More than 80% of consumers in the UK have a smartphone, and a growing number of people play games on their device.
New research by Barclays Corporate Banking reveals that mobile phones are the most popular gaming platform (53%), followed by tablets (37%) and consoles (37%). What’s more, a fifth (19%) of those surveyed predict that they will spend more time playing games on mobile phones in future, followed by tablets and consoles (both 15%).
The survey also revealed that, despite a historic focus on male gamers, British women are set to spend £1.1bn on video games and accessories over the next 12 months – a third of the total £3.5bn projected spend for British adults over the same period, driven by growth in mobile games and a wider range of titles targeting both men and women.
Virtual reality headsets (15%) and individual consoles (also 15%) top the list of gamers’ planned hardware purchases over the next two years, followed by gaming accessories for the Xbox and PlayStation (12%).
Commenting on the findings, Sean Duffy, Head of Technology, Media & Telecoms at Barclays Corporate Banking, said:
“The UK’s £4.3bn video games industry is a thriving and vital contributor to our economy. While trends in mobile and virtual reality are well publicised, female gamers have been a substantial driver of growth in the industry over recent years, opening up a part of the market that was previously overlooked.”
“Our research finds that the majority of female gamers engage through mobile, and the growth of mobile titles has no doubt been central to increased uptake by women. Of all of the platforms we surveyed, mobile is forecast to see the most growth over the next five years. There is a big opportunity for developers to expand the female market with mobile games targeting women.”
