According to Newzoo’s upcoming Global Games Market Report, the worldwide video‑game industry is on track to expand by roughly 6.1 percent in 2026, pushing total revenues to an estimated $213.9 billion. More than half of that consumer spend is expected to come from two powerhouses – China and the United States – underscoring the continued dominance of these markets in shaping global trends.
The report, slated for full release on September 10, breaks down the forecast by platform and business model. Console games are predicted to generate $46.9 billion, representing about 22 percent of the total market and marking a 5.1 percent year‑over‑year rise.
A major driver behind this uplift is the highly anticipated November launch of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto VI. Newzoo estimates that the title alone will lift full‑game spending by 17.5 percent, a surge they describe as the strongest growth among all business models in the sector. Mobile gaming remains the largest slice of the pie, expected to capture 57 percent of global revenue and reach $121.1 billion. This 6.8 percent increase over the previous year is fueled by two converging forces: higher average spend per player and the rapid expansion of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels.
A recent FastSpring‑Omdia survey revealed that 96 percent of development studios either already run a D2C storefront or have concrete plans to do so. Studios cite greater brand visibility, deeper player loyalty, and direct access to first‑party data as primary incentives for this shift. In contrast, the PC segment is projected to hold the smallest market share at 21 percent, translating to $45.9 billion in revenue.
Growth on the PC is expected to slow to 5.3 percent year‑over‑year, down from the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) Newzoo had forecast for 2025. Despite the slower pace, the PC market is anticipated to experience geographically broad expansion, with notable gains in the Asia‑Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) regions.
When it comes to monetisation strategies, premium and mid‑priced titles are expected to continue sustaining full‑game revenue streams. Meanwhile, microtransactions are forecast to reclaim their position as the dominant business model across platforms, reflecting a broader industry trend toward in‑game purchases and ongoing content updates. Player numbers are also a key focus of the forecast.
Newzoo projects the global player base 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. This slowdown suggests that future growth will rely more on retaining and monetising existing gamers rather than on acquiring new users.
The report highlights that the market’s expansion is increasingly concentrated in emerging economies, with the Asia‑Pacific region remaining the largest contributor and the MEA region posting the fastest growth rate. By 2026, mobile gamers are expected to number roughly 3.10 billion, accounting for 84 percent of all players worldwide. PC gamers are projected at 977 million (about 26 percent), while console players should total around 651 million, representing 18 percent of the global audience.
Overall player penetration is forecast to edge up from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026, indicating limited room for growth through deeper market saturation. Instead, the modest rise reflects an overall increase in the online population, which Newzoo estimates will reach 5.97 billion – a 3.5 percent expansion. In summary, Newzoo’s outlook paints a picture of a maturing industry where revenue growth is driven by high‑impact releases like Grand Theft Auto VI, the continued rise of mobile platforms, and the strategic shift toward direct‑to‑consumer sales models. While the pace of new player acquisition may decelerate, the emphasis on monetising existing audiences, expanding into emerging regions, and leveraging microtransaction‑heavy business models is set to keep the global games market on an upward trajectory toward the $214 billion mark in 2026.