According to the latest projections from market‑research firm Newzoo, the worldwide video‑game industry is set to expand by roughly 6.1 percent in 2026, bringing total revenue to an estimated $213.9 billion. The bulk of this financial activity will continue to be driven by two powerhouses: China and the United States, which together will account for more than half of all consumer spending on games. These figures come from Newzoo’s Global Games Market Report, a comprehensive analysis that will be released in full on September 10. The report breaks down the forecast by platform, business model, and regional trends, offering a detailed picture of where growth is expected to originate.
**Console segment** The console market is predicted to generate $46.9 billion, representing 22 percent of the total gaming spend and marking a 5.1 percent year‑over‑year increase. A key catalyst for this uplift is the highly anticipated November release of Rockstar Games’ next‑generation title, Grand Theft Auto VI.
Newzoo expects the game to lift full‑game spending by 17.5 percent, a rise the firm describes as the strongest growth among all business models in the sector. The ripple effect of such a blockbuster is likely to stimulate hardware sales, accessory purchases, and ancillary digital content, further reinforcing the console ecosystem. **Mobile dominance** Mobile devices will retain their position as the largest platform, accounting for 57 percent of global gaming revenue—about $121.1 billion.
This segment is forecast to grow 6.8 percent year‑over‑year, propelled by higher average spend per player and the continued rise of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels. Mobile publishers are increasingly bypassing traditional app‑store intermediaries, launching their own storefronts to capture a larger slice of the revenue pie and to gather first‑party data that can be used for targeted marketing and product improvements.
A recent survey conducted by FastSpring and Omdia supports this shift: 96 percent of game studios either already run a D2C web store or have plans to do so. Developers cite enhanced brand visibility, stronger player loyalty, and richer insights into customer behavior as primary motivations for moving away from third‑party platforms. **PC outlook** The personal‑computer segment is expected to generate $45.9 billion, or roughly 21 percent of the total market, making it the smallest of the three major platform categories. Growth on PC is projected at 5.3 percent year‑over‑year, a slowdown compared with the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) Newzoo had previously forecast for 2025.
Despite the slower pace, the PC market will benefit from geographically broad expansion, particularly in the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) corridor, where rising broadband penetration and increasing disposable income are fueling demand for high‑end gaming experiences. **Business‑model dynamics** Premium and mid‑tier releases are expected to keep sustaining revenue from full‑game purchases, while microtransactions are forecast to reclaim the top spot as the most lucrative business model across all platforms.
The resurgence of microtransactions reflects the industry’s ongoing refinement of in‑game economies, where cosmetic items, battle passes, and other optional purchases provide a steady stream of income that can outpace the one‑off revenue from traditional game sales. **Player‑base trends** 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 notes that future growth will rely increasingly on retaining and monetising the existing audience rather than on acquiring new players. This shift underscores the importance of engagement strategies, live‑service updates, and community‑building initiatives that keep players active over longer periods.
Emerging markets will continue to be the engine of expansion. The Asia‑Pacific region remains the largest geographic market, while the Middle East and Africa are experiencing the fastest growth rates. Mobile gaming will dominate player counts, with an estimated 3.10 billion mobile gamers in 2026—accounting for 84 percent of the total player base.
PC gamers are expected to number around 977 million (26 percent of all gamers), and console players about 651 million (18 percent). Overall player penetration is slated to rise modestly from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026.
Newzoo cautions that there is limited headroom for expanding the base through deeper market penetration; instead, growth will largely stem from the global online population expanding by roughly 3.5 percent to reach 5.97 billion individuals. In summary, the 2026 outlook paints a picture of a maturing industry where revenue growth is increasingly driven by sophisticated monetisation techniques, strategic D2C initiatives, and the sustained popularity of flagship titles such as Grand Theft Auto VI. While the pace of new‑player acquisition may decelerate, the sector’s ability to extract more value from existing gamers—through microtransactions, live‑service content, and enhanced player experiences—will be the cornerstone of continued financial expansion.