According to Newzoo’s upcoming 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 originate from two powerhouses—China and the United States—underscoring the continued dominance of these markets in driving global demand. The full report, scheduled for release on September 10, breaks down the forecast by platform and business model, revealing several noteworthy trends.
Console gaming, for instance, is projected to generate $46.9 billion, representing 22 percent of the overall market and reflecting a 5.1 percent year‑over‑year increase. A key catalyst for this growth is the highly anticipated November launch of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto VI. Newzoo predicts that the new title will lift full‑game spending by 17.5 percent, making it the strongest growth driver among all existing business models.
Mobile gaming remains the largest segment by a comfortable margin. The forecast assigns mobile devices a 57 percent share of total revenue, equating to $121.1 billion.
This growth of 6.8 percent year‑over‑year is being fueled by two complementary forces: higher average spend per player and the rapid expansion of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels. A recent FastSpring and Omdia survey highlighted that 96 percent of game studios either already run or plan to launch their own D2C web stores.
Developers cite greater brand visibility, stronger player loyalty, and direct access to first‑party data as primary motivations for this shift. In contrast, the PC segment is expected to hold the smallest slice of the pie, at 21 percent or $45.9 billion. Although still growing—projected at 5.3 percent year‑over‑year—PC revenue is set to decelerate compared with the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) Newzoo had forecast for 2025. The slowdown reflects a maturing market, but growth is expected to be geographically broad, with Asia‑Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) regions contributing the most.
When it comes to monetisation strategies, premium and mid‑priced releases are anticipated to keep sustaining full‑game revenue streams. Meanwhile, microtransactions are poised to reclaim their position as the dominant business model across platforms, driven by the continued appetite for in‑game purchases and ongoing content updates. Player‑base dynamics also feature prominently in the outlook. Newzoo estimates that the total number of gamers worldwide will reach 4.07 billion by 2029, growing at a 3.2 percent CAGR after a 4.4 percent increase in 2026.
This suggests a gradual tapering of player‑growth rates, implying that future expansion will rely more on deepening engagement and monetising existing audiences rather than simply adding new users. Regional growth patterns reinforce this narrative. Emerging markets, particularly within the Asia‑Pacific region, continue to account for the largest share of new player acquisition. The Middle East and Africa are expanding at the fastest pace, indicating untapped potential in those territories.
Mobile remains the primary gateway for new players, with an estimated 3.10 billion mobile gamers in 2026—about 84 percent of the total gaming population. PC and console audiences are projected to number 977 million (26 percent) and 651 million (18 percent) respectively. Penetration rates are expected to edge up slightly, from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026.
However, Newzoo cautions that there is limited headroom for dramatic gains through deeper market penetration alone. Instead, overall growth will be driven by the expansion of the global online population, which is forecast to rise by 3.5 percent to roughly 5.97 billion people.
In summary, the 2026 outlook paints a picture of a robust yet increasingly mature gaming ecosystem. While total revenue is set to climb to nearly $214 billion, the composition of that growth is shifting: console launches like Grand Theft Auto VI will provide short‑term spikes, mobile will continue to dominate in scale, and D2C strategies will become ever more critical for developers seeking to capture higher margins and richer player data. At the same time, the industry must focus on retaining and monetising its existing user base, especially as player‑growth rates modestly decelerate and the market reaches higher levels of saturation across major regions.