Using Cross Device Targeting to Reach Mobile and Desktop Gamers

In today’s dynamic digital environment, a typical gamer doesn’t just play on one device, they switch between smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and even smart TVs. This behavior presents both a challenge and an opportunity for advertisers. Enter cross-device ad targeting: an ad tech solution that allows brands to identify and engage the same user across multiple devices.

Cross-device targeting bridges the gap between fragmented digital experiences. Whether a user views a game trailer on a desktop and later downloads the game on their mobile device, or starts a level on a tablet and finishes it on a PC, cross-device technology ensures that your ad messaging follows them intelligently. It’s a foundational component of modern programmatic advertising, especially within game advertising, where user journeys often span multiple platforms.

For advertisers in the gaming space, where conversion funnels are increasingly nonlinear, cross-device targeting provides a strategic way to maintain continuity, improve reach, and increase performance across mobile game ads and desktop game ads alike.

Average Device Usage Among Gamers

Gamers are not bound by hardware, they're cross-platform by nature.

According to a 2024 report by Newzoo, 70% of gamers regularly use more than one device to play games, with mobile gaming still dominating in terms of time spent and frequency. Mobile games are often played during short breaks or commutes, while desktop games offer more immersive, time-intensive experiences. The same gamer may enjoy casual puzzle games on mobile during lunch and engage in high-stakes multiplayer strategy on a PC in the evening. Beyond mobile and desktop, more gamers are now engaging through Smart TVs and streaming devices, especially for console-style or cloud-based gaming experiences. These emerging platforms further increase the complexity of delivering consistent messaging.

Here's a breakdown of the average gamer’s device usage:

• Mobile: 88% of gamers engage via smartphones.
• Desktop/Laptop: 62% of gamers still use PCs, especially for high-performance games.
• Tablet/Other: 28% use tablets, often shared or secondary devices.

This fluid usage pattern makes traditional, single-channel advertising inefficient. Advertisers relying solely on mobile ads or desktop game ads risk missing parts of the user journey—or worse, misattributing the user altogether. That’s where cross device ad tech steps in.

How Does Cross-Device Targeting Work?

Cross-device targeting relies on advanced ad tech tools and identity resolution methods to stitch together fragmented user activity across devices. In today’s privacy-first landscape, where third-party cookies are being phased out, accurate identity resolution is becoming increasingly critical. Advertisers must adopt new, privacy-compliant technologies to continue reaching gamers effectively across devices. It’s powered by two key mechanisms:

1. Deterministic Matching

This involves using known identifiers like login credentials, email addresses, or user IDs. For example, if a player logs into the same game on their phone and desktop using the same account, advertisers can deterministically link those sessions to one user.

2. Probabilistic Matching

This method uses machine learning to analyze signals such as device type, location, IP address, and behavioral patterns to estimate whether multiple devices belong to the same user. While slightly less accurate, it allows for scale—especially in cases where logins are unavailable.

Once a user is matched across devices, programmatic advertising systems like DSPs (Demand-Side Platforms) can serve personalized cross device ads at the right time, on the right screen, and with context-appropriate creative.

With cross-device ad targeting, game advertisers can ensure that users who first encountered an in-game advertising unit on mobile later see a complementary offer on desktop, nudging them further down the funnel and increasing the chances of conversion.

Understanding Gamer Behavior Across Devices

Gamers engage with content differently depending on the device and time of day. Understanding these behavioral shifts is key to crafting a successful cross device strategy.

Mobile Gamers

• Play during short breaks, on the go, or while multitasking.
• React well to rewarded video ads and playable ad formats.
• Make quick decisions; ideal for acquisition-focused campaigns.

Desktop Gamers

• Dedicate longer sessions, often in the evenings or weekends.
• Expect high-quality visuals and more immersive ad experiences.
• Tend to spend more time researching games, making them ideal for branding and retargeting efforts.

Cross-Device Users

• Start discovery on one platform and convert on another.
• Expect a seamless ad experience—jarring transitions or repeated messaging across devices can hurt engagement.
• Show higher lifetime value due to deeper engagement across the ecosystem.

Advertisers must not only recognize these patterns but adapt their messaging and creative formats accordingly. The cross-device reach made possible by modern ad tech platforms allows marketers to match creative strategies to user context and intent.

Benefits and Challenges of Cross-Device Ads

Benefits

• Improved Reach and Frequency Control
  Advertisers can manage frequency across devices, avoiding overexposure while reinforcing brand messaging.
• Higher Conversion Rates
  Consistent and relevant experiences across devices help guide users through the conversion journey more effectively.
• More Accurate Attribution
  Marketers can see the full path to conversion rather than crediting the last touchpoint alone, which helps with smarter budget allocation. Multi-touch attribution models allow marketers to understand how different ads across multiple devices contribute to a final conversion, providing a complete picture of the customer journey.
• Personalized Messaging
  Tailor creative based on where a user is in their journey, increasing relevance and engagement.
• Full-Funnel Targeting
  From awareness on desktop to action on mobile, cross-device campaigns support all stages of the funnel.

Challenges

• Identity Resolution
  Accurately matching users across devices is difficult, especially post-cookie and with privacy regulations tightening.
• Creative Adaptation
  Designing creative that works seamlessly across screen sizes and formats requires time and expertise.
• Platform Fragmentation
  Ad tech stacks vary in their ability to handle true cross-device functionality; not all vendors are created equal.

Despite these challenges, advertisers who embrace cross device strategies and partner with the right platforms can unlock significant advantages in both performance and efficiency.

Tips for Building a Cross-Device Gaming Ad Strategy

Crafting a successful cross-device gaming strategy involves more than just pushing the same ad to every screen. Here are several practical tips:

1. Know Your Audience’s Device Habits

Leverage analytics to understand when, where, and how your audience plays. Use this data to inform campaign scheduling and ad formats.

2. Use Unified Creative Storytelling

Design ad sequences that evolve across devices. For example:

• Awareness video on desktop
• Follow-up install offer on mobile
• Retargeting ad with bonus offer later in-app 

This approach ensures a cohesive story across touch points, gently guiding the user from discovery to conversion without creating friction.

3. Leverage Programmatic Platforms Built for Cross-Device

Choose an ad tech partner like CPMStar, which specializes in the gaming vertical and understands how to optimize cross-device reach with precision.

4. Prioritize Performance Attribution

Use tools that offer multi-touch and cross-device attribution models to get a full picture of performance. This informs smarter optimization. Data-driven insights should guide not only targeting decisions but also creative optimization. By continuously testing and refining ads based on performance across devices, advertisers can maximize ROI and minimize wasted impressions.

5. Segment Creatives by Device Context

Mobile ads should be fast, interactive, and reward-focused. Desktop ads can be longer, more cinematic, or CTA-driven.

6. Work With a Specialized Partner

CPMStar has deep experience in cross-device ad targeting within the gaming industry. We can help you create a tailored strategy that maximizes reach, boosts conversion rates, and ensures you’re not wasting impressions across platforms.

From mobile installs to re-engaging lapsed desktop players, our approach to cross device advertising is designed to deliver results.

Conclusion

As gaming audiences continue to move seamlessly between mobile, desktop, and other platforms, advertisers must evolve alongside them. Relying on single-device strategies leads to lost opportunities, inefficient spending, and fragmented messaging.

Cross-device targeting isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity for gaming brands looking to stay competitive in a multi-screen world. From increasing conversion rates to improving user experience, the benefits of cross device ads are clear.

If you're ready to elevate your game advertising strategy with smart, scalable cross device ad tech, CPMStar is here to help. We specialize in reaching gamers wherever they are—on any screen, at any moment.

Ready to get started? Contact CPMStar to build a custom cross-device campaign that maximizes your impact and grows your game.