The games market in Asia and the MENA region is projected to reach $100 billion by 2028

According to a recent Niko Partners report, the gaming market in the Asia, Middle East, and North Africa (MENA) regions grew by 4.6% compared to the previous year, reaching $85.5 billion in 2023. Projections indicate this figure could escalate to $97.1 billion by 2028.

The analysis encompasses markets in China, India, East Asia (specifically Japan and Korea), Southeast Asia (covering Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam), and MENA.

The data highlights that India is on track to add an additional 277 million gamers by 2028, which would constitute 72% of the total new gamers in the Asia and MENA regions. By 2028, India is projected to surpass China in the number of gamers, with an estimated 731 million players.

The Asia and MENA markets collectively contributed to 58% of the global expenditure on mobile games in 2023 and accounted for 50% of global spending on PC games.

The total player base in these regions is expected to nearly reach two billion by 2028, increasing from 1.6 billion in 2023. Gaming hours per week have also seen a substantial increase, rising by 36.2% year-on-year in Asia.

"Asia and MENA are pivotal in the worldwide gaming market, driven by factors like localization, higher female gamer participation, governmental support for esports, out-of-app monetization in mobile games, and growing consumer spending power," noted Lisa Hanson, CEO of Niko Partners.

She further mentioned, "To effectively penetrate these markets, companies must thoroughly understand the local nuances and the context of the data for strategic planning."