In 2025, China’s video‑game market broke through the $50 billion barrier for the first time, reaching $51.8 billion and posting a 5.4 percent increase over the previous year. This landmark achievement was highlighted in a fresh analysis released by market‑research firm Niko Partners, which also outlined a forward‑looking outlook for the industry. According to the firm’s projections, the sector will continue its upward trajectory, expanding by roughly 4 percent in 2026 to $53.9 billion, and ultimately arriving at $59.8 billion by the close of 2030.
Those figures translate into a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 2.9 percent over the five‑year span. Player numbers are set to rise in parallel with revenue. Niko Partners estimates that the total Chinese gaming audience will swell to 769 million users by 2030. Not only will the headcount increase, but the intensity of play is also expected to grow: average weekly playtime is projected to climb from 14.1 hours in 2024 to 15.8 hours per week by the end of the decade.
The firm attributes this dual surge in users and engagement to a combination of strong launches of new titles and the sustained popularity of long‑standing evergreen games that continue to capture player interest. One of the most dynamic segments within the market is the mini‑game category. Roughly 80 percent of Chinese gamers report playing mini‑games, and this genre now accounts for close to one‑fifth of all mobile‑gaming expenditure.
The popularity of bite‑sized experiences reflects broader trends toward casual, on‑the‑go play, and it provides developers with a lucrative avenue for monetisation through ads, in‑app purchases, and brand collaborations. Discovery channels have also evolved.
Almost half of the surveyed audience indicated that they first learn about new games through short‑form video platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, and TikTok. These apps serve as powerful recommendation engines, blending entertainment with algorithm‑driven suggestions that steer users toward the latest releases and updates across both mobile and PC ecosystems. Despite the market’s rapid growth, a sizable portion of gamers continue to circumvent the nation’s internet restrictions.
The report found that 66 percent of respondents employ some form of circumvention tool. Among them, 30.8 percent connect to overseas servers, 33.6 percent rely on gaming‑accelerator services that optimise latency, and 21.9 percent use virtual private networks (VPNs) to mask their location and access content that would otherwise be blocked. Policy shifts have begun to reflect the sector’s economic importance.
Earlier in the year, the Chinese government incorporated video games into its 15th Five‑Year Plan (2026‑2030) for National Economic and Social Development, upgrading games from a niche cultural product to a recognized pillar of the digital economy. This formal acknowledgement is expected to bring greater regulatory clarity, potentially easing approval processes for new titles and encouraging investment in domestic development. Niko Partners identified five overarching trends that will shape the Chinese gaming landscape over the next five years: 1.
**Expansion of niche genres** – As the player base diversifies, demand for specialised experiences—such as simulation, strategy, and indie titles—will rise, prompting studios to explore less‑trodden creative paths. 2.
**Growth of out‑of‑app monetisation** – Publishers are increasingly looking beyond traditional in‑app purchases, experimenting with cross‑platform subscriptions, merchandise, and blockchain‑based assets to capture additional revenue streams. 3. **Regulatory improvements** – The inclusion of games in the Five‑Year Plan signals a move toward more predictable oversight, which should reduce uncertainty for developers and investors alike. 4.
**Higher spend on premium PC and console games** – While mobile remains dominant, affluent consumers are allocating more of their gaming budget to high‑quality PC and console experiences, driving demand for sophisticated hardware and premium titles. 5. **Integration of generative AI** – Chinese developers are rapidly adopting generative‑AI tools throughout the production pipeline, from procedural content creation to dynamic dialogue generation and player‑facing features.
This technological infusion is also sparking a broader boom in user‑generated content platforms, where creators can leverage AI to produce assets, mods, and even whole game scenarios. The surge in AI capabilities has a ripple effect on the hardware side as well. The heightened need for computational power to run advanced AI models is fueling demand for higher‑capacity RAM and cutting‑edge semiconductor components, creating a feedback loop between software innovation and hardware supply chains.
Despite the excitement surrounding AI and other emerging technologies, Niko Partners cautions that sustainable growth will depend on three core pillars: ongoing innovation in game design, clearer regulatory frameworks that protect both creators and consumers, and the continued enthusiasm of a massive, highly engaged player community. As long as these elements remain in alignment, China’s gaming market is poised to maintain its robust expansion well into the 2030s.