According to the latest projections from market‑research firm Newzoo, the worldwide video‑game industry is set to expand by 6.1 percent in 2026, pushing total revenues to roughly $213.9 billion. More than half of this spending is expected to come from two of the biggest consumer bases on the planet – China and the United States – underscoring the continued dominance of these markets in shaping global gaming trends. The figures stem from Newzoo’s comprehensive Global Games Market Report, which will be released in full on 10 September. The report breaks down the forecast by platform, region, and business model, offering a granular view of where growth is expected to originate.
**Console segment** Console‑related revenue is projected to represent about 22 percent of the total market, amounting to $46.9 billion – a rise of 5.1 percent over the previous year. A key driver behind this uptick is the highly anticipated November launch of Rockstar Games’ next‑generation title, Grand Theft Auto VI.
Newzoo estimates that the new entry in the iconic franchise will lift full‑game spending by an impressive 17.5 percent, marking the strongest growth rate among all business models tracked by the firm. **Mobile dominance** Mobile gaming continues to be the engine of the industry, forecast to capture the largest slice of the pie at 57 percent, or $121.1 billion in revenue. This segment is expected to grow 6.8 percent year‑on‑year, propelled by two intertwined forces: higher average spend per player and the rapid expansion of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels.
The shift toward D2C stores allows publishers to sell games and in‑app purchases directly to gamers, bypassing traditional app‑store fees and gaining richer data on user behavior. A recent survey conducted by FastSpring and Omdia supports this trend, revealing that 96 percent of game studios either already operate or plan to launch a D2C web storefront.
Respondents cited greater brand visibility, stronger player loyalty, and improved access to first‑party customer data as the primary motivations for this move. **PC market outlook** The personal‑computer segment is expected to hold the smallest market share at 21 percent, translating to $45.9 billion. While still growing – Newzoo predicts a 5.3 percent increase year‑over‑year – the pace is slower than the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) the firm had projected for 2025.
The slowdown reflects a maturing market where the low‑hang‑over of early‑adopter growth has tapered off. Nevertheless, Newzoo foresees PC growth spreading across a broad geographic spectrum, with particular strength in the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) corridor. These areas are witnessing rising broadband penetration and increasing disposable income, which together fuel higher adoption of PC gaming. **Business‑model dynamics** Premium and mid‑priced titles are expected to keep sustaining revenue from full‑game sales, especially as flagship releases like Grand Theft Auto VI hit the market.
At the same time, microtransactions – the purchase of small‑scale virtual items or currency within games – are projected to reclaim their status as the largest revenue‑generating model overall. This resurgence is tied to the continued popularity of live‑service games that regularly introduce new content and monetization hooks.
**Player base trends** The global player base is projected to reach 4.07 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual rate of 3.2 percent after a 4.4 percent increase in 2026. Newzoo cautions that future expansion will rely increasingly on retaining existing gamers and extracting more value from them, rather than simply adding new users.
This shift reflects the market’s maturation and the limited headroom for deepening penetration in already‑saturated regions. Geographically, growth is concentrated in emerging markets.
The Asia‑Pacific region remains the largest contributor, while the Middle East and Africa are expanding at the fastest pace. Mobile gaming will dominate player numbers, with an estimated 3.10 billion mobile gamers in 2026 – roughly 84 percent of the total audience. PC gamers are forecast to number about 977 million (26 percent of the total), and console players are expected to reach 651 million (18 percent).
Player penetration – the proportion of the online population that engages in gaming – is slated to edge up from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026. Newzoo notes that there is "limited room to grow the base through deeper penetration; growth instead reflects the online population expanding by 3.5 percent to 5.97 billion." In other words, the industry’s expansion will be driven more by the overall increase in internet users worldwide than by converting non‑gamers into gamers. **Implications for developers and investors** For studios, the data underscores the importance of a diversified platform strategy. While mobile remains the cash cow, high‑profile console releases can deliver outsized spikes in full‑game revenue, as illustrated by Grand Theft Auto VI’s projected impact.
Meanwhile, the growing adoption of D2C storefronts suggests that developers who can cultivate direct relationships with their audiences may capture higher margins and gain valuable insights for future product decisions. Investors should note the shifting risk profile: as the market leans more heavily on monetizing existing players, companies with strong retention metrics, robust live‑service ecosystems, and effective data‑driven personalization are likely to outperform. Conversely, reliance on pure acquisition growth may become a weaker lever in the years ahead.
Overall, Newzoo’s outlook paints a picture of a vibrant yet increasingly sophisticated industry, where strategic focus on player engagement, platform diversification, and direct commerce will define the next wave of growth.