Malaysia is one of the fastest-growing gaming markets in the world. Thanks to its economic growth in the last decade, there’s a whole new community of mobile and computer gamers in this tiger cub economy. This especially refers to mobile game enthusiasts because such games have become extremely popular among young Malaysians.
In this article, we’ll see what games they have been predominantly playing in 2024, as well as the share of mobile and desktop counterparts.
Gaming Devices Stats Overview
As reported by Statista, in January 2023, 74% of Malaysians played video games via mobile phones (74%), a significantly lower number used their laptops (14%), then came desktops (6%), and the last group gaming consoles (6%), etc.
This is logical because mobile phones are the most affordable devices, plus, their technical power has increased so much that they’re stronger than the most powerful gaming desktops from, say, 2003.
So, mobiles and laptops are the most popular devices, and distribution by genre is also interesting.
The most popular titles – as you’ll see below – belong to strategies, sports games, action, and board games.
Interestingly, the iGaming genre also has a significant number of followers and active players in Malaysia. No matter if you’re a resident Malaysian or a visiting tourist, always go for a reliable iGaming platform, like those listed by trustedonlinecasinosmalaysia.com, and enjoy this part of gaming safely. Moreover, British people coming to the Malay peninsula can also freely immerse themselves in non-Gamstop casinos with numerous options for every gam(bl)ing taste and attractive incentives (as the UK regulations don’t apply here). As with many other parts of Asia, popular games include baccarat and sic bo – although casino classics like slots and roulettes are also well-liked in Malaysia.
But, the most-played games in the country are popular video games that are loved the world over, including the following:
Top 5 Favorite Games in Malaysia Listed
Now let’s take a look at the most popular games in Malaysia in the first part of 2024.
The first place is taken by Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Players can choose their heroes and play individually or join teams and play together against other teams. When you look at this game, you’ll see it looks much like Japanese arcade games from the 1990s and 2000s. It’s no wonder that both teenagers and adults like to play this game.
The second most popular game in Malaysia is Clash of Clans. A strategy that revolves around building your village, growing a clan, and fighting in clan wars, this game integrates medieval tales with some modern gaming. You can play on your own and learn how to raise and govern your clan or join an existing clan and take part in group endeavors. Clash of Clans is especially popular with Malaysian teenagers and students, as they unite and form clans.
The third most popular game in Malaysia in 2024 is Roblox. Players basically build an online realm of people, their activities, and environments. A kind of Lego meets Sims meets retro arcade, Roblox offers entertainment for the entire family.
Free Fire by Garena takes the fourth position. One of the most popular eSports combat games in the world, Free Fire gathers people from all parts of the globe. As an exciting battle game, it mostly attracts younger adults and teenagers, which is also the case in Malaysia. The developers behind this game are planning to hold a global Free Fire tournament soon. Who knows, perhaps the Malaysian team will win.
In fifth place, we have Candy Crush Saga and PUBG Mobile. The former is already a legendary puzzle game, where players must match 3 pieces of puzzle from falling items. And PUBG Mobile is a multiplayer battle shooter, similar to Free Fire above.
Malaysian Gaming Industry
With 34.6 million people, and a large number of students and pupils, Malaysia has a huge potential to become a propulsive game development market. The fact that so many people play video and mobile games in this country supports this prediction. Many global gaming companies have already opened their premises and development hubs in Kuala Lumpur and some other Malaysian centers. What’s more, several successful gaming startups have raised significant funds in the last few years. Perhaps we’ll soon see a world-leading mobile game developed by Malaysian gamers.