All of that social distancing is helping mobile gaming grow, according to mobile market data and analytics App Annie. Global mobile game downloads were up 20% in Q1 2020 compared to the same period last year.
To be precise, the recent quarter saw 13 billion new downloads. The current pandemic has many people stuck inside, often starved for entertainment or distraction. This is giving mobile gaming a boost.
For Google Play, India and Brazil were the largest markets. China and U.S. were tops for iOS.
The puzzle game Brain Out reached the top of the downloads charts. Game for Peace, the Chinese adaption of PUBG Mobile, was top for consumer spend. Regular old PUBG Mobile was No. 1 in terms of monthly active users.
Consumers spent over $16.7 billion on mobile gaming in the recent quarter, a 5% increase from the previous quarter. Games make up 65% of all spending on iOS and 85% on Google Play.