In fact, according to mobile insights firm App Annie, South Africa is the fastest-growing region for mobile game downloads, which has resulted in firms such as Carry1st raising $6 million in funding for its mobile game publishing platform. The future of smartphone gaming in South Africa appears to be going from strength to strength, especially as the country has 1.1 billion members of the Millennial and Generation Z groups who have adapted to the technology we are now seemingly inundated with. These types of advancements are showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon either.
The gaming options have improved as a result also. Gone are the days when Tetris and Snake were hogging the limelight as graphically advanced creations enter the fore, and a new audience of smartphone gamers is born off the back of it. For Pretorians, it is certainly a popular entertainment option. The surge in popularity of smartphone gaming is linked to many factors, though. Below is a look some of them.
Convenience
Arguably the most important factor behind the rise in the amount of South Africans turning to an array of smartphone games is due to the convenience smartphone gaming offers. Most games can be picked up and put down throughout the day, they don’t require the time and dedication numerous console releases do, and they’re are generally easier to grasp. As a result, casual gamers have discovered a mobile release suitable for them.
The variety of games on offer is vast, too, with sports fans able to sample creations like Frankie Dettori’s Magic Seven slot by Playtech, groups of friends regularly rumbling the killer in Among Us, and fans of augmented reality exploring their surroundings to capture Pokemon. These types of games can be loaded up or downloaded within a matter of seconds, they can then be enjoyed during a morning commute to work, and they aren’t as tough to master as the games on newly-released consoles like the PlayStation 5. For some, console gaming is daunting, especially if you’re a novice gamer keen to experiment with a few creations.
Smartphone gaming is the perfect option in that respect, opening up gaming to a whole new audience in the process, alongside the aforementioned Millennial and Generation Z groups who download games on a regular basis.
Improved Games
The games we can now access are generally more advanced than some of the console games many people grew up with. Innovation has certainly elevated the all-around smartphone gaming experience as the devices we can now purchase offer more functionalities and present more power than ever. As such, we are seeing a growing trend of console-quality titles enter the mobile gaming space. Creations like Fortnite, PUBG, Minecraft and Mario Kart have made the successful transition over to mobile as its offering continues to improve on an impressively regular basis. On top of this, these games can be enjoyed further with some additional accessories. Joysticks and virtual reality headsets are popular products for mobile gamers to snap up, for example.
Smartphone Gaming Is Affordable
Other gaming options aren’t cheap. Smartphone gaming, on the other hand, represents a cheaper alternative. Most people already have access to mobile phone devices and can search an extensive selection of gaming releases within seconds. The games are cheap or completely free, too.
