According to Newzoo’s upcoming Global Games Market Report, the worldwide video‑game sector is slated to expand by 6.1 percent in 2026, pushing total revenues to roughly $213.9 billion. 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 industry. The full report, scheduled for release on September 10, breaks down the forecast by platform, business model, and regional trends. Console sales are expected to account for about 22 percent of the total market, amounting to $46.9 billion, which represents a 5.1 percent year‑on‑year increase.
A major driver behind this growth is the highly anticipated November launch of Grand Theft Auto VI. Newzoo predicts that the new title will lift full‑game spending by 17.5 percent, marking the strongest growth rate of any business model in the sector. Mobile gaming remains the dominant platform, projected to capture 57 percent of global revenue and generate $121.1 billion.
This segment is growing at a 6.8 percent annual rate, fueled by higher average spend per player and the expanding influence 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 or intend to launch their own D2C web stores.
Developers cite benefits such as greater brand visibility, stronger player loyalty, and direct access to first‑party customer data as key motivations for this shift. In contrast, the PC market is forecast to hold the smallest slice of the pie at 21 percent, translating to $45.9 billion in revenue.
Growth on the PC side is expected to slow to 5.3 percent year‑over‑year, down from the 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that Newzoo had projected for 2025. Despite the deceleration, the report notes that PC growth will be geographically diverse, with the strongest gains coming from the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, and the Middle East‑Africa (MEA) markets. When it comes to business models, premium and mid‑priced releases are anticipated to continue sustaining full‑game revenue streams. Meanwhile, microtransactions are poised to reclaim their position as the largest revenue generator across all platforms, reflecting a broader industry trend toward in‑game purchases and live‑service monetisation.
Player‑base dynamics also feature prominently in Newzoo’s outlook. The total number of gamers worldwide is expected to reach 4.07 billion by 2029, growing at a 3.2 percent CAGR after a 4.4 percent rise in 2026. However, the rate of new player acquisition is projected to decelerate, suggesting that future growth will rely more heavily on retaining and monetising existing audiences rather than expanding the overall user base.
Regional analysis shows that growth is increasingly concentrated in emerging markets. Asia‑Pacific remains the largest region by player count and revenue, while the Middle East and Africa are experiencing the fastest growth rates. Mobile gamers alone are estimated to number 3.10 billion in 2026, representing roughly 84 percent of the global gaming population.
PC gamers are expected to total 977 million (about 26 percent), and console players are projected at 651 million (approximately 18 percent). Player penetration—defined as the proportion of the online population that engages in gaming—is forecast to edge up slightly from 61.5 percent to 62 percent in 2026. Newzoo cautions that there is limited headroom for further penetration growth; instead, revenue expansion will largely depend on deeper monetisation of the existing online audience, which is projected to grow by 3.5 percent to 5.97 billion people.
In summary, the 2026 outlook paints a picture of a mature yet still expanding gaming ecosystem. While overall revenue is set to climb to just over $213 billion, the composition of that growth is shifting.
Mobile continues to dominate in both spend and player numbers, consoles benefit from flagship releases like Grand Theft Auto VI, and PCs see modest but geographically broad growth. The industry’s future success will hinge on leveraging D2C channels, optimizing microtransaction strategies, and deepening engagement with the existing player base across all regions.