Unity partners with Xiaomi to give game makers better access to China’s mobile market

Unity Technologies and Xiaomi have announced a partnership to help developers of mobile apps and games succeed in markets such as China.

With the aim of growing the global app economy, the two companies will enable developers to have better access and distribution support for Xiaomi’s Android customers in China. Xiaomi is one of the top Android device makes in China, with an app store that has seen more than 50 billion downloads to date. The partnership will make it easier for Western developers in particular to reach Chinese audiences on Android.

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Unity makes the Unity game engine, which developers use to make games that run on a variety of platforms. Such games have seen nearly 5 billion downloads across all platforms. Unity’s core engine and editor is supported by a suite of services to aid production and drive revenue, including an integrated ads platform.

The partnership gives Unity game developers access to the Xiaomi app store, while the platform holder provides support negotiating local licensing terms. Developers can also enable Unity Ads, the first third-party ad network in any Chinese Android app store. Additionally, Unity IAP will extend support to the Xiaomi platform so developers can port their in-app purchases directly to that app store.

“A large part of ensuring developer success is providing access to the platforms that matter most,” said Andrew Tang, China country manager at Unity Technologies, in a statement. “By partnering with Xiaomi we can help Unity developers bring their creative vision to a massive audience and accelerate the progress of quality entertainment worldwide.”

China already accounts for more than one-fourth of the new mobile devices activated on the Unity network every quarter and Xiaomi devices, the most made-with-Unity Android game installs. As Xiaomi continues defining modern consumer experiences, Unity’s millions-strong developer community will support innovation and global expansion across hardware and software.

“Unity shares our vision for rapid innovation, and we’re excited to partner to accelerate creation and continue bridging the gap between desire and distribution,” said Jingyan Liu, deputy general manager at Xiaomi, in a statement. “Together, we will be that much closer to allowing developers to tap into the full potential of a global app market.”

Unity Technologies will collaborate closely with Xiaomi to further extend technological innovations to their expanding open VR platform. Xiaomi publishing and partnership benefits will be available to Unity developers next year.