Unity’s most recent report, Mobile Insights 2022: Growth and Monetization, gives guidance on what locations are most popular to conduct soft launches.
Our findings suggest that most studios look for countries that have a high volume of DAU and devices for larger sample sizes or countries whose primary language is English. This makes Canada the top choice for publishers to soft launch in, followed by Australia and the Philippines.
If your game is targeting the US mainly, consider the following approach:
For a technical soft launch where you are looking to run validations for things like MMP integrations, gameplay, or bugs, consider starting in the Philippines, India, and other countries where the English language is widely used, and the cost is low.
For a KPI soft launch, consider smaller English-speaking markets such as Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, as they are not as expensive as the US.