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, reaching a total value of roughly $213.9 billion. More than half of all consumer expenditure in this sector is expected to come from two key markets—China and the United States—underscoring the continued dominance of these economies in driving overall growth. The figures stem from Newzoo’s comprehensive Global Games Market Report, which will be released in full on September 10. The report breaks down revenue by platform, business model, and geographic region, offering a detailed snapshot of where the industry is headed over the next few years.
**Console segment** Console‑related sales are projected to represent 22 percent of the total market, translating to about $46.9 billion in 2026. This marks a 5.1 percent year‑on‑year increase for the platform.
A major catalyst for this uplift is the highly anticipated November launch of Rockstar Games’ next‑generation title, Grand Theft Auto VI. Newzoo estimates that the new entry will lift full‑game spending by 17.5 percent, making it the strongest growth driver among all business models in the forecast period. **Mobile dominance** Mobile gaming continues to be the engine of the industry, expected to capture the largest slice of the market at 57 percent, or $121.1 billion in revenue.
The mobile segment’s growth rate of 6.8 percent year‑over‑year is being fueled by two complementary trends: higher average spend per player and the rapid expansion of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels. These D2C platforms allow developers to sell games and in‑app purchases directly to gamers, bypassing traditional app‑store fees and gaining richer data on user behavior.
A recent joint survey by FastSpring and Omdia highlighted that 96 percent of game studios either already run a D2C web store or have plans to launch one. Respondents cited greater brand visibility, stronger customer loyalty, and improved access to first‑party data as the primary motivations for this shift. The ability to collect and analyze proprietary player data is increasingly seen as a competitive advantage, enabling studios to fine‑tune monetisation strategies and personalise marketing efforts.
**PC outlook** The personal‑computer segment is expected to hold the smallest market share at 21 percent, equating to $45.9 billion in 2026. Growth for PC gaming is forecast at 5.3 percent year‑over‑year, a slowdown compared with the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that Newzoo projected for 2025. Despite the deceleration, the report predicts that PC growth will be geographically broad‑based, driven primarily by expanding markets in the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). **Business‑model dynamics** Premium and mid‑priced titles are expected to sustain revenue from full‑game purchases, while microtransactions are forecast to reclaim their position as the largest business model overall.
This resurgence is linked to the continued popularity of live‑service games and the increasing willingness of players to spend on cosmetics, battle passes, and other in‑game items. The shift suggests that while blockbuster releases will still generate significant spikes in revenue, the steady stream of microtransaction income will remain a reliable foundation for developers. **Player base trends** The global gamer population is projected to grow more modestly after 2026.
Player numbers are expected to increase by 4.4 percent year‑over‑year in 2026, but the CAGR from 2026 through 2029 will settle at 3.2 percent, bringing the total number of gamers to approximately 4.07 billion by the end of the decade. Newzoo notes that future market expansion will rely increasingly on retaining and monetising existing players rather than attracting large numbers of new users. Geographically, growth is concentrated 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 pace. Mobile gaming will dominate player counts, with an estimated 3.10 billion mobile gamers in 2026—representing 84 percent of the total gaming audience. PC gamers are expected to number around 977 million (26 percent of the total), and console players about 651 million (18 percent).
Player penetration—defined as the proportion of the global online population that engages in gaming—is slated to edge up slightly from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026. However, Newzoo cautions that there is limited headroom for further expansion through deeper market penetration; instead, growth will be driven by the overall online population increasing by roughly 3.5 percent to reach 5.97 billion people.
In summary, the 2026 outlook paints a picture of a maturing industry where mobile platforms dominate both revenue and player numbers, console and PC segments continue to grow at a steadier pace, and the success of flagship titles like Grand Theft Auto VI can generate notable short‑term spikes in spending. At the same time, developers and publishers are placing greater emphasis on direct‑to‑consumer channels and microtransaction models to sustain long‑term profitability in an environment where adding new players becomes increasingly challenging.