Vietnam is undergoing a significant digital transformation, establishing itself as a global leader in high-tech infrastructure and exports.
The nation has recently surpassed China to become the world’s top mobile game exporter, while simultaneously achieving one of the fastest 5G rollouts globally to support its burgeoning digital economy.
Government strategies are prioritizing the semiconductor industry and artificial intelligence, creating a robust legal framework to attract international investment and foster innovation. Within this landscape, Generation Z is redefining consumer markets by utilizing gaming, social commerce and livestreaming as primary shopping tools. These younger consumers increasingly rely on “Buy Now, Pay Later” financial services and peer-driven community trust rather than traditional advertising.
Overall, the integration of AI-powered technology and high-speed connectivity is closing the generational divide, positioning Vietnam as a central hub for the future of digital trade and consumption.
Drivers of Vietnam’s Mobile Gaming Success
Vietnam has officially emerged as the world’s top exporter of mobile games, achieving a record-breaking 6.7 billion global downloads in 2024 and surpassing China. This rapid ascent is driven by innovative development strategies and a highly supportive domestic ecosystem, though the industry still faces significant challenges in monetization.
Global Competitiveness and High Engagement: Vietnamese developers are producing globally competitive games that command massive user attention. A standout example is the puzzle game Screwdom by iKame, which generates over 100 minutes of daily playtime per user—outperforming global titans like Candy Crush and Royal Match.
Advanced Tech Infrastructure and AI: To scale up to hundreds of millions of downloads, leading Vietnamese studios are relying on highly efficient, automated pipelines rather than manual work. Developers are utilizing AI to optimize user acquisition and long-term decision-making through clean data collection and in-house backends.
Predictive Data Analytics: Top studios are utilizing advanced business intelligence (BI) platforms to predict long-term success. For instance, iKame uses a sophisticated tech stack—incorporating Google Cloud, Looker, Python, and Airflow—to analyze the first three days of gameplay data, allowing them to accurately predict the Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) up to a year in advance and make real-time operational decisions.
Industry Collaboration and Support: Organizations like GameGeek are actively elevating the Vietnamese gaming ecosystem by building connections with global hubs and international platforms (such as Google, AWS, TikTok, and AppLovin). Events like Vietnam Game Connect (VGC) help equip local developers with the knowledge, strategic insights, and venture capital needed to scale.
How Gen Z’s digital mindset is reshaping Vietnam’s consumer market
Generation Z is fundamentally transforming Vietnam’s consumer market through a “digital-first” mindset that heavily relies on social commerce, AI integration, and community validation Their habits are shifting the market in several key ways:
The “Watch – Like – Buy” Model and Social Commerce: The traditional linear sales funnel has been replaced by a compressed “watch – like – buy” journey directly within the newsfeeds of platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Zalo. Gen Z consumers, who spend an average of 5.1 hours a day on social media, discover products organically through short-form videos, unboxing clips, and tutorials. Because of this, social platforms have transformed from mere content hubs into instant storefronts that enable frictionless, one-tap purchasing.
Livestreaming and “Shoppertainment”: Livestreaming has evolved from pure entertainment into a primary driver of commerce. Gen Z has embraced commerce-focused platforms like Shopee, turning livestreams into direct shopping moments. This appetite for “shoppertainment”—the fusion of shopping and entertainment—has been highly lucrative, driving over 100% year-on-year gross merchandise value (GMV) growth for TikTok Shop in Vietnam.
AI as a “Consumer Co-Pilot”: Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how Gen Z navigates the purchase journey. Young consumers actively explore conversational AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Meta AI to connect with brands and make decisions. AI-powered shopping assistants, adaptive feeds, and personalized recommendations help them instantly compare options and filter choices while engaging with digital content.
Peer-to-Peer Trust Over Traditional Ads: Gen Z largely rejects polished, traditional brand advertising, instead relying heavily on peer influence and community validation in social or gaming environments. Authentic reviews, user-generated content (UGC), and recommendations from friends or creators carry significantly more weight in their purchasing decisions than vertical brand messaging.
