According to Newzoo’s upcoming Global Games Market Report, the worldwide video‑game industry is slated to expand by roughly 6.1 percent over the next year, pushing total revenues to an estimated $213.9 billion in 2026. The bulk of this financial activity continues to be concentrated in two major economies—China and the United States—where more than half of all consumer spend on games is expected to originate. The full report, which will be released on September 10, offers a detailed breakdown of how each platform and business model contributes to this growth trajectory.
Console gaming is forecast to represent about 22 percent of the overall market, translating to roughly $46.9 billion in revenue. This segment is projected to grow at a modest 5.1 percent year‑over‑year, buoyed in part by the highly anticipated release of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto VI in November. Newzoo predicts that the new title will act as a catalyst for full‑game purchases, driving a 17.5 percent uplift in spending on complete, non‑fragmented titles—a rate that the firm describes as the strongest growth among all existing business models. Mobile platforms remain the dominant force, accounting for an estimated 57 percent of global gaming revenue, or $121.1 billion.
The mobile sector’s year‑over‑year increase of 6.8 percent is underpinned by two complementary trends: higher average spend per player and the continued rise of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels. Recent research from FastSpring and Omdia shows that an overwhelming 96 percent of game studios either already run or intend 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 this shift, all of which reinforce the mobile market’s upward momentum. The PC gaming segment is expected to hold the smallest slice of the pie at 21 percent, equating to $45.9 billion in sales.
While still growing—Newzoo estimates a 5.3 percent rise from the previous year—PC’s growth rate is slowing compared with the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) projected for 2025. The slowdown reflects a maturing market, but Newzoo notes that growth will be geographically diverse, with the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) corridor leading the charge.
In terms of monetisation, premium and mid‑tier titles are expected to keep sustaining revenue from full‑game purchases, whereas microtransactions are poised to reclaim their position as the largest business model overall. This shift suggests that while blockbuster releases continue to generate significant upfront sales, the industry is also leaning heavily on ongoing, in‑game purchases to maximise lifetime value. Player numbers are projected to climb, but at a decelerating pace. The global player base is estimated to reach 4.07 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual rate of 3.2 percent after a 4.4 percent increase in 2026.
Newzoo cautions that future expansion will rely more on retaining and monetising existing gamers rather than on attracting fresh users, given the limited headroom for deeper market penetration. The overall player penetration rate is expected to inch up from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026, reflecting a modest rise in the online population to 5.97 billion. Regional dynamics highlight the importance of emerging markets.
Asia‑Pacific remains the largest region in terms of player count and revenue contribution, while the Middle East and Africa are experiencing the fastest growth rates. Mobile gaming, in particular, is set to dominate the player landscape, with an estimated 3.10 billion mobile gamers in 2026—representing roughly 84 percent of all players worldwide.
PC gamers are projected to number around 977 million (about 26 percent of the total), and console users are expected to reach 651 million, or 18 percent of the global gaming audience. The anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto VI serves as a focal point for the industry’s outlook.
By driving a 17.5 percent surge in full‑game spending, the title is expected to act as a bellwether for premium releases, illustrating how high‑profile launches can still generate substantial incremental revenue even as the market leans toward service‑based monetisation models. Overall, Newzoo’s forecast paints a picture of a steadily expanding but increasingly mature gaming ecosystem. Growth is shifting from sheer player acquisition toward deeper engagement and monetisation of existing audiences, with D2C strategies, microtransaction models, and region‑specific expansion—particularly in Asia‑Pacific, Latin America, and MEA—forming the backbone of future revenue streams. The data underscores the importance for developers and publishers to balance blockbuster launches with ongoing service offerings, leverage direct‑to‑consumer channels for stronger brand relationships, and adapt to the nuanced preferences of a globally diverse player base.