BEIJING, April 18 (Xinhua) -- China's mobile game market saw revenue exceed 50 billion yuan (about 7.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter, surging 40 percent year on year, according to data from CNG, a research agency in the sector.

The robust growth came despite declining supplies of new games and the popularity of other online entertainment including short videos, suggesting strong user demand and big market potential, the report noted.

Mobile games are among the few beneficiaries of the novel coronavirus outbreak, raking in millions of downloads and active users as the stay-at-home economy flourished across the country.

Earlier data showed sales revenue in China's mobile games market came in at 151.37 billion yuan in 2019, a year-on-year increase of 13 percent.