with a safer and more immersive and personalized experience than ever.
Five of the most significant gaming trends, marketing strategies, and technologies that are helping to shape the mobile gaming sector like never before and give it a competitive edge over its rival platforms (e.g., desktop, console, etc.) are the following:
- Artificial intelligence – AI and its many applications, such as big data gathering and analysis, generative AI, and machine learning (ML), are enabling gaming operators to tailor/personalize the mobile gaming experience, enhancing security, and enabling software providers and game development studios to produce better games
- Augmented reality – AR technology is helping to create a far more immersive and engaging experience for mobile users. VR tech is also becoming more prevalent in mobile gaming
- Cloud gaming – cloud gaming/computing technology is revolutionizing the mobile gaming sector. It allows players to stream games from thousands of different titles without needing a powerful device, such as a desktop computer, console, or laptop. Faster 5G Wi-Fi/internet speeds have also meant that mobile users no longer suffer from annoying issues, such as disconnection, buffering, latency, or lagging
- Live streaming – modern live streaming capabilities have taken fully licensed and regulated iGaming sites to the next level. With a minimum deposit of $10, anyone aged 18 or above can live stream cutting-edge live dealer games or play high-end, graphically demanding triple-A blockbuster video games in real-time, without interruption, 24 hours per day, all thanks to live streaming technology
- Mobile eSports – more people than ever participate in some of the world’s biggest eSports leagues, tournaments, and competitions from their mobile devices
Honourable mentions
Some of the other notable technological innovations, trends, and marketing strategies & techniques that are helping to shape the mobile gaming industry in more ways than one are things like gamification, new monetization methods and subscription models, and the optimization of the ad experience.
That’s not forgetting metaverse gaming, NFT gaming, and crypto gaming, which have become even more mainstream in 2024. Hundreds of hugely successful new games were released throughout 2024, and one of the most popular genres this year was sports/racing.
The five nominees for the Best Sports or Racing Game category at the 2024 Game Awards, which is scheduled to take place on December 13, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, include the hugely successful tennis simulation video game Top Spin 2K25, Wrestling’s WWE 2K24, the Formula 1 racing game F1 24, the basketball game NBA 2K25, and the football/soccer video game, EAFC 25.
Indie games have also been a huge hit with mobile gamers this year, and several new genres of mobile games have arrived.
Additionally, user acquisition and hybridized monetization are more important than ever in mobile gaming, and cross-platform gaming (the ability to play the same games on mobile and other devices) and live mobile gaming events are also now more popular than in previous years.
Finally, hyper-casual games have asserted more dominance in mobile gaming in 2024, and a company called Scopely was named one of the mobile gaming industry’s top gaming developers this year.
Final thoughts
Today’s most popular high-end games feature highly sophisticated graphics and ray tracing effects, and one of the other major trends in mobile gaming this year is live streaming gameplay and walkthroughs, which are currently huge on the biggest gaming/video sharing platforms, such as Twitch and YouTube, and even Instagram.
People today rely more than ever on expert reviews and player feedback for the latest gaming leaks and information about new gaming software and hardware, and more people today are willing to spend money on in-app purchases thanks to more affordable gaming services, products and features.
Today’s mobile gamers also have access to better website/app cybersecurity measures and quicker/more convenient, and user-friendly mobile online payment solutions, which facilitate transactions on today’s safest mobile gaming sites.
People are turning away from using traditional online payment methods, such as Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards or bank transfers, in favour of faster, lower costing, and more secure APMs (alternative payment methods) like PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ripple, DogeCoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and many others.
Many of the mobile gaming trends mentioned on this page will likely continue in 2025 and beyond and will completely transform the industry in many other ways that we cannot yet imagine. It’s an exciting time to be a mobile gamer, and it will be interesting to see which new emerging trends and technologies will help shape the face of the industry over the coming years.