App Annie: Mobile gaming widened market lead on PC and console in 2017

Mobile games first overtook home game consoles and PCs in 2014. But now mobile gaming’s lead in consumer spending has widened even more. In 2017, overall mobile gaming spending was 2.3 times more than overall PC and Mac games, and overall mobile game spending was 3.6 times higher than home game consoles, according to an annual report released today from market researchers App Annie and IDC.

Mobile games generated $70 billion in consumer spending in 2017. (This figure includes both money paid to publishers, or 70 percent, and 30 percent paid to platforms). That compares to $34 billion for PC and Mac games, $22 billion for game consoles, and $3 billion for handheld game devices. Back in 2015, the figures were much different: $35 billion for mobile games, $30 billion for PC and Mac, $21 billion for consoles, and $3 billion for handhelds.