The U.S. and Canada saw a growth in mobile gaming in 2018. This is according to a new report done in collaboration with industry-tracking firm The NPD Group and mobile research firm Sensor Tower.
Both countries have a combined 283.1 million mobile users, and 210.9 million of them play games. That marks a 5 percent increase over 2017.
“Mobile gaming revenues have continued to grow in the U.S. and Canada, and it now represents the largest segment within the gaming marketplace,” said Mat Piscatella, games industry analyst at The NPD Group, in a summary of the report sent to GamesBeat. “Sixty percent of Americans and Canadians play mobile games because of the rich library of content available. Mobile games such as Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans, Pokémon Go, Roblox, Fortnite, and Slotomania, among many others, are examples of the breadth and depth of engaging experiences available on mobile platforms.”
The report notes that children are more likely to play mobile games on tablets, with 83 percent using those devices (compared to 54 percent of teens and adults). Teens and adults are more likely to play on smartphones, with 92 percent of that demographic gaming that way (compared to 63 percent of children).
Smartphone gamers usually play about once a day on their devices. Tablet gamers play less frequently, typically using game apps a few times a week.