Gamers have probably known for some time now playing video games on their smartphones is a much easier and sometimes more rewarding experience than lugging around a dedicated handheld gaming device like the PS Vita or Nintendo 3DS. Part of the convenience also stems from our smartphone devices being with us at all times.
A new report published by research firms IDC and App Annie confirm what we’ve known for years as consumer spending on gaming applications on Apple’s App Store and Google Play have surpassed game spending on dedicated handheld gaming devices. Spending on dedicated handheld gaming devices tended to occur during certain seasons as 60 percent of Q4 spending occurred in December, which probably means they were given as holiday presents. On the other side of the spectrum, spending on iOS and Android was reported to be more evenly distributed throughout the year.
Unfortunately for both Nintendo and Sony, this report is only the start of what may come for the handheld gaming industry as more people can be found playing a quick game on their smartphone than a PS Vita or Nintendo 3DS.