The Number of Gaming Apps in Google Play Store Jumped by 40% in a Year to Almost 480,000

Ultimo Aggiornamento Giugno 15th, 2021 at 12:46 pm

Last Updated on Giugno 15, 2021 by Redazione Scommesse

The mobile gaming industry continues its meteoric growth, with more people than ever choosing gaming apps as their favorite entertainment on the go. As one of the two largest distribution channels for mobile apps, Google Play has witnessed a record number of new gaming releases in the last year.

According to data presented by 123scommesse, the number of gaming apps in the Google Play Store jumped by 40% in a year and hit almost 480,000 in the first quarter of 2021.

More than 50,000 Gaming Apps Released in Q1 2021

In the first quarter of 2018, Google Play hit an all-time high with more than 677,500 available gaming apps. However, in the next three months, this figure plunged by 25% to around 501,500 and continued falling. By the end of 2018, the number of Android gaming apps dropped to 288,800.

However, 2019 again witnessed an increasing trend. By the end of the year, the number of mobile games in the Google Play Store rose to around 343,300.

Statistics show that 83,000 new gaming apps were released in 2020, with their total number jumping to over 427,000 in December. However, 2021 set a new record, with more than 50,000 new mobile games released in the first three months of the year, the highest quarterly increase so far. App Store hit around 316,800 gaming apps in the same period, or 34% less than Google Play.

Mobile Games Account for 13% of All Google Play Apps

As of the first quarter of 2021, gaming apps were the most popular app category in the Google Play Store, accounting for 13.7% percent of all available apps. Education apps ranked second with a 9.3% share. Business, finance, and tools apps followed with 6.6%, 6.4% and 6%, respectively.

Coin Master was the top-grossing gaming app among Android users, with over $61 million in revenue in April. Garena Free Fire-World Series and PUBG mobile-Karakin followed with $38.5 million and $37.7 million in revenue that month.

However, Bridge Race was the most downloaded mobile game worldwide. The block building title generated more than 24.3 million downloads from Android users in April. High Heels, published by Zynga, was the second-most popular gaming app title, with more than 17.2 million downloads from global users. Crash Bandicoot: On the Run and Ludo King followed, with 16.8 million and 15.9 million downloads, respectively.