Newzoo projects the global games market will grow 6.1% to $213.9 billion, with over half of consumer spending originating from China and the US.
That’s according to data from the firm’s Global Games Market Report, which will be published in full on September 10.
Console revenue is forecast to account for 22% of the market at $46.9 billion, up 5.1%. The November launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to increase full-game spending to 17.5%, which Newzoo identifies as “strongest growth of any business model”.
Mobile is projected to hold the largest platform share at 57%, reaching $121.1 billion. This represents a 6.8% year-on-year increase, driven by higher player spending and the growth of direct-to-consumer (D2C) platforms.
A recent survey by FastSpring and Omdia found that 96% of studios now operate or plan to operate a D2C web store, motivated by improved brand visibility, increased loyalty, and better access to first-party customer data and insights.
PC is expected to have the lowest market share at 21%, reaching $45.9 billion. Newzoo forecasts the platform will grow 5.3% year-on-year, down from its 12% annual compound growth rate (CAGR) estimate for 2025.
Premium and mid-priced releases are expected to “sustain full-game revenue,” while microtransactions are projected to regain their position as the largest business model. PC growth is anticipated to be “geographically broad,” led by Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and MEA regions.
Player growth is expected to slow from a 4.4% year-on-year increase in 2026 to a 3.2% CAGR through 2029, when the global player base is projected to reach 4.07 billion.
Newzoo states that future market growth “will depend increasingly on retaining and monetising existing audiences rather than adding new players.”
Growth is currently concentrated in emerging markets, with Asia-Pacific as the largest region and the Middle East and Africa expanding the fastest.
Mobile players are estimated to reach 3.10 billion in 2026, representing 84% of total players. PC players are forecast to reach 977 million (26%), and console players are predicted to reach 651 million (18%).
Newzoo expects player penetration to rise slightly from 61.5% to 62% in 2026, noting there is “limited room to grow the base through deeper penetration; growth instead reflects the online population expanding by 3.5% to 5.97 billion.”