Digital intelligence and analytics firm Sensor Tower has released its State of Gaming 2026 report, revealing flat growth in mobile game revenue, double-digit growth for PC and console gaming, and another record year for PC, with more games sold on Steam than ever before.
In 2025, there were 52 billion game downloads across mobile, PC, and console devices. However, despite 95,000 mobile games downloaded every minute across 2025 – plus a boost in YouTube mobile ad spend, traditionally utilized by PC and console games – this was down from 2024, with mobile game revenue increasing by just 1% to $82 billion.
Sensor Tower posits this suggests a focus on “retaining, engaging, and monetizing existing players in a mature market through tactics like live ops, events, and IP collaborations.”
PC and console gaming saw revenue grow by 13%, with downloads and releases also up by 7% and 8.4%, respectively, driven by AA (+29% YoY) and AAA publishers (+25% YoY).
The analysis also revealed a strong year for shooters, with Battlefield 6 the best-selling PC/console game of the year, with the second and third being EA Sports FC 25 and EA Sports FC 26, respectively (and combined, outsold Battlefield 6) . Skate was the biggest free-to-play title ranked by downloads, “followed closely by Marvel Rivals, with Delta Force and Deadlock at #3 and #4.”
R.E.P.O. and Peak were the best-selling indie games of 2025, “reinforcing the rise of chaotic co-op, creator-friendly gameplay.”
Across the year, data trends show that PC gamers skew younger, and hypercasual gamers are more likely to be female.
The analysis’s key findings also include:
- Mobile gaming shifts towards monetization: With downloads continuing to shrink but revenue holding steady, each download needs to count for more. Retaining, engaging, and monetizing existing players is critical.
- PC gaming sees another record year: Steam saw more record gains in terms of units sold, premium game revenue, and number of games released, with growth primarily driven by AAA and AA publishers.
- YouTube gains on mobile, loses ground on PC/Console: While the majority of mobile game ad spend still goes to mobile app networks and YouTube is still #1 for PC/Console, YouTube spend share shifted from PC/Console to mobile.
- 4X Strategy takes over mobile: Strategy is the only genre to make gains in revenue, downloads, and time spent, led by the #1 and #2 games, by revenue, of 2025 – Last War: Survival and Whiteout Survival.
“2025 proved the strength of the PC/console ecosystem, fueled by viral indie hits, high-quality AA experiences, and reliable AAA pipelines–anchored by the year’s top-selling title, Battlefield 6. With GTA VI still ahead, that momentum will only accelerate into 2026,” said Oliver Yeh, CEO and co-founder of Sensor Tower.
“Meanwhile, mobile has entered a more mature phase. While downloads are harder to scale, opportunity has shifted to favor developers who prioritize retention, monetization, and innovation, with tactics like webstores and IP partnerships driving sustainable growth.”
Head on over to Sensor Tower to download the full State of Gaming 2026 report.
