According to Newzoo’s latest Global Games Market Report, the worldwide video‑game sector is set to expand by 6.1 percent over the next year, pushing total revenues to roughly $213.9 billion by 2026. More than half of this consumer spend will continue to come from just two powerhouses—China and the United States—underscoring the outsized influence of these markets on the industry’s overall health. The full report, slated for release on September 10, breaks down the forecast by platform, business model, and geography, offering a granular view of where growth is expected to originate.
Console sales, for instance, are projected to generate $46.9 billion, representing 22 percent of the total market and marking a 5.1 percent year‑over‑year increase. A key driver behind this uptick is the highly anticipated November launch of Rockstar Games’ flagship title, Grand Theft Auto VI.
Newzoo estimates that the new entry will boost full‑game spending by an impressive 17.5 percent, making it the strongest growth catalyst among all business models in the coming year. Mobile gaming remains the dominant platform, accounting for 57 percent of global revenue and expected to hit $121.1 billion. This 6.8 percent annual rise is fueled by higher average spend per player and the rapid expansion of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels, which allow publishers to sell games straight to gamers without intermediary platforms. 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.
Studios cite benefits such as stronger brand visibility, deeper customer loyalty, and valuable first‑party data that can be leveraged for more effective monetisation strategies. In contrast, the PC segment is forecast to hold the smallest slice of the market at 21 percent, translating to $45.9 billion in revenue.
While still growing—Newzoo projects a 5.3 percent year‑over‑year increase—the pace is expected to slow compared with the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) anticipated for 2025. The report suggests that PC growth will be geographically diverse, with the strongest gains coming from the Asia‑Pacific region, as well as Latin America and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) markets. When it comes to business models, premium and mid‑priced titles are expected to continue sustaining full‑game revenue streams. However, microtransactions are projected to reclaim their position as the largest source of income across all platforms, reflecting the industry’s ongoing shift toward ongoing, in‑game purchases that extend the monetisation life of a title beyond its initial sale.
Player numbers are also a focal point of Newzoo’s outlook. The total global gaming audience is projected to reach 4.07 billion by 2029, growing at a 3.2 percent CAGR after a 4.4 percent increase in 2026.
This slowdown in player growth signals a maturing market where future expansion will rely more on retaining and monetising existing gamers rather than constantly adding new ones. Indeed, Newzoo notes that the most fertile ground for growth is now in emerging markets. The Asia‑Pacific region remains the largest contributor to overall revenue, while the Middle East and Africa are expanding at the fastest rate.
In terms of platform‑specific player counts for 2026, mobile gamers are expected to number 3.10 billion, representing roughly 84 percent of the total gaming population. PC players are projected at 977 million (about 26 percent), and console enthusiasts at 651 million (approximately 18 percent).
These figures illustrate the continued dominance of mobile as the primary gateway to gaming worldwide. Penetration rates—defined as the proportion of the global online population that plays games—are predicted to edge up slightly from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026. Newzoo cautions that there is limited headroom for further expansion through deeper market penetration; instead, growth will be driven by the overall online population expanding by an estimated 3.5 percent to reach 5.97 billion users.
Overall, the forecast paints a picture of a robust yet increasingly competitive industry. While flagship releases like Grand Theft Auto VI can deliver short‑term spikes in spending, sustained success will depend on diversified revenue streams, strategic D2C initiatives, and the ability to engage players across a variety of platforms and regions. Publishers that can effectively balance premium game launches with ongoing microtransaction revenue, while also tapping into the burgeoning markets of Asia‑Pacific, Latin America, and MEA, are likely to capture the lion’s share of the $213.9 billion pie that Newzoo expects the global games market to generate by 2026.