According to the latest projections from market‑research firm Newzoo, the worldwide video‑game industry is set to expand by roughly 6.1% over the next year, reaching an estimated total value of $213.9 billion in 2026. More than half of all consumer expenditure in this sector is expected to come from just two markets—China and the United States—underscoring the continued dominance of these economies in shaping global gaming trends. The figures come from Newzoo’s Global Games Market Report, a comprehensive analysis that will be released in full on September 10. The report breaks down the anticipated growth across the three primary platform categories—consoles, mobile devices, and personal computers—while also examining the impact of new titles, emerging business models, and shifting regional dynamics.
**Console segment** Newzoo predicts that console‑based revenue will account for about 22% of the total market, translating to roughly $46.9 billion. This represents a 5.1% increase compared with the previous year. A key driver behind this uptick is the highly anticipated release of Rockstar Games’ Grand Thief Auto VI, slated for a November debut. The company estimates that the new installment will boost full‑game spending by an impressive 17.5%, which Newzoo labels as the strongest growth observed among any of the existing business models.
The title’s launch is expected to generate a ripple effect, encouraging higher spend on both premium releases and related downloadable content across the console ecosystem. **Mobile gaming** Mobile devices will continue to dominate the landscape, projected to capture the largest share at 57% of total revenue—about $121.1 billion.
This segment is forecast to grow 6.8% year‑over‑year, driven largely by two factors: rising average spend per player and the expanding influence of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels. Recent research from FastSpring and Omdia reveals that 96% of game studios either already operate or plan to launch their own D2C web stores. Studios cite benefits such as heightened brand visibility, stronger player loyalty, and direct access to first‑party data, all of which help to optimize monetisation strategies and reduce reliance on third‑party marketplaces. **PC gaming** The personal‑computer segment is expected to hold the smallest slice of the market, at roughly 21% or $45.9 billion.
Growth for PC games is projected at 5.3% year‑over‑year, a slowdown from the 12% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) Newzoo had forecast for 2025. Despite the slower pace, the report notes that PC growth will be geographically broad‑based, with significant contributions from the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). Premium and mid‑priced titles are anticipated to sustain full‑game revenue on PC, while microtransaction‑driven models are expected to reclaim their status as the leading source of income across the industry. **Player base dynamics** Overall player growth is predicted to decelerate in the coming years.
While the global player base is expected to rise by 4.4% in 2026, the compound annual growth rate from 2026 through 2029 is projected to settle at 3.2%, reaching a total of about 4.07 billion gamers worldwide. Newzoo cautions that future expansion will rely increasingly on retaining and monetising existing users rather than on acquiring new ones. This shift reflects the reality that the market is approaching saturation in many mature regions, leaving emerging markets as the primary source of incremental growth.
**Regional insights** Growth is currently concentrated in developing economies, with the Asia‑Pacific region remaining the largest contributor to overall revenue. The Middle East and Africa are expanding at the fastest pace, indicating that these markets are becoming fertile ground for both player acquisition and spend. Mobile gaming will be the main engine of this expansion, with an estimated 3.10 billion mobile players in 2026—accounting for 84% of the total gaming population.
PC gamers are projected to number around 977 million (about 26% of the total), while console players are expected to reach 651 million (approximately 18%). **Penetration and outlook** Player penetration—the proportion of the global online population that engages in gaming—is slated to edge up slightly from 61.5% to 62% in 2026.
Newzoo notes that there is limited scope to grow the base through deeper market penetration; instead, overall growth will be driven by the online population itself expanding by an estimated 3.5% to reach 5.97 billion individuals. In practical terms, this means that the industry’s future health will hinge on how effectively companies can monetise existing gamers, leverage D2C channels, and introduce compelling new experiences such as Grand Thief Auto VI that can stimulate higher spend per user. In summary, the 2026 outlook paints a picture of steady, modest growth across all major platforms, with mobile continuing to dominate revenue share, consoles benefitting from blockbuster releases, and PC maintaining a diversified portfolio of premium and microtransaction‑based offerings.
The emphasis for developers and publishers will increasingly shift toward deepening engagement with current players, harnessing first‑party data, and expanding into high‑growth emerging regions to sustain the industry’s upward trajectory.