This figure was revealed by Giuseppe Stasolla, Director of Southeast Asia Ecosystem at Google Play, during the opening ceremony of Vietnam GameVerse 2025 held on May 26 in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Mr. Stasolla, Vietnam is emerging as one of the world’s leading potential markets in the gaming industry.

With more than 11,600 apps and games downloaded from Google Play every minute by Vietnamese users, this impressive figure highlights the strong appeal and rapid development of the domestic gaming market. It also underscores Vietnam’s rise as a billion-dollar digital economy sector.

Stasolla emphasized that local game publishers are investing heavily in product quality, targeting both domestic and international markets.

Vietnamese game developers have made their mark globally, with 5.7 billion downloads coming from foreign markets. Global users have contributed roughly VND 2 trillion (about USD 78.6 million) in revenue to Vietnamese game creators via the Google Play platform.

Beyond its economic impact, Vietnam’s app and gaming ecosystem has generated more than 490,000 jobs, including direct, indirect, and supporting industry roles - further fueling the country's digital economy.

To ensure sustainable development and fully realize the sector’s potential, Google representatives identified three key pillars: product quality, business efficiency, and long-term sustainability.

Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI (Gen AI), is seen as a revolutionary force in the creative industry. It is enabling publishers to shorten production timelines, from ideation and character design to product testing.

One notable tool introduced at the event is Gemini, Google’s AI assistant that supports game developers in building immersive game experiences - from concept creation to practical execution.

Vietnam GameVerse 2025 is the country’s largest gaming event, co-organized by the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), VnExpress, FPT Online, and the Vietnam Game Alliance.

In his opening speech, Le Quang Tu Do, Director General of the organizing authority, expressed his emotion and pride at witnessing the event's growth, noting that this was his third time meeting tens of thousands of young gaming enthusiasts, developers, businesses, and publishers.

Vietnam GameVerse 2025 features over 100 exhibition booths - twice as many as in 2024. For the first time, multinational corporations from the US, South Korea, and China are participating, engaging with local communities and companies.

Also for the first time, South Korea’s Game Rating and Administration Committee attended, and five international media outlets were present to cover the event.

“I am truly moved to witness this growth. These developments prove that Vietnam GameVerse - and Vietnam itself - has become a global destination for the gaming industry,” said Le Quang Tu Do.

Le My