According to Newzoo’s latest Global Games Market Report, 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 powerhouses—China and the United States—underscoring the continued dominance of these markets in shaping global gaming trends. The full report, slated for public release on September 10, breaks down the forecast by platform and business model, offering a detailed view of where growth will be strongest.
Console sales are predicted to generate $46.9 billion, representing 22 percent of the overall market and marking a 5.1 percent year‑over‑year rise. A major catalyst for this uptick is the highly anticipated November launch of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto VI.
Newzoo estimates that the title will lift full‑game spending by 17.5 percent, a surge that the firm describes as the most robust growth among all business models this year. Mobile gaming remains the sector’s heavyweight, projected to capture 57 percent of total revenue—about $121.1 billion. This 6.8 percent increase over the previous year is driven by two converging forces: higher average spend per player and the rapid expansion of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels. Recent research from FastSpring and Omdia shows that 96 percent of game studios either already run or plan to launch their own D2C storefronts.
Developers cite better brand visibility, stronger player loyalty, and richer first‑party data as primary motivations for moving away from third‑party marketplaces. In contrast, the PC platform is forecast to hold the smallest slice of the pie, accounting for 21 percent of the market, or $45.9 billion. While still growing—Newzoo predicts a 5.3 percent rise year‑on‑year—this figure falls short of the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) the firm had projected for 2025.
The slowdown reflects a maturing ecosystem where incremental gains are harder to achieve, though growth is expected to be geographically diverse, with strong contributions from 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. At the same time, microtransactions are poised to reclaim their position as the leading business model, driven by the pervasive adoption of in‑game purchases across mobile, console, and PC titles.
This shift highlights the industry’s broader move toward hybrid revenue structures that blend upfront purchases with ongoing, player‑driven spending. Player‑base 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 3.2 percent CAGR after a 4.4 percent increase in 2026. However, the firm cautions that future expansion will rely more on retaining and monetising existing players than on attracting brand‑new audiences.
This sentiment is echoed in the report’s observation that market growth is becoming increasingly dependent on deepening engagement with the current user base. Regional growth patterns reinforce the importance of emerging markets. Asia‑Pacific remains the largest contributor to overall revenue, while the Middle East and Africa are expected to post the fastest growth rates. Mobile gaming, in particular, will dominate player counts, with an estimated 3.10 billion mobile gamers in 2026—equating to roughly 84 percent of the total gaming population.
PC gamers are projected to number 977 million (about 26 percent), and console enthusiasts are expected to reach 651 million (approximately 18 percent). Penetration rates will inch upward, moving from 61.5 percent to 62 percent of the global online population in 2026.
Newzoo notes that there is limited headroom for expanding the base through deeper market penetration; instead, growth will stem from the overall online population expanding by an estimated 3.5 percent to reach 5.97 billion users. This nuanced perspective suggests that while the absolute number of gamers will continue to climb, the proportion of the internet‑connected public that plays games will stabilise near its current level. In summary, Newzoo’s 2026 forecast paints a picture of a mature yet still expanding gaming ecosystem.
Console revenues will benefit from flagship releases like Grand Theft Auto VI, mobile will retain its revenue‑generating dominance thanks to higher spend per user and D2C strategies, and PC will see modest growth supported by a geographically broad player base. The industry’s future will hinge on how effectively developers can keep existing players engaged and monetised, as well as how well emerging regions can sustain their rapid adoption rates. The full Global Games Market Report will provide additional granularity on these trends when it is released on September 10.