The average size of Android and iOS gaming apps increased significantly between March and September as changes to app store submission policies – and the latest iPad’s Retina display – had an impact.

According to ABI Research, the average size of iOS games was 60MB in September, up 42 percent compared to March, while the average size of Android games almost quadrupled to more than 40MB.

The global average size for iOS apps across all categories was 23MB, up 16 percent, while Android apps grew by 10 percent to hit 6MB.

Senior ABI Research analyst Aapo Markkanen said Apple’s decision to increase the maximum size of downloadable apps from 20MB to 50MB has allowed games to become more complex with better quality graphics. Google’s move to host files larger files on Google Play has also had the same effect.

The growth in app size will put more pressure on internal storage of smartphones, which Markkanen said will make consumers more conscious about the apps they download and keep on their devices. The trend could also fuel the adoption of mobile cloud technology as consumers look for additional storage.