The East Asian Gaming Market Generated $30.1 Billion In Revenue In 2023, With Japan And South Korea Preferring Multi-Platform Gaming

According to the latest report from market research firm Niko Partners, the East Asian gaming market generated $30.1 billion in revenue in 2023, and is expected to decline 2.9% to $29.2 billion in 2024.

The East Asian gaming market model covers Japan and South Korea. The number of gamers in these two markets also increased slightly in 2023, reaching 96.3 million players.

In the sub-segments, the highest revenue was from the mobile business (mobile games), accounting for 68.4% of the total East Asian revenue. The market research company also released a report in July 2024 on East Asian gamer behavior and market insights, which found that Japan and South Korea have 97 million gamers playing games on multiple platforms.

Among them, 70% of Japanese mobile game players and 90% of South Korean PC players also play games on other platforms. Overall, 39% of Japanese players and 58% of South Korean players play games on at least 2 platforms.

The research also found that more than 31% of Japanese players and 40% of South Korean players watch game livestreams, with YouTube being the most popular platform, followed by local platforms like South Korea's SOOP (AfreecaTV) and Japan's NicoNico.

"We've noticed a significant increase in the number of players playing games on multiple platforms last year. This is partly due to the shortage of Japanese consoles during the pandemic, and partly due to developers creating more games designed for multi-platform use, driving engagement on consoles, mobile devices and PCs," said Lisa Hanson, CEO of Niko Partners.

"Most notably, gamers in East Asia have proven that cross-platform gaming can lead to higher engagement."