ONLINE game time has spiked over the past few months as the world grapples with COVID-19 and people have been forced to stay home.
At the height of the global pandemic last March, a US telecommunications company said that mobile gaming time increased by as much as 75 percent. Meanwhile, in 2020 alone, free-to-play PUBG Mobile is estimated to have earned $1.3 billion worldwide, according to mobile app analytics firm Sensor Tower.
The Philippines’ two major telcos have not released any video game-specific stats about their networks.
But in late March, Smart said that mobile data use had grown by as much as 20 percent. Meanwhile, in the latest financial report released by Globe, revenue from mobile prepaid services — including plans with data for games like Mobile Legends or Arena of Valor — rose by 47 percent in the second quarter of the year.
Which all goes to show that we’re all spending a lot more time and money on online games.
If you’re on a mobile plan with a data cap, or a prepaid broadband line, or any service where you have to monitor how much bandwidth you’re using, it helps to know how much data the most popular games use.
Take a look at the list below, and plan out your game time wisely.
(Just for comparison, a song on Spotify eats up about 2 MB+ of data, or around 40 MB per hour. Netflix needs around 1 GB of hour to stream a movie.)
Remember, the figures below don’t account for game updates, which could also eat up a chunk of your plan.
Mobile Legends
Data Use: Around 2.5 MB per hour
One of the most popular games in this list is also one of the lightest. This mobile arena battler is no data hog. According to Singaporean site BreakFixNow, a two-hour game session can run to just 5 MB for two hours. Esports level practice sessions of six to eight hours a day will only run you up to around 15 to 17 MB.
You can probably expect this same level of data usage for similar games like Arena of Valor or Marvel Super War.
Hearthstone
Data Use: Around 3 MB per hour
This card battler is a low-maintenance game, requiring only 3 MB from your data plan, according to Australian telecommunications site WhistleOut.
Call of Duty Mobile
Data Use: Around 35 MB per hour
Graphically intensive shooters will naturally eat up a bit more space than arena battlers. A CoD Mobile session will take up 35 MB per hour, says Globe’s in-house publication Globe Go.
PUBG Mobile
Data Use: Around 15 MB per hour
An older game than Call of Duty, the mobile version of the OG battle royale shooter only eats up a dainty 15 MB per hour.
Dota 2
Data Use: Around 100 to 120 MB per hour
Reddit commenters generally agree that a 45-minute game of Dota 2 will go through around 100 MB per game, depending on your match type and your in-game settings. Other reports say that it can go as low as 50 MB per game, but be on the safe side and stick to the 100 MB benchmark.
League of Legends
Data Use: Around 45 MB per hour
Interestingly enough, WhistleOut says that League of Legends — a game Dota 2 is often compared to — is definitely a much lighter beast, data-wise, than the venerable arena battler.
Minecraft
Data Use: Around 40 MB per hour
Don’t be fooled by the game’s blocky graphics. If your younger brother is still constantly playing this, know that he eats up around 40 megs for every hour he’s on it.
Overwatch
Data Use: Around 135 MB per hour
Overwatch’s bright, bombastic world will chew through 135MB per hour of play, says WhistleOut. Take note that in games like this, voice chat will be a factor in data consumption.
Valorant
Data Use: Around 200 to 300 MB per hour
Reports are conflicting in the Reddit threads, but new free-to-play shooter Valorant, which is also a squad-based shooter like Overwatch, consumes a few hundred MBs every hour.
Call of Duty: Warzone
Data Use: Around 175 MB per hour
For the new battle royale shooter that seems to be a big favorite among NBA players, EvdoDepotUSA.com estimates that it burns through around 175 MB per hour, though of course, factors like voice chat and the number of players in the game all play a part.
Also, take note that while it’s free to play, Warzone is a huge game. The install file size is around 175 GB if you don’t own have Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Its newest patch is around 66 GB in size. If you’re planning to get the game, don’t use your mobile data.
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