The analytics company Newzoo is optimistic about the future of the gaming market, at least in terms of revenue. They expect that by 2026, gamers worldwide will spend $213.9 billion on video games—more than ever before.
GTA VI
- According to Newzoo, a significant factor in achieving this record is the release of GTA VI. Analysts have previously projected that by the end of its debut week, the game from Rockstar Games could earn between $3.25 billion and $5.2 billion.
- Newzoo believes that thanks to GTA VI, revenue from game console sales, specifically physical and digital editions (excluding microtransactions, subscriptions, and other services), will spike by 17.5%. No other business model this year is expected to achieve such rapid growth.
- Overall, revenue from console games (including both game editions’ sales and all other sources) in 2026 is expected to reach $46.9 billion, a 5.1% increase from last year.
- Analysts estimate PC game revenue to reach $45.9 billion (+5.3%), while mobile games are projected to bring in $121.1 billion (+6.8%).
- The Asia-Pacific region will spend the most on games, with $100.7 billion (+6%). Gamers in North America will rank second in spending, at $56.9 billion (+5.4%). However, spending will grow fastest in the Middle East and Africa, rising by 10.3% to $8.5 billion.
- The number of gamers worldwide will continue to grow, though not as rapidly as before. Newzoo estimates that by the end of 2026, there will be 3.7 billion gamers (+4.2%). By 2029, this number is expected to reach 4.07 billion.
- As of 2026, the vast majority of gamers (3.1 billion people) play on mobile devices at least occasionally. Another 977 million play games, including on PCs, while 651 million play on consoles.