Saudi gaming market surges with 2.4m consoles imported amid esports boom
In 2024 alone, more than 1.7m consoles were brought into the Kingdom, while 684,489 units have been imported so far in 2025.
The top suppliers were China, Japan, and the United States.
Saudi games console boom
The Saudi Internet Report 2024, released by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission, highlighted an 88 per cent improvement in response time for popular online games, alongside strong digital infrastructure growth.
Smart devices remain the most widely used gaming platform (24.2 per cent of users), closely followed by PlayStation (23.8 per cent). PlayStation dominates among players aged 10–19, while older demographics prefer mobile gaming.
Whiteout Survival, Roblox, and Subway Surfers ranked as the most downloaded mobile games.
The Kingdom's gaming ambitions are further showcased by the Esports World Cup, taking place in Riyadh until August 24. The event features more than 2,000 players from more than 100 countries, competing for prizes worth more than $70m, cementing Saudi Arabia's position as a global hub for gaming and esports.
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Daylight photos impressed us with lifelike colours, excellent dynamic range, and sharp detail up to 6× zoom. Beyond that, quality dipped, but AI improvements helped maintain readable shots, especially for inanimate subjects like architecture or foliage. Low-light shots fared well at up to 2× zoom, with accurate colour and reasonable noise control. The Harcourt portrait modes - Classic mono, Colour, and Vibrant - add a vintage studio polish to portraits, plus film-style filters for creative flair. Video is dependable too: the rear cameras capture steady 4K footage with accurate colour. Selfie cams work fine for social sharing, but the main setup clearly offers more serious photography capability. Battery performance Battery life is one of the Magic V5's highlights. Our testing logged roughly two days of real-world usage, even with the powerful display and Snapdragon chip in play. Social media scrolls, texts, video calls and music leaned more into endurance than power drains. Charging remains swift: 66W wired had the phone full in under an hour. We also tried a 50W wireless charger and saw a time to full charge that was only marginally more. Performance across the board was excellent, from quick app launches and seamless task switching to smooth rendering in games and video editing. And thanks to upgraded cooling (titanium vapor chamber + aerogel), thermal throttling was minimal, even under sustained load. In the final analysis, the new HONOR Magic V5 doesn't just target one standout trait; it strikes a rare, thorough balance. At just 8.8mm in thickness when folded, and 4.4mm when open, it is slim yet substantial while being HONOR's thinnest foldable. But this slimness comes at no compromise on the battery, which remains a massive 5,820 mAh unit with fast wired and wireless charging. On the AI features front, the HONOR Magic V5 is is a device with accessible intelligence, with Gemini-powered AI, Magic Sidebar, HONOR Connect, and TapTap offering thoughtful convenience and cross-platform fluidity. And when it comes to durability, the device is extremely well-built, with IP58/IP59 protection, Super Steel Hinge, aerospace-grade materials, and advanced screen shielding that gave us the impression that it would effortlessly and genuinely stand up to real-world wear. Available now for pre-order at Dh6,499, the phone will come with a pre-order gift package worth of Dh3,695, comprising a HONOR Magic Pen, extra HONOR Magic V5 case and a Bose Revolve Bluetooth speaker. What's more, a 12-month, 1-time HONOR Care-Screen Protection is also bundled in for free, as is a 24-month 8-times HONOR Care-Customised Service. Even without these deal-sweeteners, the HONOR Magic V5 is good enough to go to the top of your shopping list. 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