This shift in consumer behaviour comes when India’s infrastructure and payment systems are improving, making high-speed data and low-cost payments available to most users.

At least 67 per cent of gamers are willing to pay for gaming subscriptions, indicating a growing willingness among Indians to pay for high-quality gaming experiences, according to a survey by EY-Loco Gamer Survey 2023.

This change in consumer behaviour comes when improvements in delivery infrastructure via 5G and the evolution of payment systems via UPI, are making high-speed data and low-cost payments available to most users in India.

In the survey of 13,000 respondents, over half of the respondents were willing to pay for in-app purchases. This presents an opportunity for game developers to create appropriate monetisation roadmaps for their products. Anirudh Pandita & Ashwin Suresh said, “This survey helps industry participants like game developers, advertisers, and investors, develop a better understanding of the Indian gamer and drive business impact for them. We hope to continue gathering insights that will help us shape the future of gaming in India.”

Online gamers in India are maturing and moving beyond casual gaming habits to serious gameplay, with 45 per cent of respondents spending over an hour per game-playing session. Additionally, despite working from the office, almost 50 per cent of the respondents spent more time on gameplay, indicating a growing appetite for serious gaming.

The survey shows that eSports is becoming increasingly popular among Indian gamers, with almost 61 per cent of respondents indicating that they have participated in Esports events and viewed at least one tournament a month. eSports is becoming increasingly popular among Indian gamers, with almost 61 per cent of the respondents indicating that they have participated in Esports events and viewed at least one tournament a month, it further added.

Credit: Businessline