According to the latest outlook from market‑research firm Newzoo, the worldwide video‑game sector is set to expand by roughly 6.1 percent in 2026, pushing total revenues to an estimated $213.9 billion. More than half of this spending is expected to come from two powerhouse markets—China and the United States—underscoring the continued dominance of these regions in driving global gaming consumption. The figures stem from Newzoo’s forthcoming Global Games Market Report, which will be released in full on September 10.
The report breaks down the forecast by platform, business model, and regional dynamics, offering a granular view of where growth will originate and which trends will shape the industry over the next few years. **Console segment** Console‑related revenue is projected to represent 22 percent of the total market, amounting to $46.9 billion.
This marks a 5.1 percent year‑on‑year rise and reflects the sustained appeal of next‑generation hardware and flagship titles. A key catalyst for this uplift is the anticipated November launch of Rockstar Games’ highly‑anticipated open‑world sequel, Grand Theft Auto VI. Newzoo estimates that the new installment will boost full‑game spending by 17.5 percent, labeling this surge as the strongest growth observed across any business model in the sector.
**Mobile dominance** Mobile gaming continues to command the largest slice of the pie, with an expected share of 57 percent and revenues of $121.1 billion. The mobile segment’s growth rate of 6.8 percent year‑over‑year is driven by two interrelated forces: higher average spend per player and the rapid expansion of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels. Recent research from FastSpring and Omdia indicates that 96 percent of game studios either already run or plan to launch their own D2C storefronts.
Developers cite improved brand visibility, stronger player loyalty, and richer access to first‑party data as primary motivations for moving away from third‑party marketplaces. **PC outlook** The personal‑computer arena is forecast to hold the smallest market share at 21 percent, translating to $45.9 billion in revenue.
Although still sizable, PC growth is expected to slow to 5.3 percent year‑on‑year, a noticeable dip from the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) projected for 2025. Newzoo attributes this moderation to market saturation in mature regions, but also highlights that growth will be geographically broad‑based, led by emerging economies in the Asia‑Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) corridor. **Business‑model shifts** Premium and mid‑priced releases are anticipated to keep sustaining full‑game revenue streams, while microtransactions are expected to reclaim their position as the largest business model overall.
This resurgence of micro‑spending is linked to the increasing sophistication of in‑game economies and the willingness of players to purchase cosmetic or functional items on a recurring basis. **Player‑base dynamics** The total number of gamers worldwide is projected to reach 4.07 billion by 2029, growing at a 3.2 percent CAGR after a 4.4 percent increase in 2026.
Newzoo cautions that future expansion will rely more heavily on retaining and monetising existing users rather than on attracting fresh entrants. This shift reflects the limited headroom for deepening penetration in already saturated markets; instead, growth will be driven by the overall online population expanding by roughly 3.5 percent to 5.97 billion.
**Regional breakdown** Emerging markets remain the hotbeds of growth, with the Asia‑Pacific region retaining its status as the largest contributor to total revenue. Meanwhile, the Middle East and Africa are expanding at the fastest pace, signalling a diversification of the player base beyond traditional strongholds. Mobile players alone are expected to number 3.10 billion in 2026, accounting for 84 percent of all gamers.
PC gamers are forecast at 977 million (about 26 percent), and console enthusiasts at 651 million (approximately 18 percent). **Penetration and outlook** Player penetration—defined as the proportion of the global online population that engages in gaming—is slated to inch up from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026. The modest rise underscores the reality that the industry now faces a ceiling on how many new users it can attract; instead, the emphasis will shift toward deepening engagement with current players, leveraging data‑driven personalization, and expanding monetisation avenues such as subscription services, battle passes, and live‑ops events.
In summary, Newzoo’s 2026 forecast paints a picture of a maturing yet still vibrant gaming ecosystem. While overall revenue growth remains healthy at just over six percent, the composition of that growth is changing: mobile continues to dominate, console revenue is buoyed by blockbuster releases like Grand Theft Auto VI, and PC growth is becoming more regionally diversified.
At the same time, the industry’s future will hinge on its ability to keep existing gamers invested, extract greater value from micro‑transactions, and harness the power of direct‑to‑consumer channels to build stronger brand‑player relationships.