The rapid deployment of high-speed mobile broadband services via 5G in India has sparked a surge in mobile gaming activity, further enhancing the country’s position as the world’s second-largest gaming market. Popular AAA titles like BGMI, Call of Duty: Mobile, and others are witnessing substantial demand, driven by a notable improvement in game latency. According to Ookla, the latency, which significantly impacts a gamer’s reaction time, saw considerable enhancements from 4G to 5G networks. For instance, Reliance Jio users experienced latency improvements from 109 ms to 77 ms in 2023, while Airtel users reported a 15% decrease, from 108 ms to 92 ms. Such quality improvements are poised to fuel the already burgeoning mobile gaming sector in India, where 94% of the gamer base is already active in mobile gaming.
Game latency, crucial for measuring responsiveness in online gaming, particularly in fast-paced action games, has seen significant reductions as telcos completed their 5G rollouts nationwide. As a result, action games have dominated in terms of time spent and user engagement over the past month.
Singapore-based Garena’s Free Fire and Korea-based Krafton’s Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) emerged as the top games in terms of total time spent, with Krafton witnessing record-high sales in 2023, largely attributed to BGMI and India sales. Despite the initial ban of BGMI during the early stages of 5G rollout, Krafton anticipates a positive impact as 5G adoption grows. Free Fire and BGMI lead in active users rank and usage penetration rank, with Call of Duty: Mobile also experiencing rapid growth during the period.
An EY report on the Indian gaming landscape projects significant growth in the non-real money games (RMG) and esports segments, driven by the rising demand for mid-core and hardcore games like BGMI alongside wider 5G adoption. Revenue share from mid-core and AAA titles is expected to rise, reflecting the anticipated growth in the total number of gamers from 425 million to 538 million between FY23 and FY28.
Krafton, among other game studios, is leveraging the 5G-driven surge in gamers, launching multiple new games in India since February 2023. Additionally, Activision, the maker of Call of Duty: Mobile, introduced a new title called Call of Duty: Warzone in India, featuring large-scale multiplayer gameplay, further capitalizing on the growing gaming market fueled by 5G advancements.
