According to Newzoo’s upcoming Global Games Market Report, the worldwide video‑game sector is set to expand by roughly 6.1 percent in 2026, pushing total revenue to an estimated $213.9 billion. More than half of that spend is expected to come from two powerhouse markets—China and the United States—underscoring the continued dominance of these regions in shaping industry trends. The full report, slated for release on September 10, breaks down the forecast by platform and business model, offering a detailed view of where growth will be strongest.
Console hardware and software sales are predicted to account for about 22 percent of the total market, translating to $46.9 billion in revenue and representing a 5.1 percent year‑over‑year increase. A key driver of this uplift is the highly anticipated November launch of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto VI. Newzoo expects the title to lift full‑game spending by an impressive 17.5 percent, labeling it the most robust growth among all business models for the year. Mobile gaming remains the largest segment by a wide margin.
The forecast places mobile’s share at 57 percent of the overall market, or $121.1 billion, and anticipates a 6.8 percent rise over the previous year. This growth is being fueled not only by higher average spend per player but also by the rapid expansion of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels, which give developers more control over pricing, promotions, and data collection. A recent FastSpring and Omdia survey supports this shift, revealing that 96 percent of game studios either already run a D2C storefront or plan to launch one.
Studios cite benefits such as stronger brand visibility, deeper player loyalty, and richer first‑party analytics as primary motivations. In contrast, the PC segment is projected to hold the smallest slice of the pie at 21 percent, equating to $45.9 billion. While still growing—Newzoo forecasts a 5.3 percent year‑over‑year increase—the pace is slowing relative to the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that was expected for 2025. The report suggests that PC growth will be geographically diverse, with the strongest gains coming from the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) markets.
When it comes to monetisation models, premium and mid‑priced titles are expected to keep delivering steady full‑game revenue, but microtransactions are poised to reclaim their position as the leading business model across all platforms. This shift reflects a broader industry trend toward hybrid revenue structures that blend upfront purchases with ongoing in‑game spending.
Player population dynamics also feature prominently in Newzoo’s outlook. The total number of gamers worldwide 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 rate of new player acquisition is expected to decelerate, prompting analysts to note that future growth will rely more heavily on retaining existing users and extracting additional value from them rather than on expanding the overall base. This sentiment is echoed in Newzoo’s commentary that “the market’s future expansion will increasingly depend on retaining and monetising existing audiences rather than adding new players.” Geographically, growth is concentrating in emerging markets. The Asia‑Pacific region remains the largest contributor to total revenue, while the Middle East and Africa are the fastest‑growing areas in terms of player adoption and spend per user.
Mobile gamers alone are projected to number 3.10 billion in 2026, representing roughly 84 percent of the global gaming audience. PC gamers are expected to reach 977 million (about 26 percent of the total), and console players are forecast at 651 million, or 18 percent.
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 points out that there is limited headroom for further expansion through deeper market penetration; instead, overall growth will stem from the online population itself expanding by an estimated 3.5 percent to reach 5.97 billion people. In summary, the 2026 outlook paints a picture of a maturing industry where incremental revenue gains are driven by flagship releases like Grand Theft Auto VI, the steady rise of mobile platforms, and an increasing emphasis on direct‑to‑consumer sales strategies. While the pace of new player acquisition slows, developers and publishers are expected to focus on enhancing engagement and monetisation among existing gamers, leveraging richer data insights and diversified business models to sustain the sector’s upward trajectory.