A session at Google Apps Summit 2025 in HCM City. — Photo Courtesy of Google

HCM CITY — Việt Nam is currently leading the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) with its 65 per cent growth in app and gaming in-app revenue, the fastest rate in the region, according to data released by AppMagic at the Google Apps Summit 2025 in HCM City.

The data emphasised that local developer talent has achieved immense global reach. Vietnamese apps and games were downloaded over six billion times in 2024, with the vast majority of that (5.7 billion) from users abroad.

That translates to nearly 12,000 downloads of Vietnamese-developed apps every minute. The Google Play ecosystem is a key contributor to Việt Nam’s digital export economy, generating over VNĐ2 trillion (US$75.9 million) in revenue from overseas consumers on Google Play, while enabling the creation of over 490,000 direct, indirect, and spillover jobs, including OEM manufacturing jobs.

“Việt Nam is not just an ‘emerging market’, it’s a global app powerhouse. The immense export revenue achieved by local developers is proof of the incredible talent here,” said Marc Woo, managing director, Google Vietnam.

On Wednesday, Google concluded its first-ever regional Google Apps Summit 2025 in HCM City. For the first time, the company combined its three regional events – Playtime, Think Apps, and Apps Summit – into a single, two-day experience, bringing together over 700 top developers and executives from Southeast Asia, India, China, Korea, Australia and more across the Asia-Pacific region to Việt Nam.

At the summit, it was said that the global app economy is projected to hit $750 billion by 2030. Leading this expansion is the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, which stands as the largest and fastest-growing global hub for mobile application revenue and installs. This massive growth is driven by a four times increase in downloads over the last five years, largely powered by emerging markets like Việt Nam.

During the event, Google unveiled its top 10 tips for app development success in APAC. One clear theme was accelerated AI adoption with 90 per cent of global game developers now already using AI in workflows. Developers using Generative AI tools, like the Gemini API and Google AI Studio, for non-core tasks – such as code reviews and asset testing – are saving time on complex development tasks, up to 40 per cent for developers like Indian e-learning platform Entri.

“The future of the app economy is built on intelligent, personalised experiences, and Việt Nam is leading this charge. We hope the top 10 tips will help unlock the potential of the developers across the region. Our focus is clear: equipping developers with the Google AI stack to accelerate creativity and development, meet the demands of Gen Z users, and drive sustainable growth through hybrid monetisation models,” said Aditya Swamy, managing director, Google Play.

The summit also showcased key regional success stories across both content and productivity.

Underscoring its long-term investment in the region, Google announced the Google Play Apps Accelerator, a new 12-week mentorship programme for early-stage, high-potential app companies, along with previous successful programmes like Game Design Class and App Design with AI Workshop.

Furthermore, a report from TikTok and Sensor Tower predicts that Việt Nam's gaming industry revenue will reach $1.66 billion this year.

A Statista report showed that the Vietnamese gaming market is expected to reach $2.42 billion by 2029, with an average annual growth rate of nearly 10 per cent, said Lê Quang Tự Do, director of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information.

The Vietnamese gaming industry has moved beyond being a mere outsourcing hub for foreign countries to developing its own products, with substantial room for further growth, he added.

The authority is currently collaborating with the Copyright Office of Vietnam to research the inclusion of online games and esports in the National Strategy for the Development of Vietnamese Cultural Industries by 2030, with a vision for 2045, noted the director. — BIZHUB/VNS