According to Newzoo’s upcoming Global Games Market Report, which will be released in full on September 10, the worldwide video‑game sector is set to expand by 6.1 percent over the next year, bringing total revenues to roughly $213.9 billion. More than half of this consumer spend is projected to come from two powerhouses: China and the United States, underscoring the continued dominance of these markets in shaping global trends.
When the numbers are broken down by platform, console gaming is expected to generate $46.9 billion, representing 22 percent of the total market and marking a 5.1 percent year‑over‑year increase. A key driver behind this uplift is the highly anticipated launch of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto VI in November.
Newzoo predicts that the new installment will lift full‑game spending by an impressive 17.5 percent, a growth rate that the firm describes as the strongest among all business models in the sector. Mobile gaming remains the largest slice of the pie, accounting for 57 percent of global revenue and projected to hit $121.1 billion.
This segment’s 6.8 percent annual growth is fueled by two converging forces: higher average spend per player and the rapid expansion of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels. A recent survey conducted by FastSpring and Omdia revealed that 96 percent of game studios either already run or plan to launch their own D2C storefronts.
Developers cite greater brand visibility, stronger player loyalty, and direct access to first‑party data as the primary incentives for moving away from traditional marketplace intermediaries. PC gaming, by contrast, is slated to capture the smallest share of the market at 21 percent, equating to $45.9 billion in revenue.
Although the platform is still expected to grow—5.3 percent year‑on‑year—this figure falls short of the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that Newzoo had projected for 2025. The slowdown reflects a maturing ecosystem where the explosive growth of the early 2010s has given way to more incremental gains.
Nevertheless, Newzoo anticipates that PC growth will be geographically diverse, with notable expansion across the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) markets. In terms of business models, premium and mid‑priced titles are expected to continue sustaining revenue from full‑game sales, while microtransactions are projected to reclaim the top spot as the most lucrative model overall.
This shift suggests that while blockbuster releases will still drive significant spend, the long‑term health of the industry will increasingly rely on ongoing, in‑game purchases that keep players engaged over extended periods. Player numbers are also a focal point of Newzoo’s outlook.
The total global player base is forecast to rise to 4.07 billion by 2029, growing at a 3.2 percent CAGR after a 4.4 percent increase in 2026. The firm warns that future growth will hinge more on retaining and monetising existing gamers rather than on acquiring fresh users, a sentiment echoed by analysts who note the diminishing returns of pure acquisition strategies in saturated markets.
Regional dynamics highlight that growth is now concentrated in emerging economies. The Asia‑Pacific region remains the largest contributor to overall market expansion, while the Middle East and Africa are experiencing the fastest growth rates. Mobile gamers are expected to number 3.10 billion in 2026, representing roughly 84 percent of all players worldwide.
Console users are projected at 651 million (about 18 percent), and PC gamers at 977 million (approximately 26 percent). Player penetration—the proportion of the global online population that engages in gaming—is slated to edge up from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026. Newzoo points out that there is limited headroom for expanding the base through deeper market penetration; instead, most of the anticipated growth will stem from the overall online population expanding by about 3.5 percent to reach 5.97 billion people. Overall, the report paints a picture of a maturing industry where platform diversification, D2C strategies, and microtransaction‑driven revenue models are becoming increasingly important.
While flagship releases like Grand Theft Auto VI will continue to generate spikes in full‑game spending, the long‑term trajectory will be defined by how well developers can keep existing audiences engaged and monetize them through a blend of premium content and ongoing in‑game purchases. The emphasis on emerging markets and the shift toward direct relationships with players suggest that the next few years will be shaped less by sheer player acquisition and more by deepening the value extracted from the current global gaming community.