Press Release

Integration of Virtual Reality (VR) into Video Games to Boost the Saudi Arabia Online Gaming Market through 2028

The Saudi Arabia Online Gaming Market is expecting around 7.85% CAGR during 2023-28, reveals MarkNtel Advisors in their recent research report. Increasing applications of IT, such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, etc., in the online gaming market, have significantly contributed towards boosting the attraction & retention of gamers in Saudi Arabia. Companies like Microsoft, United Electronic Company, Ubisoft Entertainment, etc., have made considerable investments to boost the AR/VR and Mixed Reality gaming markets in Saudi Arabia. For instance:

• In September 2020, Ubisoft, in partnership with Oculus, announced developing two new games based on Assassin’s Creed & Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell franchises that deliver the signature fantasy of each brand through a uniquely immersive VR experience.
• In February 2020, the United Electronics Company (eXtra) announced the opening of a VR gaming center in Al Khobar city of Saudi Arabia with investments of around USD 2.66 billion.

Sports Games to Gain Significant Traction in the Saudi Arabia Online Gaming Market during 2023-28

Saudi Arabia has charted out a clear roadmap to developing futuristic cities & transforming them into world-class E-gaming powerhouses. Besides, the country announced the Game Mode project by the Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC) in 2023, which aims at helping telecom companies ensure a rich & transparent gaming experience for users and real-time insights for investors.

Around 36% of the gamers in Saudi Arabia prefer sports games on mobiles. The sales of gaming laptops, especially for sports games, have been significantly rising over the previous few years. Moreover, in 2021, about 28% of sports games enthusiasts purchased laptops to enjoy a better gaming experience. The in-app purchases of sports games in Saudi Arabia exceeded USD45 million. In total, over 47% of gamers in Saudi Arabia prefer sports games, while nearly 33% enjoy puzzles, cited MarkNtel Advisors in their research study. Nevertheless, casino gaming is also gaining significant traction in the country.

Virtual Reality to Register Double-Digit Growth in Saudi Arabia through 2028

In 2021, gaming consoles had over 30% share in the Saudi Arabia Online Gaming Market. In the same year, Smartphones & PCs were other platforms that altogether dominated the market. However, with the gradually growing penetration of high-speed internet and a clear roadmap for 5G implementation, the integration of virtual reality in online gaming is expected to register double-digit growth during 2023-28. Post the Covid-19 pandemic, sales of gears, such as Oculus, PlayStation, Google Cardboard, etc., have soared considerably in the country. Additionally, the integration of gaming & fantasy worlds via virtual reality has also been observed as a prominent contributor to the growing penetration of Virtual Reality in the online gaming industry of Saudi Arabia.

Leading Companies in the Market

According to MarkNtel Advisors, the leading players in the Saudi Arabia Online Gaming Market are Sony Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Apple Inc., Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.), Electronic Arts Inc., NetEase Inc. Ltd., Tencent Holdings Ltd., Nintendo, Ubisoft Entertainment, Square Enix Co., Ltd., & Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Key Questions Answered in the Study

1. What are the current & future trends in the Saudi Arabia Online Gaming Market?
2. How has the industry been evolving in terms of geography & service adoption?
3. How has the competition been shaping across Saudi Arabia, followed by their comparative factorial indexing?
4. What are the key growth drivers & challenges for the Saudi Arabia Online Gaming Market?
5. What are the customer orientation, purchase behavior, and expectations from the building information modeling software providers across Saudi Arabia?

Market Segmentation:

1. By Platform Type (Gaming Console, Smart Phone/ Tablet, Virtual Reality, PC, Streaming, Others (Television, Web Browser, Arcade, etc.))
2. By Game Type (Sports Games, Racing Games, Adventure & Action Games, Strategy Games, Others (Role-Playing Games, Card Games, etc.))
3. By Revenue Model (Free Online Gaming, Paid Online Gaming)