Playing games on smartphones has become a regular part of the daily or weekly routines of Indians, particularly among younger ones.
Over 32 per cent of Indian users spend between four to six hours every week immersed in mobile games, according to a new survey by CyberMedia Research (CMR) published on Friday, May 2. Around 74 per cent of Gen Z users spend at least six hours playing games on their smartphones, the Gurgaon-based market research firm said.
As part of the study, CMR surveyed 1,550 users across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities in India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Guwahati, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Indore, and Gwalior. The respondents were categorised into three generational cohorts: Millennials (28-44 years), Gen Z (13-28 years), and Gen Alpha (up to 13 years).
These findings come amid growing concerns of gaming addiction in India. As per news reports last year, the Indian government is looking to impose time limits and online spending curbs for players of online games, including real-money games.
The survey also found that 72 per cent of smartphone users play games primarily for entertainment purposes, with mental agility (52 per cent) and socialising (41 per cent ) cited as other reasons.
“We are witnessing a clear shift in mobile gaming behaviour—from casual play to more immersive, socially connected, and competitive formats. Gen Z is driving this evolution, not only in how often they play, but in what they expect from the experience. Premium gameplay, social discovery, and eSports participation are now defining the next wave of mobile gaming,” Sugandha Srivastava, Senior Analyst, CyberMedia Research, said in a statement.
While 26 per cent of ‘serious gamers’ said they play Free Fire, another 26 per cent also named BGMI as their top choice. Puzzles (19 per cent) and First-Person Shooter (FPS) games (19 per cent) emerged as the most preferred genres of mobile games, followed by action-gadventure games, as per the survey.
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The survey also noted that over 30 per cent of Gen Z gamers in India prefer premium titles and seek high-quality gaming experiences. Competitive gaming is also gaining traction, with 57 per cent of Gen Z participating in eSports, it said.
Performance and perception of chipsets
According to CMR, Gen Z users in India are choosing smartphones based primarily on the chipsets powering them, their performance, and brand perception. It identified MediaTek Dimensity and Qualcomm Snapdragon as the top chipset choices among survey respondents.
“While MediaTek leads on customer satisfaction (46 per cent) and brand loyalty (50 per cent), Qualcomm retains its premium positioning, with 40 per cent of its users willing to pay more — rising to 45 per cent among Gen Alpha,” the study said.
As expectations around performance and quality grow, chipset brands like MediaTek and Qualcomm are becoming strategic enablers of these experiences. Their influence now extends beyond technical specs to shaping how young users choose, trust, and advocate for their devices,” said Menka Kumari, Analyst, CyberMedia Research (CMR).
