According to the latest outlook from market‑research firm Newzoo, the worldwide video‑game sector is set to expand by 6.1 percent over the next year, pushing total revenues to roughly $213.9 billion by the end of 2026. The projection underscores the continuing dominance of two key markets—China and the United States—whose combined consumer spend will account for more than half of the global total. The figures come from Newzoo’s upcoming Global Games Market Report, which is scheduled for full release on September 10.
The report breaks down the forecast by platform, business model, and regional trends, offering a detailed snapshot of where growth is expected to originate. **Console segment** Newzoo estimates that console‑related revenue will represent about 22 percent of the overall market, translating to $46.9 billion.
This marks a 5.1 percent rise from the previous year and reflects the steady health of the console ecosystem despite the increasing popularity of mobile and PC gaming. A major driver of this uptick is the anticipated release of Rockstar Games’ flagship title Grand Theft Auto VI in November.
The company predicts that the game’s launch will lift full‑game spending by an impressive 17.5 percent, a surge Newzoo describes as the strongest growth among all business models for the year. **Mobile dominance** Mobile gaming remains the largest slice of the pie, projected to capture 57 percent of total revenues—about $121.1 billion—in 2026.
The mobile segment is expected to grow 6.8 percent year‑on‑year, buoyed by higher average spend per player and the continued expansion of direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) distribution channels. A recent survey conducted by FastSpring and Omdia found that 96 percent of game studios either already run a D2C web store or have plans to launch one. Studios cite benefits such as stronger brand visibility, deeper customer loyalty, and richer first‑party data as primary motivations for moving toward D2C sales. **PC outlook** The personal‑computer market is forecast to hold the smallest share of the overall gaming economy, at roughly 21 percent or $45.9 billion.
Growth on this platform is expected to slow to 5.3 percent year‑over‑year, a noticeable dip from the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that Newzoo had projected for 2025. Nevertheless, the PC segment is expected to experience geographically diverse expansion, with the Asia‑Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) regions leading the charge.
**Business‑model trends** Premium and mid‑tier titles are slated to continue sustaining revenue from full‑game purchases, while microtransactions are projected to reclaim the top spot as the most lucrative business model across all platforms. This shift suggests that developers will keep focusing on post‑launch monetisation strategies, such as battle passes, cosmetic skins, and other in‑game purchases, to maximise lifetime value from each player.
**Player‑base dynamics** The total number of gamers worldwide is expected to grow, but at a slower pace. Newzoo predicts a 4.4 percent increase in the player base for 2026, followed by a more modest 3.2 percent CAGR through 2029, at which point the global audience is projected to reach 4.07 billion players.
The firm warns that future growth will rely increasingly on retaining and monetising existing users rather than on attracting large numbers of new gamers. Regional analysis shows that growth is concentrating in emerging markets. The Asia‑Pacific region remains the largest contributor to revenue growth, while the Middle East and Africa are expanding at the fastest rate.
Mobile gamers are expected to number 3.10 billion in 2026, representing roughly 84 percent of all players. PC gamers are projected to reach 977 million (about 26 percent of the total), and console players are estimated at 651 million, or 18 percent of the global audience. Player penetration—defined as the proportion of the online population that engages in gaming—is projected to edge up from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026. Newzoo notes that there is limited scope for dramatically increasing penetration rates; instead, growth will stem from the overall online population expanding by about 3.5 percent to reach 5.97 billion people.
In summary, the upcoming year promises solid, if measured, expansion for the gaming industry. While mobile continues to dominate revenue and player counts, console and PC segments will also see modest gains, particularly as marquee releases like Grand Theft Auto VI stimulate full‑game sales. Studios are increasingly turning to D2C storefronts to capture more value and build stronger relationships with their audiences. As the market matures, the emphasis will shift toward deepening engagement with existing players and extracting greater lifetime value through diversified monetisation approaches.