As fast as the smartphone landscape has evolved, mobile gaming has kept pace to make the most of the hardware and innovate with what games are out there to play. Developers have introduced new technology and strategies into the mix too, shaped by the ways players interact with the apps, with these three trends standing out in 2025.
Cloud Gaming
Once shown to be poorly implemented and hampered by tech that couldn’t keep up, cloud gaming has finally arrived in a way that’s changing what’s possible on mobile devices. Rather than being limited by your phone’s processing power, resource-intensive games can now be beamed directly to your device. This is because the heavy lifting happens on remote servers, while your phone simply displays the action via a video stream.
The rollout of widespread 5G networks across the UK has made this technology genuinely practical, while better Wi-Fi speeds have furthered this too. Lag was frequently what disrupted enjoyment, but has now been smoothed out for responsive gameplay that can hold up to dedicated games consoles. This means titles that previously required expensive hardware are now accessible to anyone with a decent internet connection and a compatible device.
The Rise of Hybrid-Casual Games
In years past, mobile games typically fell into two different camps – super simple casual games that lacked depth and focused on short play sessions, vs complex, time-intensive titles that needed a lot of time.
Hybrid-casual games have emerged as the sweet spot between these extremes, offering immediate accessibility while providing genuinely engaging gameplay mechanics. They can also function between different platforms, with one account sharing progress between a game console, desktop computer and mobile. Titles like Genshin Impact have found that balance in the hybrid-casual space, while things like online bingo combine familiar mechanics with mobile-friendly sessions that can be accessed on a player’s terms.
Monetisation Strategies
The days of aggressive, interruption-heavy advertising in mobile games are increasingly behind us. Instead, there has been a pivot to how time is seen within a gaming session, focusing instead on rewarded advertising that’s actively chosen, subscription models, and time-limiting features.
Rewarded advertising is arguably the gold standard, giving players in-game benefits in exchange for watching sponsored content. That way, any ads presented a win-win for both player and publisher. Subscription models appeal to those players who already invest a lot of hours into a game, offering additional rewards through something like a battle pass. Then there’s also limiting play sessions behind in-game resources, forcing players to stop when they run out – unless they purchase additional resources.
These three streams offer mobile games a way to create revenue, improving on the previously more predatory practices by some developers. However, there is still an argument to be made whether these systems are entirely fair to the players, made on a case-by-case basis around the cost associated with these systems. These trends suggest that mobile gaming is maturing into a platform that can satisfy players across all experience levels and gaming preferences, with future years likely showing even more innovation that’ll engage players.
