According to the latest projections from market‑research firm Newzoo, the worldwide video‑game industry is set to expand by 6.1 percent over the next year, reaching a total value of roughly $213.9 billion in 2026. More than half of this consumer spend will be generated by two powerhouse markets—China and the United States—underscoring their continued dominance in the sector.
These figures come from Newzoo’s Global Games Market Report, which will be released in full on 10 September. The report breaks down revenue by platform, business model, and geography, offering a detailed view of where growth is expected to originate. **Console segment** Console‑related sales are projected to make up 22 percent of the total market, translating to $46.9 billion in revenue. This represents a 5.1 percent increase from the previous year.
A major catalyst for this uplift is the highly anticipated November launch of Rockstar Games’ next‑generation title, Grand Theft Auto VI. Newzoo estimates that the new installment will lift full‑game spending by 17.5 percent, marking the strongest growth rate among all business models tracked by the firm.
**Mobile dominance** The mobile platform remains the largest slice of the pie, expected to capture 57 percent of global gaming revenue—about $121.1 billion. Year‑over‑year growth for mobile is forecast at 6.8 percent, driven by two key 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 a D2C storefront or plan to do so.
Studios cite benefits such as stronger brand visibility, deeper player loyalty, and richer first‑party data as primary motivations for moving away from third‑party marketplaces. **PC outlook** The personal‑computer segment is expected to hold the smallest share of the market, at 21 percent or $45.9 billion. While still growing—at an estimated 5.3 percent year‑on‑year—PC revenue is projected to decelerate compared with the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that Newzoo had forecast for 2025. The firm notes that PC growth will be geographically diverse, with the strongest gains coming from the Asia‑Pacific region, as well as Latin America and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) markets.
**Business‑model trends** Premium and mid‑tier titles are expected to continue sustaining full‑game revenue streams, whereas microtransactions are poised to reclaim their position as the leading business model in terms of overall earnings. This shift reflects a broader industry move toward hybrid monetisation strategies that blend upfront purchases with ongoing in‑game spend. **Player‑base dynamics** 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 percent from 2026 onward. Growth in the player base is expected to slow after a 4.4 percent increase in 2026, indicating that the market will increasingly rely on retaining and monetising existing players rather than acquiring new ones.
Newzoo emphasizes that future expansion will hinge on deepening engagement with the current audience, as the overall online population is only expected to grow modestly—by about 3.5 percent—to 5.97 billion. **Regional insights** Emerging markets continue to be the engine of growth, with the Asia‑Pacific region remaining the largest contributor to worldwide revenue.
The Middle East and Africa are expanding at the fastest pace, highlighting the increasingly global nature of gaming consumption. Mobile gamers are forecast to number 3.10 billion in 2026, accounting for 84 percent of all players.
PC gamers are expected to reach 977 million (about 26 percent), while console players are projected at 651 million, or 18 percent of the total base. **Penetration and saturation** Player penetration—the proportion of the global online population that engages in gaming—is slated to edge up slightly from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026.
This modest rise signals limited room for expansion through deeper market penetration; instead, growth will be driven by the incremental increase in the overall online population. In summary, Newzoo’s outlook paints a picture of a maturing industry where revenue growth is increasingly tied to sophisticated monetisation tactics, direct‑to‑consumer sales channels, and the sustained appeal of flagship releases such as Grand Theft Auto VI. While the sheer number of gamers will continue to climb, the pace of that increase is set to decelerate, prompting developers and publishers to focus on extracting more value from existing users and expanding into high‑growth emerging regions.