Mobile games have risen in popularity in recent months, largely fuelled by the global pandemic and the availability of more powerful smartphones.

In Southeast Asia, Philippines and Vietnam have seen a significant rise in mobile game spending, marking a significant shift in consumer behaviour especially among youths.

Key Highlights

• Mobile game spending has shot up significantly in both The Philippines and Vietnam, rising by over 50% and 55% respectively.
  
• The Philippines was the fastest growing market for mobile gaming in Southeast Asia in 2020, accounting for 16% of total downloads.
• Indonesia still represents the largest share of mobile game downloads in Southeast Asia.

Why It Matters

• Southeast Asia is largely a mobile-first market, where many users' first time interaction with the internet is via a smartphone instead of a computer.
  
• Nearly every youth under the age of 18 has a smartphone and plays at least 1 mobile game.
• With the availability of e-wallets and digital banking services, mobile game spending is expected to skyrocket in coming years.