Game development has always been tied to the payment industry. Game companies stand a better chance of thriving with a solid monetization strategy and a seamless way to convert players into payers. As gaming grows worldwide, more players want to purchase games and related content with local payment methods. Game developers who work to stay ahead of the curve should consider making their games accessible to anyone — regardless of location — who enjoys gaming. This article looks at how to take advantage of Hong Kong’s gaming market growth and expand your brand’s reach to millions more players.

Hong Kong’s growing gaming economy

Hong Kong has a unique economy and is quickly becoming one of the world's most significant financial centers and commercial ports. With a thriving gaming ecosystem and strategic location at the heart of Asia, it’s no wonder game developers and publishers are eyeing the region’s opportunities.

• The video game industry is a major global market with billions of players worldwide. More than 6 million of these players are centered in Hong Kong, with the video game market growing at about 7.89% annually.
• Hong Kong’s video game market is growing rapidly and is estimated to reach about $300.4 million by 2027.
• Hong Kong is a free port with unrestricted access to foreign-produced hardware and games.

According to a Rakuten Insight survey on online gaming, about 87% of the respondents from Hong Kong 16-24 years old stated that they had played online games. The same survey found that about 41% of Hong Kong gamers played online daily. While the rest of the world is buzzing about new ways to play and pay, data privacy and security are top of mind for Hong Kong's more cautious consumers. They prefer to stick with local payment methods for their online purchases.

Xsolla and WeChat Pay HK

Xsolla provides access to many popular payment methods throughout Asia. With the addition of WeChat Pay HK to Xsolla’s payment portfolio, partners can now expand their game’s reach to over 6 million more users. What makes this method especially useful to Xsolla partners?

• Over 5 million Hong Kong residents have an account with WeChat Pay HK.
• Gamers can quickly pay via mobile with ease by scanning a QR code.
• WeChat Pay HK keeps player data safe with advanced security measures.
• WeChat Pay HK promotions help with player engagement.
• Collecting local HKD payments improves your overall completed payments percentage.
• Xsolla partners who use our Payments solution can offer WeChat Pay HK to players in Hong Kong at a nominal cost.

Ready, set, expand!

Xsolla operates in more than 200 countries and territories, 20 languages, and 130 currencies, allowing you to quickly integrate payments and management tools for your game. We help you identify the most popular payment methods and create an effective localized user experience. Our expertise in localization, distribution, publishing, legal matters, and anti-fraud gives game developers the security and confidence to enter Hong Kong’s dynamic gaming market. If you’re ready to accelerate your game’s global reach, schedule a time with one of our experts to discuss how we can help you expand your gaming presence to Hong Kong and incorporate this robust market into your business growth strategy.