According to Newzoo’s latest Global Games Market Report, the worldwide video‑game sector is slated to expand by 6.1% over the next year, pushing total revenue to an estimated $213.9 billion in 2026. More than half of this spending will continue to be driven by two powerhouse markets—China and the United States—underscoring their enduring influence on the industry’s financial health. The full report, scheduled for public release on September 10, breaks down the forecast by platform, business model, and geography, offering a granular view of where growth is expected to originate.
Console sales, for instance, are projected to generate $46.9 billion, representing roughly 22 % of the total market and marking a 5.1 % year‑over‑year increase. A key catalyst for this uptick is the highly anticipated November launch of Rockstar Games’ next‑generation title, Grand Theft Auto VI. Newzoo predicts that the game will boost full‑game spending by an impressive 17.5 %, the strongest growth rate among all business models tracked in the report.
Mobile gaming remains the dominant force, accounting for an estimated 57 % of global revenue at $121.1 billion. This segment is expected to grow 6.8 % compared with the previous year, propelled by higher average spend per player and the continued rise of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels.
A recent joint survey by FastSpring and Omdia revealed that 96 % of game studios either already operate or plan to launch their own D2C web stores. Developers cite greater brand visibility, stronger player loyalty, and richer first‑party data as primary motivations for moving away from traditional marketplace models.
In contrast, the PC platform is forecast to hold the smallest slice of the market, with revenues of $45.9 billion—about 21 % of the total. Growth on PC is still positive, at 5.3 % year‑over‑year, but it lags behind the double‑digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12 % that Newzoo had projected for 2025. The report suggests that PC growth will be geographically diverse, led by expanding user bases in the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) markets. When it comes to business models, premium and mid‑priced titles are expected to continue sustaining full‑game revenue streams, while microtransactions are projected to reclaim their position as the largest source of income across all platforms.
This shift reflects a broader industry trend toward hybrid monetisation strategies that blend upfront purchases with ongoing in‑game spending. Player‑base dynamics also feature prominently in Newzoo’s outlook. The total number of gamers worldwide is projected to rise to 4.07 billion by 2029, representing a compound annual growth rate of 3.2 % from 2026 onward.
This slowdown follows a 4.4 % increase in 2026, indicating that future expansion will rely more on deepening engagement with existing users rather than simply adding new ones. Newzoo notes that the market’s growth trajectory is increasingly tied to the ability of publishers to retain and monetise current audiences, as the pool of untapped gamers shrinks. Geographically, growth is concentrating in emerging markets. The Asia‑Pacific region remains the largest contributor to revenue, while the Middle East and Africa are experiencing the fastest growth rates.
Mobile gaming is expected to dominate player counts, with 3.10 billion mobile gamers projected for 2026—about 84 % of the total gaming population. PC gamers are estimated at 977 million (approximately 26 % of the total), and console players at 651 million (roughly 18 %).
Penetration rates are also set to inch upward, from 61.5 % to 62 % of the global online population in 2026. However, Newzoo cautions that there is limited room for further expansion through deeper market penetration; instead, growth will be driven by the overall online population increasing by about 3.5 % to reach 5.97 billion users.
In summary, Newzoo’s forecast paints a picture of a maturing yet still expanding gaming ecosystem. While the sector continues to generate record revenues, the sources of that growth are shifting. Console revenues are buoyed by blockbuster releases like Grand Theft Auto VI, mobile remains the cash‑cow thanks to D2C initiatives and rising player spend, and PC, though smaller, is diversifying its geographic reach.
The industry’s future will hinge on how effectively developers can nurture existing player relationships, leverage direct sales channels, and adapt to regional growth patterns across the globe.