Platforms used by gamers South Korea 2022
Mobile gaming haven
Mobile gaming is popular among all age groups in South Korea. While the interest declines with age, the share of mobile gamers in their sixties stood at a remarkable 30 percent in 2022. The country is famous for having one of the fastest internet connections worldwide, a high smartphone ownership rate among all age groups, as well as a competitive gaming culture. Given the circumstances, it is hardly surprising that South Korea became one of the largest mobile gaming markets in the world.
Competitive gaming
When Starcraft was gaining popularity in South Korean PC-bangs, LAN-gaming centers that developed out of internet cafes, South Korea became one of the first countries to develop professional gaming leagues. In 2005, South Korea even build the world’s first e-Sports stadium. While Starcraft is still popular today, another game has taken the lead; as of October 2022, League of Legends (LoL) made up around 41 percent of the total play time in PC bangs. South Korea’s top League of Legends player had earned over 1.4 million U.S. dollars in prize money alone. Gamers are sponsored by the biggest corporations in the country, and get a salary during each season of their professional leagues. In a 2020 survey, around 38 percent of gamers stated that, given the chance, they would quit their job in order to become a professional gamer.