Gamers Are Abandoning the PSP and the 3DS for the Smartphone

A report from analysis form Cowen and Company has shown that only 37 percent of gamers are playing on a dedicated handheld device while a majority of 52% were using a mobile phone to get their gaming fix.

The report says, “Over the last five years, the penetration of dedicated handheld platforms into survey respondents self-identifying as casual gamers has declined by 29 per cent, with the vast majority of that decline occurring in the last two years. We believe cellphone and smartphone gaming is significantly impacting demand for dedicated handheld devices.”

The firm has not disclosed any information about the gamers that it surveyed and says that both Sony and Nintendo, who are selling the 3DS and the PlayStation Portable, will be gaming companies most affected by the new trend.

Cown and Company also says that the increase in mobile gaming will be a good opportunity for expansion for publishers like Electronic Arts, who already have experience with mobile and social gaming.