Sony and Microsoft, are all coming out with new gaming consoles this year, but when it comes to handheld gaming, Apple and Google have got them beat.

A new report claims that in the fourth quarter of 2012, gamers spend more money on iOS and Android games combined than the amount spent on dedicated handheld devices.

According to the joint report from IDC and App Annie, even though handheld game sales received a bigger boost from the holiday season, with 60% of spending coming in December, they still couldn’t keep up with Google Play and the App Store’s pace.

Without the holiday season to prop them up, the gap between dedicated handheld games and iOS and Android games is likely to be much wider in the coming quarters. The report also didn’t take ad revenue into account, which would have given iOS and Android games a huge boost as many publishers rely on advertising to make up the cost on free titles.

Japan accounted for 60% of consumer spending on Google Play games in Q4 2012, while North America accounted for 40% of spending on iOS games.

• SourceThe Next Web