By Ulises Gil, journalist at G&M News.
Well-recognized market research company Newzoo has released an updated outlook for the global games market in 2025, revising its earlier projections upward. The firm now expects total gaming revenues to reach USD 197 billion, representing a 7.5% increase year-on-year, significantly higher than its previous forecast of USD 188.8 billion.
According to Newzoo, this improved outlook is largely the result of stronger-than-expected performance on PC and mobile platforms, supported by a solid slate of premium releases, resilient engagement across evergreen titles, and sustained monetization throughout the year.
Looking further ahead, Newzoo maintains that the global games market could reach USD 206.5 billion by 2028, underlining continued long-term growth despite a more competitive and mature industry landscape.
PC leads growth while mobile retains dominant revenue share
PC gaming is now expected to be the fastest-growing segment in 2025, with revenues projected to rise 10.4% year-on-year to USD 43 billion. Newzoo attributes this growth to premium titles outperforming releases from the previous year, reinforcing the platform’s importance for high-value content.
Mobile gaming will continue to hold the largest share of global revenues, with the segment forecast to generate USD 108 billion in 2025, up 7.7% compared to last year. This marks the second consecutive year of growth for mobile, driven by a combination of new launches and long-standing live-service games.
In terms of players, mobile remains the most widely adopted platform, with the global mobile player base expected to reach 3 billion users, reflecting year-on-year growth of approximately 4.5%.
Console growth moderates despite major releases
Console revenues are projected to grow at a more modest pace, increasing 4.2% year-on-year to approximately USD 45 billion in 2025. While major franchises and sports titles continue to perform strongly, Newzoo notes that consoles face increasing competition for time and spending from PC and mobile ecosystems.
The company highlights that pricing strategies, predictable release cycles, and flagship launches remain key factors sustaining console revenues, even as overall growth slows relative to other platforms.
Console audiences are expected to grow 2.5% to around 645 million players, making consoles the slowest-growing platform in terms of user base, while PC players are forecast to increase 3.1% to approximately 936 million users.
Paying players and global distribution
Newzoo estimates that the number of paying players will reach 1.6 billion in 2025, representing 44% of the total global player base, with an average annual spend of USD 119.7 per paying user.
Geographically, the United States and China are expected to continue dominating consumer spending, together accounting for around 50% of total global games revenue, reinforcing their strategic importance for publishers and developers alike.
A comprehensive view of the market through 2028
Newzoo’s Global Games Market Report 2025 offers a comprehensive overview of the industry’s evolution, including platform-level revenue forecasts, player and payer projections across PC, console, and mobile, regional breakdowns, and thematic insights.
The 67-page free version of the report provides market estimates and forecasts for over 100 countries, alongside in-depth genre-level data for 35 key markets, enabling companies to assess opportunities, prioritize global rollouts, and define realistic growth strategies through 2028.