Mobile gaming will grow to a $272 billion industry by 2030, dominating the global video games sector, according to new research from GlobalData. By comparison, mobile gaming was worth only $98 billion last year, the report said. Much of the growth will be due to improved technologies, including increased penetration of 5G, new processers and new display technology, the research firm said.

“Mobile gaming is already bigger than the console and PC gaming markets combined, contributing nearly 57% of global video games revenue in 2020,” said Rupantar Guha, GlobalData associate project manager for thematic research, in a prepared statement. “The growing maturity of streaming (supported by 5G), cloud gaming services and mobile esports – combined with the fact that mobile platforms are close to technical parity with PCs and consoles – means most gamers will embrace mobile gaming in the next few years. As a result, it will continue to account for the lion’s share of the global video games revenue over the next 10 years.”

Guha expects 5G will drive the next wave of innovation in mobile gaming, explaining that 5G networks allow games to be downloaded faster than current 4G networks and aid the development of mobile-based cloud gaming services and augmented reality (AR) games. “With the ability to support 1 million devices within a single square kilometer, 5G will drive more users towards mobile gaming, especially multiplayer titles. This, in turn, will boost the growth of mobile esports,” he said.