According to Newzoo’s upcoming Global Games Market Report, slated for full release on September 10, the worldwide video‑game sector is set to expand by roughly 6.1 percent this year, pushing total revenue to an estimated $213.9 billion. More than half of that spending will continue to be driven by two powerhouses – China and the United States – which together will account for the majority of consumer outlays. When the numbers are broken down by platform, console gaming is predicted to capture about 22 percent of the overall market, translating to $46.9 billion in sales and representing a 5.1 percent year‑over‑year increase. A key catalyst behind this uplift is the highly anticipated launch of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto VI in November.
Newzoo expects the new title to lift full‑game spending by an impressive 17.5 percent, labeling this surge as the strongest growth among all business models in the industry. Mobile gaming will retain its position as the dominant platform, accounting for roughly 57 percent of global revenue and reaching $121.1 billion.
This segment’s growth of 6.8 percent year‑on‑year is being fueled by higher average spend per player and the rapid expansion of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels. A recent survey conducted by FastSpring and Omdia revealed that 96 percent of game studios either already run or plan to launch their own D2C web stores. Developers cite improved brand visibility, stronger player loyalty, and richer first‑party data as the primary motivations for moving sales in‑house.
In contrast, the PC market is projected to hold the smallest slice of the pie at 21 percent, equating to $45.9 billion in revenue. While still growing – Newzoo forecasts a 5.3 percent increase from the previous year – the pace is expected to slow compared with the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that was projected for 2025.
The slowdown reflects a maturing ecosystem where incremental gains are harder to achieve without expanding into new geographic territories. Premium and mid‑tier titles are anticipated to keep sustaining full‑game revenue streams, whereas microtransactions are expected to reclaim their status as the largest overall business model. Growth on PC is expected to be geographically diverse, with the strongest gains coming from the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) markets.
These areas are witnessing rising disposable incomes, improved internet infrastructure, and a growing cultural acceptance of gaming as mainstream entertainment. Player numbers will also see a modest deceleration.
Newzoo projects that the annual increase in the global player base will shrink from 4.4 percent in 2026 to a 3.2 percent CAGR through 2029, when the total number of gamers is forecast to reach approximately 4.07 billion. This shift signals that future growth will rely more on retaining and monetising existing audiences rather than on attracting large numbers of new players. In fact, the firm notes that the market’s expansion will increasingly hinge on deepening engagement with current users, extracting more value per player through extended content, subscription services, and in‑game purchases.
Emerging markets will continue to be the engine of growth. The Asia‑Pacific region remains the largest contributor, while the Middle East and Africa are expanding at the quickest rate.
Mobile gamers alone are expected to number 3.10 billion in 2026, representing 84 percent of the total gaming population. PC gamers are projected to reach 977 million (about 26 percent of all players), and console gamers are estimated at 651 million, or 18 percent of the global base. Overall player penetration is slated to inch upward from 61.5 percent to roughly 62 percent in 2026.
Newzoo cautions that there is limited headroom for further penetration through deeper market saturation; instead, the modest rise reflects the overall online population expanding by about 3.5 percent to 5.97 billion people. In practical terms, the industry’s challenge will be to convert a larger share of this expanding internet audience into paying gamers while also extracting more revenue from the existing cohort. The report underscores several strategic implications for developers and publishers.
First, the importance of flagship releases – exemplified by Grand Theft Auto VI – cannot be overstated; a single blockbuster can lift the entire ecosystem’s revenue. Second, the shift toward D2C storefronts suggests that studios will increasingly bypass traditional platform holders to capture a larger slice of the revenue pie and to build direct relationships with their communities. Third, the resurgence of microtransactions signals that even as premium titles remain valuable, the industry’s financial backbone will continue to be built on recurring, low‑friction purchases that keep players engaged over longer periods. In summary, Newzoo’s outlook paints a picture of steady, albeit slower, growth for the global games market.
While the total value is set to surpass $213 billion, the sector’s future will be defined by how well companies can nurture existing players, leverage new distribution models, and tap the untapped potential of fast‑growing regions across the globe.