According to the latest projections from market‑research firm Newzoo, the worldwide video‑game industry is set to expand by 6.1 percent in 2026, achieving a total revenue of roughly $213.9 billion. More than half of this consumer spend will be generated by two powerhouse markets: China and the United States. These figures come from Newzoo’s Global Games Market Report, which will be released in full on 10 September. The report breaks down the forecast by platform.
Console sales are expected to represent about 22 percent of the total market, amounting to $46.9 billion, which translates to a 5.1 percent year‑over‑year increase. A major driver behind this uplift is the highly anticipated November release of Grand Theft Auto VI. Newzoo predicts that the new title will boost full‑game spending by an impressive 17.5 percent, making it the strongest growth catalyst among all business models in the sector. Mobile gaming continues to dominate the landscape, projected to capture the largest share at 57 percent of total revenue – roughly $121.1 billion.
This segment is slated to grow 6.8 percent compared with the previous year, 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 operate or plan to launch their own D2C web stores. Studios cite benefits such as greater brand visibility, stronger player loyalty, and direct access to first‑party customer data as key motivations for this shift.
In contrast, the PC platform is expected to hold the smallest slice of the market, accounting for 21 percent or $45.9 billion in revenue. Growth on PC is forecast at 5.3 percent year‑over‑year, a slowdown from the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that Newzoo had projected for 2025. Despite the lower share, PC growth is expected to be geographically diverse, with strong performance in the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) markets. When it comes to monetisation models, Newzoo anticipates that premium and mid‑priced games will continue to sustain full‑game revenue streams, while microtransactions are set to reclaim the position of the largest business model overall.
This reflects a broader industry trend where players are willing to spend on in‑game purchases even as they continue to purchase full titles. Player numbers are also a focal point of the forecast. The total global player base is projected 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.
However, the pace of player growth is expected to decelerate, signalling that future expansion will rely more on retaining and monetising existing gamers rather than attracting large numbers of new users. Newzoo notes that the market’s growth will increasingly hinge on deepening engagement with the current audience. Geographically, growth remains concentrated in emerging markets. The Asia‑Pacific region continues to be the largest contributor to overall revenue, while the Middle East and Africa are the fastest‑growing areas in terms of market expansion.
Mobile gamers are estimated to number 3.10 billion in 2026, representing about 84 percent of all players. PC gamers are forecast at 977 million (roughly 26 percent), and console gamers at 651 million (approximately 18 percent). Player penetration – the proportion of the global online population that plays games – is expected to edge up slightly from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026.
Newzoo points out that there is limited room for growth through deeper market penetration; instead, overall market size will be driven by the online population itself expanding by about 3.5 percent to reach 5.97 billion people. In summary, the upcoming year promises solid revenue growth across all major platforms, with the mobile sector leading the charge, consoles benefiting from blockbuster releases like Grand Theft Auto VI, and PC maintaining a steady, geographically diverse presence.
The industry’s future will likely be defined by how effectively companies can nurture existing player relationships, leverage D2C channels, and adapt monetisation strategies to sustain long‑term profitability.