This article is sponsored by Gamers8.
Smartphone brand HONOR and Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, the largest worldwide gaming and esports festival, have been reaping the benefits of mobile gaming’s ever-growing global popularity.
Out of the world’s current population of 8.1 billion, a staggering 2.6 billion, over a third, are mobile gamers. As such, the mobile gaming market industry continues to grow. It’s currently worth $114.96 billion but, according to projections from Market Research Future, that figure will have more than doubled by the end of the decade. With a 13.60 percent CAGR (compound annual growth), the market is expected to hit $247.07 billion in 2030.
It’s impossible to overstate just how big a business mobile gaming is. Figures have revealed that 43 percent of all smartphone users play games and 62 percent of people install a game within their first week of ownership. Around 57.9 percent of those games are puzzle games and further studies show that at least half of mobile gamers are women.
Access is a key factor, according to Turki Alfawzan, CEO of the Saudi Esports Federation. “The easier the access to the game, the more exposure and reach you have,” he said. “And the easiest access to games is mobile – which makes sense, your whole life is on your phone. There’s a lot of opportunity for game developers to reach a wider fan base. For some of the genres, I think mobile gaming is the future of gaming.”
For proof of mobile gaming’s popularity, you need look no further than the recent six-day PUBG Mobile World Invitational (PMWI) at Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, the biggest esports and gaming festival worldwide. Taking place in Riyadh, it saw Vampire Esports from Thailand, who claimed back-to-back victories, collecting $500,000 from a $3 million prize pool.
Organized by PUBG Mobile and the Saudi Esports Federation, this battle royale competition was played exclusively on HONOR Magic5 Pro smartphones. HONOR is Gamer8’s main and official smartphone partner for the eight-week duration of the festival. The event, taking place at Boulevard Riydah City, runs until the end of August.
According to research firm Sensor Tower, PUBG Mobile (a Tencent game) hit a major milestone, having made over $10 billion in revenue. The PMWI plays a critical role in the event’s roster, which also includes 16 tournaments over 13 different gaming titles.
“PUBG Mobile World Invitational is an important part of Gamers8 for a number of reasons,” Alfawzan said. “It’s one of the most popular games around the world and, importantly, it’s a game that has a fan base in Saudi, in the region, and around the world. That’s not the case with all the games. And in addition, the numbers we are doing are exceptional – we finished the All-Stars, and the PMWI, with a record of 200 million people viewing.”
Another important factor was having HONOR as the face of the tournament. The company proved invaluable in ensuring that this high-profile tournament ran smoothly.
“You need a reliable technical partner to be able to host more than 60 players playing at the same time and they were up for the challenge,” Alfawzan said. “We delivered an amazing and smooth event as a result which reflects the quality we’re always aiming for.”
The HONOR Magic5 Pro is well-equipped to deliver an exceptional gaming experience. It has an immersive 6.81-inch LTPO quad-curved floating display, perfect for providing a comfortable gaming experience, even during extended sessions. In part, this is due to the Magic5 Pro’s advanced 2160Hz PWM dimming technology, which reduces screen flickering and fluctuations in brightness.
There’s real power at the heart of the HONOR Magic5 Pro, too. It’s powered by the all-new Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform, offering exceptional performance and processing speeds, with equally impressive power efficiency.
Designed to optimize gaming experiences, the HONOR Magic5 Pro’s GPU Turbo X graphics acceleration technology results in smoother visuals and lag-free gameplay. Gamers also don’t need to worry about their sessions coming to an abrupt end. The HONOR Magic5 Pro boasts a 5100mAh battery, giving players the power to keep going without the need for frequent recharges.
HONOR prioritizes delivering cutting-edge technologies, in terms of both software and hardware, to ensure its smartphones offer a truly immersive on-the-go gaming experience.
Daniel Wang, president of HONOR Middle East & Africa, knows just how popular mobile gaming has become and said it is “an integral part” of the company’s business model. As a brand, HONOR prides itself on being a human-centric company. It understands not just the widespread and ever-growing appeal of mobile gaming but also its role and importance in gamers’ lives.
“The future of smartphones and mobile gaming is set to be dynamic and revolutionary,” Wang said. “With continuous advancements in hardware and graphics capabilities, smartphones will become more powerful, enabling even more immersive and graphically stunning gaming experiences. Rest assured that we will continue developing new technologies to cater to gamers’ needs on HONOR devices.”
Having the HONOR Magic5 Pro as the PMWI’s sole gaming device was just as important to HONOR as it was to Gamers8: The Land of Heroes. It marks an important moment in the company’s growth in Saudi Arabia, a place that is passionate about gaming.
“With a keen understanding of the Saudi gaming market and the importance of gaming to its people, HONOR remains deeply committed to engaging with users and elevating their experiences,” Wang said. “Recognizing the growing passion for gaming in Saudi Arabia, HONOR focuses on developing and delivering products that cater specifically to the needs and preferences of Saudi gamers. By combining cutting-edge technology with a comprehensive understanding of the local gaming landscape, HONOR aims to provide Saudi gamers with top-tier products and accessories that enhance their gaming journeys.”
This will, Wang explains, enable gamers to “fully immerse themselves in the virtual worlds they love.” The viewership figures for the PUBG Mobile World Invitational, coupled with the statistics for mobile gamers in the kingdom and further beyond, prove that this is indeed the case.
