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Apple's gaming profits beat PlayStation and Xbox combined

By Daniel Petrov

Published: Oct 04, 2021, 3:59 AM

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Apple's gaming profits beat PlayStation and Xbox combined

According to a Wall Street Journal analysis with which Apple somewhat disagrees, its gaming-related operating profit of $8.5 billion for a 12-month period was more than those of Sony, Activision, Nintendo, and Microsoft taken together.

During the Epic trial deliberations, Apple's lawyers disputed such analyses of mobile gaming profits saying they are inflated by a large margin.

Even if the external consultants' observations are off the mark, though, Apple is obviously still doing very well in gaming revenue, just like Android's Play Store has its top 10 grossing apps be almost exclusively games.

Statistic: Leading Android apps in the Google Play Store worldwide in July 2021, by revenue (in million U.S. dollars) | Statista

Find more statistics at Statista

According to Sensor Tower, gamers added $45 billion to the App Store revenue numbers in fiscal 2020, with the US and China accounting for more than half of that. Apple takes up to 30% from game subscriptions and in-app purchases, and its total cut for the year was reported to be $13.5 billion.

Of course, there are expenses that need to be deducted, but given the above numbers it's easy to imagine why the WSJ claims that Apple's billions made from mobile games are easily surpassing Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox franchises taken together, and then some.

Statistic: Leading iPhone apps in the Apple App Store worldwide in July 2021, by revenue (in million U.S. dollars) | Statista

Find more statistics at Statista

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.