Global Games Market Report 2025

Free Version
Global Games
Market Report
Released September 2025
2025

Contents
00
01
29
31
41
43
45
03
09
03 47 The games market per region and country
#1 Play it again: Revisiting the past for modern success
#2 Modernizing release windows: Data -driven launch insights
#3 The $80 dilemma: A new price ceiling or too soon?
#4 The long game: How post -launch content fuels engagement
#5 Unboxing Roblox: User trends, genre insights, and strategic fit
Special focus topics 02 27
Foreword
The global games market
Players and payers
Revenues
Genre revenues
11
15
20
2
04
05
54
64
Methodology and terminology
Work with Newzoo

0
Foreword
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A new chapter
This year’s free edition of the Global Games Market Report marks a personal milestone, my first edition as
Newzoo’s Director of Market Intelligence. Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of working
alongside our team of seasoned experts, whose deep market knowledge and dedication have shaped
every page of this report. Together, we’ve refined our approach to make this report more relevant,
insightful, and valuable.
Our focus has been on quality over quantity. We’ve aimed for clarity, impactful storytelling, and a strong
balance between narrative, data, and visuals. Rather than covering too many things at a surface level, we’ve
chosen five main topics to explore in greater depth. This approach delivers richer, more strategic
perspectives that capture both the current state of the market and its forward -looking trends.
As always, the report is built on strong data and designed for an engaged, professional audience; readers
looking for answers to the questions that will guide their decisions in a fast -changing industry.
We’re excited for you to read this year’s free edition and, as ever, we welcome your feedback.

Excelsior!
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This year’s Global Games Market Report marks the start
of a new chapter, one with sharper focus and deeper
insights.
Emmanuel Rosier
Director of Market Intelligence

5
We are excited to welcome you to this year’s free
edition of the Global Games Market Report,
Newzoo’s premier publication and guide to our
platform’s Games Market Reports & Forecasts
tool.
This report is designed to help you navigate a
market where growth is harder won, but where
opportunities abound for those who act. Whether
you’re seeking to benchmark performance, spot
emerging trends, or plan your next move, we hope
you find the clarity, depth, and strategic angle you
need.
Finally, I want to thank the Newzoo team for their
dedication and expertise in making this report
come alive.
Key themes this year:
✓ Moderate audience growth :The global player
base will reach 3.6 billion in 2025 (+4.4% YoY),
but the share of the online population playing
games is plateauing. Payer growth (+4.9%)
continues to outpace revenue growth, leading
to a slight decline in average spend per payer.
✓ Low to moderate all -round growth : Still, 2025
will bring some growth, with all platforms
expected to see between 2% and 6% YoY
growth in players and/or revenues. The market
remains resilient and full of opportunity for
those who adapt.
✓ Platform dynamics :PC and console are, or will,
see renewed momentum, with PC player
growth outpacing mobile and console. Cross –
platform releases, new hardware cycles, and
the anticipation of titles like Grand Theft Auto
VIare reshaping the competitive landscape.
The paid version of the report includes five
detailed special focus topics. Over the coming
months, we will share extracts of three of these
topics. The five topics we analyzed are:
✓ Remakes and remasters : Reviving classic IPs
has become a proven strategy for extending
franchise lifecycles, generating reliable
revenue, tapping into nostalgia, and
strengthening brand value.
✓ Release timing and launch strategies : The
timing of a game’s release, early access period,
and platform exclusivity are crucial in
maximizing player engagement and sales.
✓ Game pricing and value perception : Pricing,
genre, and content length are key factors in
how players perceive value. As development
costs rise, publishers must carefully balance
accessibility, profitability, and player
expectations.
✓ Post -launch content and long -tail
monetization : DLC, expansions, and ongoing
updates are essential for sustaining
engagement and revenue and helping to
extend the commercial life of new games and
remasters.
✓ Roblox, UGC, and the platform ecosystem :
The growth of Roblox and user -generated
content is reshaping how players engage and
how IP is built, signaling a shift toward more
creator -driven, platform -centric models in the
industry.
Foreword
Michiel Buijsman
Principal Market Analyst
michiel@newzoo.com
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6
Contributors
Michiel Buijsman
Principal Market Analyst
Tianyi Gu
Manager Market Analysis
Tomofumi Kuzuhara
Sr. Data Analyst
Michael Wagner
Sr. Market Analyst
Brett Hunt
Market Analyst
Tiago Reis
Market Analyst
Emmanuel Rosier
Director of Market Intelligence
Mehmet Şahin
Jr. Game Analyst
Horatiu Mitu
Director of Marketing
Danjing Zhou
Sr. Digital Marketing Manager
Inez Anema
Jr. Designer
Michal Kulijewicz
Jr. Game Analyst
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7
What’s in this report
The free Global Games Market Report 2025 is a preview of Newzoo’s Games Market Reports and Forecasts
subscription . In these pages, you’ll find:
✓ The overall growth of the global games market in 2025, with an outlook through 2028.
✓ Our global total player and total revenue forecasts from 2022 to 2028.
✓ Platform -level revenue forecasts (PC, console, mobile) through 2028.
✓ Extracts of three analyses of the special focus topics, which we will release monthly:
o September: Modernizing release windows: Data -driven launch insights — release timing, early
access best practices, and how attrition unfolds after launch.
o October: Unboxing Roblox: User trends, genre insights, and strategic fit — how Roblox’s
creator -driven ecosystem opens new opportunities for traditional game developers.
o November: The long game: How post -launch content fuels engagement — how standalone
titles evolve with live -service -like strategies.
✓ Our methodology, terminology, and data coverage.
This report is updated quarterly, so be sure to check back to the Newzoo website for new key estimates
and forecasts.
Subscribe to our Games Market Reports and Forecasts for
the complete picture
This free edition is a condensed version of our annual flagship market report, available on the Newzoo
Platform as part of the Games Market Reports and Forecasts subscription, which also contains all the data
and a powerful toolkit for visualizing and analyzing it.
Newzoo’s complete Games Market Reports and Forecasts includes:
✓ The full 199 -page edition of the Global Games Market Report 2025 and three quarterly updates with up –
to-date market estimates and forecasts.
✓ Region – and country -level data for 100 markets, including revenues and payers, big spenders, and
highly engaged players per platform.
✓ The complete dataset available as an Excel file, updated quarterly.
✓ Key statistics on seven game ecosystems: Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Nintendo, Xbox,
Android, and iOS.
✓ Data -driven insights into the essential market trends and more in -depth topics shaping the future of our
global ecosystem, updated quarterly.
✓ Report Data Tools for analyzing the dataset across more than 50 metrics.
✓ Dedicated client support and market analysts to help you navigate the insights.
Get the complete games market picture with Newzoo’s Games Market
Reports and Forecasts subscription. Find out more
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Explore the data and insights
powering this report
We use data from our product portfolio and proprietary sources
to inform our market analysis and industry expertise.
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Games Market Reports & Forecasts
Discover the games market sizing & forecasts for
100+ countries and the key trends on a global and local level.
STORE INSIGHTS
Business & Store Intelligence
Optimize your storefront presence and track your games’
marketing and sales performance on PlayStation, Steam, and Xbox.
8
CONTACT SALES
CONTACT SALES
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GAMER RESEARCH
Global Gamer Study
Access the largest and deepest gamer survey in the world,
profiling tens of thousands of gamers worldwide yearly.
Game Health Tracker
Track title -level demographics, consumer insights, and weekly
awareness, hype, and purchase intent.
GAMES DATA
Game Performance Monitor
Unlock title -level engagement and revenue data for
thousands of PC and console games.
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1
The global games market
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The global games market
Key takeaways
2025 will see moderate but stable growth in both players and payers, especially in mobile -first emerging
regions, but the global market is still maturing. The focus continues to shift to retention and more innovative
monetization, with payer growth outpacing revenue growth, a slight decline in average spend per payer
expected through 2028.
✓ The global player base is projected to reach 3.6 billion in 2025 (+4.4% YoY), representing 61.5% of
the world’s online population. The total player share relative to the online population will stagnate.
• PC: 936 million players, up 3.1% year on year
• Console: 645 million players, up 2.5% year on year
• Mobile: 3.0 billion players, up 4.5% year on year
✓ Based on Newzoo’s Global Gamer Study , Gen Alpha (born 2010+) is an increasing share of the player
base , especially on PC.
✓ Global Steam players will continue to outgrow the larger PC player population with momentum in
China and Japan.
✓ Total global revenue is expected to reach $188.8 billion in 2025 (+3.4% YoY)
• PC revenues will reach $39.9 billion (+2.5% YoY), driven by continued player growth, especially in
China and Japan, and a strong release slate in H1 and upcoming titles in H2.
• Console revenues are forecast at $45.9 billion (+5.5% YoY), with growth fueled by the launch of new
hardware (Nintendo Switch 2), higher software prices, and major releases.
• Mobile revenues will hit $103.0 billion (+2.9% YoY), with the strongest growth in mobile -first growth
regions but lower growth in Asia -Pacific. The Western markets are adapting to new direct -to-
consumer models, while regulatory changes impact business worldwide.
The premium edition of this report, available as part of a Games Market Reports and Forecasts subscription,
goes further into detail on these figures, while also providing the latest estimates and forecasts by region,
business model, and game genre, as well as the top titles per genre.
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11
Players and payers
1
1
2 3
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12
Players
✓ The total number of players is expected to slightly outgrow the online population, which is expected to
grow by 3.8% year over year to 5.8 billion in 2025. This means that 61.5% of the global population with
internet access will play games on at least one platform, with most players on mobile devices.
✓ Between 2025 and 2028, the average total player and online population growth is expected to be 3.3%
annually. The total player share relative to the online population will stagnate , confirming the games
market’s maturity and the necessity of retaining and monetizing the existing audiences.
Global player forecast
2022 – 2028F
PC players
936M
26% of all players
3,159M 3,280M 3,427M 3,578M 3,711M 3,835M 3,948M
2022 2023 2024 2025F 2026F 2027F 2028F
2025 Total players 3.6 billion ( 4.4% YoY )
Console players
645M
18% of all players
Mobile players
2,985M
83% of all players
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✓ The steady PC player growth is only slightly below last year’s 3.4%. It is expected to grow with a 2.9%
CAGR between 2025 and 2028 , higher than the 2.1% CAGR between 2022 and 2025.
✓ The global Steam players have and will outgrow the larger PC player population with momentum in
China and Japan . Both outpace the more saturated Western regions.
✓ Epic’s Year in Review data showed a gradual slowdown in net new user adoption , indicating the
platform is entering a more mature growth phase.
13
2025 PC players
✓ With 2.5% growth in 2025, it is the slowest -growing platform , as it is mostly saturated.
• There is growth in platform overlap for all three platforms among those born after 1981.
✓ Player growth in the traditional console markets is expected to be low , whereas China’s smaller
market is poised for more growth. After two years of decline, we expect modest growth in Japan due to
the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2.
✓ Similar player growth is expected for 2026 when Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch. The
game is expected to lead to an increased upgrade rate for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S among
existing players and lapsed gamers waiting for a reason to buy a new device and return.
26% of all players
936 million ( 3.1% YoY )
2025 Console players
18% of all players
645 million ( 2.5% YoY )
2025 Mobile players
83% of all players
3.0 billion ( 4.5% YoY )
✓ Mobile -first regions are still a growth engine , but mobile player growth in Canada, most of Europe, and
Oceania should not be ignored. Player growth in the United States will lag, while player numbers in
France, Italy, and Poland look like they will slightly contract.
✓ Economic pressure, slower upgrade cycles, and aggressive mid -range Android competition erode
iOS share in key markets like Brazil, Mexico, France, and even the U.S., where its growth has plateaued.
✓ Meanwhile, Chinese OEMs like Xiaomi and Realme are expanding rapidly , leveraging affordability,
local manufacturing, and retail saturation to capture mobile players across Europe, the Middle East &
Northern Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Get the full analysis for PC, console, and mobile players
with Newzoo’s Games Market Reports and Forecasts subscription.
Take the product tour
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14
Total players by region
2025F
+4.4%
YoY
3,578M
2025 Total
53%
7%
11%
13%
16%
+6.8% YoY
595M
Middle East & Africa
+2.3% YoY
465M
Europe
+4.5% YoY
372M
Latin America
+2.4% YoY
249M
North America
+4.5% YoY
1,896M
Asia -Pacific
Global player growth is expected to be around 4.4% to 3.6 billion players.
✓ Latin America and Asia -Pacific are expected to grow on par with the global player base, both up by
4.5% year over year. In Latin America, all platform players will grow, but console will lag. Whereas in the
Asia -Pacific, local nuances exist.
✓ Growth in mature North America and Europe is expected to slow to around 2.3% this year, slightly
down compared to 2024. Lower population growth and an aging population limit growth.
✓ Mobile -first Middle East & Africa will outgrow the other regions with 6.8% year over year , but growth
is more widely spread across the different platforms.
2025 Total payers
44% of total players
1.6 billion ( 4.9% YoY )
Payers
✓ The willingness to spend keeps growing among the global gamer population.
✓ With the 4.9% growth this year, it is outpacing the 4.4% total player growth.
✓ Total revenues are expected to grow 3.4% in 2025 to $188.8 billion, and the average spending per
paying gamer will be $119.7 .
Get the full 7 -year forecast for PC, console, and mobile payers
with Newzoo’s Games Market Reports and Forecasts subscription.
Take the product tour
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15
Revenues
1 2
2
3
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Global revenue by platform
16
The global market by platform
Global revenue by platform
2022 – 2028F
20% 21% 21% 21% 21% 21% 21%
55% 54% 55% 55% 54% 53% 53%
25% 25% 24% 24% 25% 26% 26% $173.8 Bn $176.8 Bn $182.5 Bn $188.8 Bn $196.1 Bn $201.6 Bn $206.5 Bn
2022 2023 2024 2025F 2026F 2027F 2028F
2025F
21%
55%
24%
+2.5% YoY
$39.9Bn
PC
+2.9% YoY
$103.0Bn
Mobile
+5.5% YoY
$45.9Bn
Console
+3.4%
YoY
$188.8Bn
2025 Total
+2.8%
+3.0%
CAGR Console Mobile PC
’22-’25 2.0% 2.7% 4.1%
’25-’28 4.7% 2.2% 3.3%
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2025 PC revenues
21% of total revenues
$39.9 billion ( 2.5% YoY )
2025 Console revenues
24% of total revenues
$45.9 billion ( 5.5% YoY )
The global PC market is projected to grow by 2.5% to $39.9 billion in 2025. While the smaller Middle East
and Africa will grow the fastest, Asia -Pacific is projected to grow by 3.1%.
Growth drivers:
✓ China is expected to grow by 3.1% YoY in 2025 , driven by expanding Steam adoption, full -year
revenue from popular 2024 releases, returning Activision Blizzard titles, and esports engagement.
✓ Growth is expected due to a richer H1 release slate , compared to the same period last year, including
highly anticipated and acclaimed titles like Monster Hunter Wilds , Kingdom Come: Deliverance II ,
Assassin’s Creed Shadows , and multiple smaller titles.
Challenges:
✓ Despite strong new releases in early 2025, overall revenue was tempered by the continued success of
2024 hits Palworld and Helldivers 2 , which performed strongly during the same time last year.
✓ Long -standing live -service games (e.g., League of Legends , Rainbow Six: Siege , and Apex Legends )
declined , while growth for The Sims 4 and Counter -Strike 2 could not fully offset the downturn .
The global console market is projected to grow by 5.5% YoY to $45.9 billion in 2025. Asia -Pacific, driven by
Japan, will see the fastest growth. North America is expected to grow by 5.4% YoY.
Growth drivers:
✓ The Nintendo Switch 2 launch boosted global revenues after Nintendo’s late -cycle slowdown.
✓ Despite a light -looking content lineup, higher software prices (e.g., Mario Kart World ) will enable
revenue growth.
✓ Growth is strongest in regions where Switch has been popular, like Eastern Asia and France .
✓ 2025 features major releases like, but not limited to, Monster Hunter Wilds ,Kingdom Come: Deliverance
II, Mario Kart World , and Pokémon Legends: Z -A.
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2025 Mobile revenues
55% of total revenues
$103.0 billion ( 2.9% YoY )
The global mobile market growth is projected to slow to 2.9% and reach $103.0 billion in 2025. Asia -Pacific
is expected to grow by 1.5% year on year. Off -app store traffic is expected to grow, and D2C monetization
will improve and diversify. This changes revenue distribution but does not lead to market growth.
Growth drivers:
✓ Top -grossing 2024 titles are expected to perform well in 2025, though some slowdown is likely as
titles age.
✓ Roblox continues strong growth into 2025 , with its discovery algorithm now rewarding social play.
✓ Match & Merge games remain highly successful , especially in North America. Royal Match and Royal
Kingdom are off to a strong start. Match Factory and Merge titles like Gossip Harbor, Seaside Escape ,
and Travel Town are also growing.
✓ New and upcoming releases such as Delta Force Mobile , Once Human Mobile , VALORANT Mobile , and
Umamusume: Pretty Derby (English version) are and will drive engagement and downloads .
Challenges:
✓ Discoverability remains a major issue as app stores and web shops are flooded with new games. In
addition, content is increasingly scattered across platforms , which may eventually lead to more
curated catalogs.
Get the full 7 -year forecast & analysis for PC, console, and mobile
with Newzoo’s Games Market Reports and Forecasts subscription.
Take the product tour
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19
Global revenue by region
The global market by region
2025F
46%
28%
4%
18%
4%
+7.5% YoY
$7.1Bn
Middle East & Africa
+3.6% YoY
$33.1Bn
Europe
+6.4% YoY
$8.3Bn
Latin America
+4.2% YoY
$52.7Bn
North America
+2.3% YoY
$87.6Bn
Asia -Pacific
+3.4%
YoY
$188.8Bn
2025 Total
Get the full 7 -year forecast per region with Newzoo’s Games Market Reports
and Forecasts subscription.
Take the product tour
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20
Genre revenues
1 2 3
3
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23%
Adventure
Role Playing
-5.0% YoY
$9.0Bn
Shooter Other
Battle Royale
21
Genre revenues
This section explores how genre revenues in the global games market evolved in 2025. It compares revenue
shares and dollar amounts (in USD) with those from 2024. It also includes top titles tables for each genre by
platform, highlighting some of the biggest revenue contributors.
PC genre revenues
The global PC market is expected to reach $39.9 billion with a projected growth rate of 2.5%. While some
genres experienced growth driven by a few hit titles, this often came at the expense of others. Compared
to console, PC revenues by genre are less concentrated.
Simulation
Global PC revenues by genre
2025F
+2.5%
YoY
$39.9Bn
2025 Total
Get even more PC revenue and growth figures per genre with Newzoo’s
Games Market Reports and Forecasts subscription.
Find out more
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22
Top 5 PC titles per genre by revenue
PC | 6 markets | January – June 2025
Shooter Role Playing Adventure Simulation Battle Royale
Counter -Strike 2 & GO Monster Hunter Wilds R.E.P.O. The Sims 4 Fortnite
1
2
3
4
5
Source: Newzoo Game Performance Monitor – Revenue Add -on
Full Access
Get more title -level engagement and revenue data for 10,000+ games
with Newzoo’s Game Performance Monitor.
Find out more
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23
Console genre revenues
Console revenues are projected to grow by 5.5% year over year between 2024 and 2025, reaching $45.9
billion. Moreover, the console platform is the most concentrated.
Get even more up -to-date revenue and growth figures per genre
with Newzoo’s Games Market Reports and Forecasts subscription.
Find out more
23%
Adventure
Role Playing
Other
Battle Royale
Shooter
+3.5% YoY
$10.6Bn
Sports
Global console revenues by genre
2025F
+5.5%
YoY
$45.9Bn
2025 Total
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Sports Adventure Role Playing Shooter Battle Royale
EA Sports FC 25 Assassin’s Creed Shadows Monster Hunter Wilds Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II/III/ Warzone/Black Ops 6
Fortnite
24
Top 5 console titles per genre by revenue
1
2
3
4
5
PlayStation & Xbox | 6 markets | January – June 2025
Source: Newzoo Game Performance Monitor – Revenue Add -on
Get more title -level engagement and revenue data for 10,000+ games
with Newzoo’s Game Performance Monitor.
Find out more
Full Access
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18%
25
Mobile genre revenues
Mobile gaming revenues are projected to reach $103.0 billion in 2025, reflecting a year -over -year growth
rate of 2.9%. Compared to the PC and console platforms, mobile exhibits a lower revenue concentration
among the top five genres, with the remaining genres collectively accounting for one -third of total
revenues. Newzoo does not include advertising revenues.
Puzzle
Strategy
-14.7% YoY
$18.7Bn
Role Playing
Other
Battle Royale
Casino
Global mobile revenues by genre
2025F
+2.9%
YoY
$103.0Bn
2025 Total
Get even more up -to-date revenue and growth figures per genre
with Newzoo’s Games Market Reports and Forecasts subscription.
Find out more
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Role Playing Strategy Puzzle Casino Battle Royale
Pokémon GO Whiteout Survival Royal Match Coin Master PUBG
Top mobile titles per genre by revenue
26
App Store & Google Play | 72 markets | January – June 2025
1
2
3
4
5
Source: AppTweak
Full Access
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2
Special focus topics
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Deep dives into the industry’s
most important debates
Every year, our market analysts and consultants choose several topics to explore in considerable detail .
These special focus topics revolve around bigger questions in gaming and strategic challenges facing the
entire industry, providing studios with in -depth, actionable analysis based on a deep understanding of the
market coupled with Newzoo data.
In the full report, we cover the following subjects:
✓ Play it again : Revisiting the past for modern success — why remakes and remasters are thriving as cost –
effective, cross -generational strategies.
✓ Modernizing release windows : Data -driven launch insights — release timing, early access best
practices, and how attrition unfolds after launch.
✓ The $80 dilemma : A new price ceiling or too soon? — how rising prices affect engagement, and where
premium titles succeed or fail.
✓ The long game : How post -launch content fuels engagement — how standalone titles are evolving with
live -service -like strategies.
✓ Unboxing Roblox : User trends, genre insights, and strategic fit — how Roblox’s creator -driven
ecosystem opens new opportunities for traditional game developers.
In this free edition, you’ll be able to read excerpts from three of these topics , released one per month
starting in September. You can already read Special Focus Topic no.2: Modernizing release windows. The
full set of special focus topics —along with all supporting data and analysis —is available exclusively to
Games Market Reports & Forecasts subscribers.
Subscribe to the Newzoo Newsletter
and get alerts for each new topic release
28 back to contents 28 back to contents
Unlock all special focus topic analyses with Newzoo’s Games Market Reports
and Forecasts subscription.
Take the product tour

29
Play it again: Revisiting
the past for modern success
Special focus topics
3 4 5 1
1
2
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30
Introduction
The video game industry is undergoing a strategic shift, driven by economic pressures and evolving
player expectations. Simultaneously, industry standards are becoming more uniform, and backwards
compatibility is now central to platform strategy. While graphical fidelity was once a major focus, players
now prioritize gameplay, narrative, and innovation over visuals.
This has opened the door to a new generation of remakes and remasters (RRs) as IP lifespan is extended by
sharing them across console generations and to newer audiences. Publishers are increasingly relying on
outsourced development and asset reuse —especially for established IP —to cut costs and reduce risk.
This special focus topic examines the data behind these shifts , focusing on cross -generational RRs . While
we’ll briefly cover success factors and requirements, the main goal is to understand performance trends
and audience behavior —and what they reveal about the future of game development and IP.
The complete special focus topic covers:
✓ Understanding remakes & remasters, their value proposition , and their audience .
✓ Performance analysis of recent remakes & remasters and key success factors.
✓ Case studies of four remakes and remasters and insights into how classic titles are
reinterpreted for modern audiences.
✓ The strategic implications for studios considering executing a remake or remaster
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Unlock the full analysis of this special focus topic with Newzoo’s Games Market
Reports and Forecasts subscription.
Take the product tour

31
Modernizing release windows:
Data – driven launch insights
Special focus topics
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3 4 5 1 2
2

32
Introduction
10-15 years ago, the adage of “Just make a good game” generally held true. However, as game engines
and other development tools became more accessible; we have seen an exponential increase in new
game releases.
This shift has sparked broader discussions around discoverability. While it’s difficult to quantify the
marketing efforts behind every game, we can reduce the guesswork by focusing on a few data -driven
factors that shape a successful release strategy.
Key takeaways
✓ Antiquated thinking around the holiday release timing has led to cannibalization of sales as H1 releases
(Feb -May) performed, on average, 34% better than those released in the more crowded H2 (Aug –
Nov).
✓ Early Access release titles that launch within six months of their Early Access release tend to perform
significantly better in new player acquisition and reactivating existing players.
✓ Games that are released exclusively on either PC or PlayStation can expect to see more than 85% of
their player base come from that platform , while simultaneous releases see a much more even split
across platforms.
✓ Most player attrition occurs within the first four weeks and flattens by week 12. Longer main stories
reduce player attrition, and games with more management and simulation elements retain more
players over the long term.
Scope & definitions
✓ Scope is limited to single -player titles released between January 2021 and December 2024 .
✓ Launch timing analysis only includes initial releases ; ports released later on other platforms are
excluded.
✓ Xbox titles available on Game Pass within their first three months are excluded from the analysis.
✓ Price -based tiering (MSRP as proxy for game scale)
• Used to frame pricing context —not as a perfect indicator, but as a practical heuristic:
• $30 and under → Indie
• $31 –$50 → AA
• $51 and above → AAA
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33
What is the impact of release timing throughout the year?
To answer this question, we looked at the average player count for the first 3 months from launch for
thousands of single -player games ; from indie to AAA titles. We chose this 3 -month period to measure the
immediate impact of releases by reducing the role that discounting has in increasing players. For this
analysis, we focused our attention on AAA games , where certain trends immediately stood out.
AAA titles drive the bulk of monthly player counts, typically clustering around September –November and
February -March . But a closer look reveals that this strategy may be doing more harm than good.
Average first 3 -month player count per single -player title by release month
PC, PlayStation, Xbox | 37 markets | 2021 -2024
Source: Newzoo Game Performance Monitor | 37 markets (excluding China & India)
0.5 M
1.0 M
1.5 M
2.0 M
2.5 M
3.0 M
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug* Sep Oct Nov Dec Average first 3
-month player count
(per title)
Month of release Indie AA AAA
11 22 14 7 7 8 7 12 19 21 18 9 AAA titles
released
Hogwarts Legacy and
Elden Ring make up 55%
of February average
Baldur’s Gate 3
makes up half of
August’s totals
Note: Due to lack of Chinese engagement data, Black Myth: Wukong would likely cause August’s
engagement numbers to significantly increase.
Early year releases(Feb -May) perform 34% better than those released late in the year (Aug -Nov), on
average:
✓ August shows a major spike in player counts
• Driven primarily by Baldur’s Gate 3 , which accounts for over half of August’s AAA total
• Removing it brings August’s average in line with Octobers average
✓ February is similarly inflated
• Elden Ring and Hogwarts Legacy make up 55% of total February engagement
• Without them, February resembles May, a mid -tier month in terms of performance
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+34% avg. first 3 -month player count in Feb -May vs Aug -Nov

34
This means nearly half of all single -player titles launched during this three -month window each year
from 2021 -2024, resulting in avoidable cannibalization of players as publishers compete over the same
time and wallet share.
Aug -Nov releases performed 34% worse, on average, compared to February -May. Even when
excluding smash hits like Elden Ring and Hogwarts Legacy from our analysis, late -year titles still
underperform by 25%.
Multiplayer games face even greater risk
Though this analysis focused on single -player titles, preliminary data suggests the trend holds for
multiplayer games as well —a troubling sign for titles that heavily rely on early momentum to build
communities.
The industry’s long -standing fixation on the holiday window is not just outdated, it’s counterproductive. For
both single -player and multiplayer games, releasing in less crowded months, especially Q2, can
significantly improve visibility and long -term performance .
PC
Average first 3 -month player count per title by release month
PC | 37 markets | 2021 -2024
0.5 M
1.0 M
1.5 M
2.0 M
2.5 M
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average first 3
-month player count
(per title)
Month of release
Indie AA AAA
10 22 12 6 7 8 7 12 18 21 18 9 AAA titles
released
~52% of February is
driven by Elden Ring
and Hogwarts Legacy
~64% of February
is driven by Baldur’s Gate 3
Source: Newzoo Game Performance Monitor | 37 markets (excluding China & India)
Full Access
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Key months are more crowded than they appear
✓ August releases (excluding Baldur’s Gate 3 ) all launched after August 20
✓ November titles all launched before November 17
Get the full release timing analysis including platform breakdowns (PC,
PlayStation, and Xbox) with Newzoo’s Games Market Reports and Forecasts
subscription. Find out more

35
How long should a game remain in Early Access before full
release (v1.0)?
Early Access has become a widely used release model, particularly for indie studios looking to offset
development costs, gather feedback, and build early awareness. While traditionally associated with
smaller teams, several AA and AAA titles, like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Sons of the Forest , have also used Early
Access to great effect.
Scope
This analysis focuses on titles that launched in Early Access between January 2021 and December 2024 and
completed a v1.0 release within that period. (Note: Baldur’s Gate 3 falls outside this window and is not
included in the dataset.)
Average 3 -month new player count per title after v1.0 launch by Early Access length
PC, PlayStation, Xbox | 37 markets | 2021 -2024
0.0M
0.5M
1.0M
1.5M
2.0M
4-6 7-9 10-12 13-15 16-18 19-21 22-24 25-27 28-30 30+
Average number of players in first 3 months
(per title)
Months between Early Access and v1.0
Source: Newzoo Game Performance Monitor | 37 markets (excluding China & India)
Six -month Early Access windows perform best
✓ Best length of Early Access for new players at full release is between 4 -9 months
• Performance peaks at ~6 months in Early Access
✓ These games likely benefited from:
• A polished foundation at Early Access launch
• Iterative tuning via player feedback
✓ Early Access is effectively used as a pre -launch marketing runway for visibility
✓ New MAU in 22 -24 months driven solely by:
• V Rising
• Ready or Not
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36
Average first 3 -month new player count comparison: v1.0 launch vs. Early Access, by Early
Access length
PC, PlayStation, Xbox | 37 markets | 2021 -2024
Source: Newzoo Game Performance Monitor | 37 markets (excluding China & India)
Full launches often fail to surpass Early Access momentum
✓ Most titles saw minimal or negative player growth at v1.0 compared to their Early Access debut
✓ Only games with ~6 -months or less Early Access cycles showed consistent v1.0 growth
Outliers can skew perception ( Dave the Diver )
✓ Spent 8 months in Early Access
✓ Gained 50K players during Early Access but exploded to 1.5M players post -launch
✓ When removed from the dataset, other 8 -month titles show marginal gains at best
-3.0M
-2.5M
-2.0M
-1.5M
-1.0M
-0.5M
0.0M
0.5M
1.0M
1.5M
Differences in number of players in first 3 months
(per title)
Months between Early Access and v1.0
4-6 7-9 19-21 25 -27 30+ 28 -30 15-18 22 -24 13-15 10-12
36
Full Access
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Forecasts subscription.
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37
How does platform exclusivity influence player share
compared to cross -platform launches?
While platform exclusivity is becoming less common, its effect on player acquisition and engagement
remain important. However, the available data comes with caveats and requires a segmented approach.
We looked at the release performance by number of players across the first 3 months from launch for
games released simultaneously across different platforms to gauge each platform’s contribution and
compared the numbers to games where the port to the secondary platform was staggered .
Xbox titles excluded due to day -and -date strategy
✓ Xbox games nearly always launch simultaneously with PC
✓ As a result, there is insufficient data to evaluate Xbox to PC releases
Directional trends in staggered release strategy
PC to PlayStation
✓ Primarily indie and AA games
✓ Often delayed due to resource constraints
✓ When indie and AA titles launch simultaneously on PC and Playstation , PC attracted 61% of players in
the first 3 months, compared to PlayStation’s 39%.
✓ When indie and AA titles launch first on PC, and later PlayStation, they see significantly lower
engagement on console (just 11% of total players recorded for the first 3 months across initial platform
and port)
• 14 of 22 titles achieved less than 10% of their initial 3 -month players
• Three titles got higher than 50% of their first 3 -month players
• Nine Sols (52%)
• Dave the Diver (52%) – Launched on PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium
• Teardown (69%) – Launched on PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium
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AA and indie games – comparing PC to PlayStation port vs simultaneous release
Platforms contribution towards total number of players recorded in first 3 months from both releases
61%
89%
39%
11%
Simultaneous launch
Staggered port
% of total players in first 3 months from main release + port
PC (main) PlayStation (port)
Source: Newzoo Game Performance Monitor | 37 markets (excluding China & India)

38
PlayStation to PC
✓ Almost always AAA titles
✓ Staggered for strategic revenue capture
• PlayStation exclusives ported to PC also underperform relative to their original platform, but less
dramatically
• On average, PC ports only contributed 13% of the total players across the first 3 months of both
releases.
• No major difference between first party (12%) and third -party (13%) PlayStation titles
• Exception: The Last of Us Part I Remaster
• Outperformed its PlayStation release on PC
• Likely due to:
• Latent demand from PC -only audiences
• Release timing tied to the HBO series premiere
• First PC launch for the franchise
• Launched with “Mostly Negative” Steam reviews due to performance issues
AAA games – comparing PlayStation to PC port vs simultaneous release
Platforms contribution towards total number of players recorded in first 3 months from both releases
56%
87%
44%
13%
Simultaneous launch
Staggered port
% of total players in first 3 months from main release + port
PlayStation (main) PC (port)
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Source: Newzoo Game Performance Monitor | 37 markets (excluding China & India)

39
Once a game is released, what is the attrition rate
of players to plan future discounts and content?
Player attrition is inevitable but understanding when players leave is essential for post -launch planning,
whether that be sales opportunities or new content planning, if this is desired.
First, we will start with a baseline to understand what a title’s average attrition would be for single -player
titles of the games in our panel.
Weekly active users by number of weeks available | Singer -player titles
PC, PlayStation, Xbox | 37 markets | 2021 -2024
+1%
-21%
-18%
-13%
-9% -5% -4% -3% -3% -2% -2% -1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
% of active players from release week
Weeks after release
Source: Newzoo Game Performance Monitor | 37 markets (excluding China & India)
The baseline retention curve for single -player games
✓ Week 1 → Week 2 : Engagement remains relatively stable
✓ Week 2 → Week 5 : Engagement drops sharply (almost 60%) before leveling off
✓ Week 6 → Week 12 : Most titles reach a stable baseline
✓ After Week 12 : Decline by roughly -1% per week
Engagement during this period is most influenced by the amount of content available at launch.
Get the full attrition rate analysis including breakdowns per game length,
genre, and scale(indie vs AA vs AAA) with Newzoo’s Games Market Reports and
Forecasts subscription. Find out more
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40
Summary of key insights and strategic implications
Theme Key insight Strategic implication
Release window
optimization
H2 launches (Aug -Nov) cannibalize
one another; H1, especially Q2,
out -performs crowded H2
by ~34%, on average.
Consider moving titles out of Q3/Q4
into Q2 or other quiet months to
maximize visibility and engagement.
Too few data points in July to know if it
should be universally avoided.
Early access
duration
Titles leaving Early Access within 4 –
9months (sweet -spot ≈6months)
gain the highest new -player lift at v1.0;
longer Early Access cycles see
diminished re -activation.
Treat Early Access as a pre -launch
marketing campaign, not an
open -ended dev phase. Longer
durations can work if they are planned
with clear timelines of when players
can expect v1.0.
Launch platform
strategy
Staggered releases capture only ~13%
of the player count on the second
platform; simultaneous releases show
balanced shares ( ≈60/40).
Whenever feasible, launch
simultaneously across platforms. If
porting is unavoidable, expect lower
upside and understand if subscription
options are available on that platform.
Content length fit
Best retention (Weeks 1-8) sits in
21-40 hours main -story range;
80+ hours Sandbox/Sim titles excel
only in the long tail, while shorter games
shed players faster.
Scope core narrative to 20 -40 hours
for mainstream projects; push beyond
that only if depth (e.g., sim/
management) can justify cost
and sustain long -term play.
Player attrition
curve
Engagement is steady in Week 1-2,
then drops ~60% by Week 5 before
flattening; decline slows to ~1% per
week after Week 12.
Time first discounts or updates
between Weeks 5-12. Plan a second
marketing round as the baseline
stabilizes.
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41
The $80 dilemma:
A new price ceiling or too soon?
Special focus topics
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3
3
4 5 1 2

42
Introduction
As development costs and investor expectations rise, so do calls to raise game prices. Five years after the
first $70 titles launched in 2020, some games are testing the $80 mark, sparking pushback from budget –
strapped players. Still, $80 won’t become the standard overnight.
With each price hike, players are likely to scrutinize value more closely, and publishers must carefully assess
whether their games can justify higher pricing. This article explores how pricing affects single -player
engagement and what the data reveals about pricing thresholds, player behavior, and platform dynamics.
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The complete special focus topic covers:
✓ How pricing tiers ($50, $60, $70) shape player engagement , breakout potential, and sales
performance.
✓ Which genres are gaining the most traction across different price points and which ones are
losing ground.
✓ A framework for benchmarking singleplayer games against their peers to optimize price and
engagement
✓ Meeting player expectations of game length based on the cost of a game.
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43
The long game: How post – launch
content fuels engagement
Special focus topics
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3 4
4
5 1 2

44
Introduction
In an industry increasingly driven by long -tail engagement and recurring revenue, the line between single –
player and live -service games’ content has started to blur. We’ve discussed the importance of back
catalogues in the context of historical IP, but our focus now shifts to the support of active titles and getting
the most out of back catalogue content.
Premium spend alone no longer defines a title’s lifecycle. Instead, post -launch content, strategic
discounting, and ongoing community engagement are critical to extending the commercial viability of
older titles.
This edition focuses on how single -player games across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation achieve long -tail
success through these evolving support strategies. This trend complements, but does not directly
address, our Discounting Strategy special focus topic in the 2024 Global Games Market Report.
Future updates may further explore multiplayer live -service models, hybrid economies, and emerging
monetization frameworks, as these continue to evolve and present new opportunities for analysis.
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Newsletter for release alerts.
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The complete special focus topic covers:
✓ The growing role of DLC and how its revenue share evolves over a game’s lifecycle.
✓ How different genres align with specific post -launch strategies and monetization models.
✓ The impact of subscriptions on DLC performance and long -term engagement.
✓ Why post -launch content now defines discoverability, retention, and profitability across the
back catalog .

45
Unboxing Roblox: User trends,
genre insights, and strategic fit
Special focus topics
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3 4 5
5
1 2

46
Introduction
Today, Roblox is no longer just a game platform. It’s a fast -growing ecosystem where Gen Z and Gen Alpha
socialize, create, and play across millions of user -generated experiences. For anyone looking to reach
these audiences, it’s no longer an innovative opportunity; it is a foundational part of the future of gaming
and entertainment.
The platform continues to scale in both audience and monetization:
✓ Nearly 112 million daily active users (DAUs) globally as of Q2 2025, with engagement continuing to rise.
✓ Developer payouts are up 39% year -over -year in Q1 2025 to $281 million , reflecting growing creator
success and platform maturity.
✓ Grow a Garden , a Roblox -native farming sim, recently hit 21.3 million concurrent users ; the highest CCU
ever recorded for a video game across any platform.
To support this momentum, Roblox has made major investments into AI -powered development tools that
streamline the process of building, scripting, animating, and testing. It has also improved its creator
incentives, pricing optimization, regional monetization, and transparent algorithmic discovery.
This special focus topic was developed in collaboration with Gamefam , one of the platform’s largest native
studios and owner of RoMonitor , Roblox ’s leading analytics tracker.
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The complete special focus topic covers:
✓ How Roblox has evolved into a creator -driven entertainment ecosystem with over 100M daily
players , critical for reaching Gen Z and gen Alpha.
✓ Which genres, design patterns, and monetization models define success on the platform.
✓ Why the audience is aging up and what that means for developers targeting teens and young
adults.
✓ How creators and publishers can best enter the ecosystem and scale success .

3
The games market
per region & country
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48
Five regions and 35
countries/markets
This section in the full report covers the games market across five regions (North America, Latin America,
Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and Asia -Pacific) and 35 markets. Each region summary highlights
revenues and audience estimates, and average spend per payer, along with revenue forecasts by platform
through 2028. The detailed country pages provide population, audience, revenue splits, and forecasts.
Please note that data in this chapter will be updated in November 2025 with the release of the November
Quarterly Games Update. If you are reading this report after November 2025, please navigate to the
Newzoo website to check for any new information.
North America Latin America Europe Middle East
& Africa Asia -Pacific
Canada
United States
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Columbia
Mexico
Belgium
Finland
France
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Poland
Spain
Sweden
Egypt
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
Türkiye
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
New Zealand
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam
United
Kingdom
United Arab
Emirates
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Rank Metric Estimate
#4 Population
#4 Online population
#4 Players 372.3M
#4 Payers
#4 Game revenue $8.3Bn
#4 Annual spend/payer
49
Latin America | 2025
A more platform -balanced, mobile -first, and Android -skewed region ranking fourth across all metrics.
✓ Total players: Up 4.5% year over year to 372.3 million.
• 69% of the online population is expected to play on at least one platform.
• Latin America has the fourth -largest player base out of the five regions.
✓ Total payers: Up 5.3% year over year to 170.9 million.
• 46% of the players are expected to spend on at least one platform.
• Latin America has the fourth -largest payer base out of the five regions.
✓ Total revenues: Up 6.4% year over year to $8.3 billion.
• By total revenue, Latin America ranks fourth as well, exceeding the Middle East & Africa.
• The average spend per payer in 2025 is projected to be $48.5, which is driven by higher PC and
console spending per payer.
✓ 2025 Platform dynamics:
• Mobile revenues (+7.8% YoY) are expected to outgrow console (+6.7% YoY) and PC (+3.3%
YoY ) revenues, especially mobile spending in Brazil and Chile, which is expected to grow above
the regional average.
• Although mobile revenue is projected to grow, the average spend per payer, at $28.7, is the lowest
among the three platforms . Still, mobile payers are rising steadily, with a healthy 6.3% year -over –
year growth.
• The launch of the iPhone 15 in 2023 led to a surge in iOS players , particularly in Brazil and Mexico.
However, growth slowed in the region’s largest markets, and iOS market share remained stable or
saw only modest gains in countries with stronger U.S. ties.
• Both PC and console revenues are expected to reach the $2.0 billion mark this year , with a
relatively equal spend per payer of $41.4 and $40.6 per payer, respectively.
• Again, on both PC and console, Latin Americans spend a larger share of their budget on lower –
priced in -game microtransactions compared to the North American or global average. back to contents
Full Access

Platform statistics
PC
Players
Highly engaged players
Payers
Big spenders
Revenues
Annual spend/payer
Mobile
Players
Highly engaged players
Payers
Big spenders
Revenues
Annual spend/payer
Console
Players
Highly engaged players
Payers
Big spenders
Revenues
Annual spend/payer
50
LATIN AMERICA
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51
Revenue forecast
2025 Latin America games market
Per platform
+6.4%
YoY
$8.3Bn
2025 Total
PC
Mobile
Console
Revenue forecasts
Per platform ($Bn)
Platform 2022 2023 2024 2025F 2026F 2027F 2028F CAGR 22 -25 CAGR 25 -28
PC $1.6 $1.8 $1.9 $2.0 $2.0 $2.2 $2.3 6.5% 5.3%
Mobile $3.6 $3.6 $4.0 $4.4 $4.6 $4.9 $5.2 7.1% 5.7%
Console $1.7 $1.8 $1.8 $2.0 $2.1 $2.2 $2.3 4.4% 4.9%
Total $6.9 $7.2 $7.8 $8.3 $8.8 $9.3 $9.7 6.3% 5.5%
LATIN AMERICA
Full Access
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52
Ecosystem players
Players per ecosystem
Latin America | 2025
Players per ecosystem
Latin America | 2022 -2025
Ecosystem 2022 2023 2024 2025F CAGR 22 -25
Steam 26.8M 29.0M 33.1M 36.3M 10.6%
Epic Games store 26.9M 32.7M 36.8M 39.5M 13.7%
PlayStation 44.8M 49.8M 51.7M 53.0M 5.8%
Nintendo 22.1M 24.3M 26.1M 27.2M 7.1%
Xbox 38.0M 41.9M 43.9M 44.8M 5.7%
Android 209.7M 213.6M 224.3M 238.2M 4.3%
iOS 48.6M 57.3M 59.2M 59.6M 7.0%
36.3M 39.5M 53.0M
27.2M
44.8M
238.2M
59.6M
Steam Epic Games Store PlayStation Nintendo Xbox Android iOS
LATIN AMERICA
Full Access
Full Access
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53
Argentina
Market statistics
Population
Online population
Total players
Total payers
Total revenues ($M)
Spent/payer total
Market statistics
PC
Players
Highly engaged players
Mobile
Players
Highly engaged players
Console
Players
Highly engaged players
Revenue forecasts per platform ($M)
Platform 2022 2023 2024 2025F 2026F 2027F 2028F CAGR 22 -25 CAGR 25 -28
PC $193 $198 $192 $189 $197 $212 $225 -0.7% 5.9%
Mobile $301 $278 $283 $294 $308 $322 $335 -0.8% 4.5%
Console $199 $201 $202 $209 $229 $238 $243 1.7% 5.2%
Total $693 $676 $677 $692 $733 $771 $802 -0.1% 5.1%
LATIN AMERICA
Full Access
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4
Methodology and
terminology
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Methodology
Newzoo aims to provide the best possible market sizing and increasingly improve and integrate its data
products to support its ambition to be the industry’s most trustworthy data source.
This chapter outlines the definitions, scope, data sources, and methodologies underpinning the report.
At the highest level, our market sizing metrics are organized around two key pillars:
55
Definitions
✓ Players: Individuals who have played video games on PC, console, mobile, or cloud platforms in the past
six months.
✓ Payers: Individuals who have spent money on video games on PC, console, mobile, or cloud platforms in
the past six months.
Audience
Data sources
Proprietary sources:
✓ Game Performance Monitor (GPM), engagement data in 37 markets for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and
Switch.
✓ Business & Store Intelligence (BSI), Steam platform engagement data.
✓ Global Gamer Study (GGS), survey data from over 73,000 respondents across 36 countries.
Public sources:
✓ UN population data (medium growth variant) .
✓ ITU internet and broadband penetration rates.
Partner & third -party data:
✓ AppTweak mobile app store intelligence.
Most of Newzoo’s market sizing is broken down by the three major gaming platforms :
✓ PC: Games downloaded from platforms like Steam or the Epic Games Store or bought as physical
discs. This includes MMOs, MOBAs, and games on browser, casual gaming sites or social networks.
Steam Deck and other PC handhelds are included in PC.
✓ Console: Games played on PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo hardware. It excludes Steam Deck and other
PC handhelds.
✓ Mobile: Games played on smartphones or tablets. Spending through mobile web shops or other direct –
to-consumer channels counted as mobile revenue, not PC browser.
✓ Audience
✓ Revenues
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56
Approach
We use a hybrid model combining top -down and bottom -up techniques:
Top -down:
✓ Start with UN population estimates.
✓ Apply internet penetration rates to derive the online population.
• The model assumes that the online population size is a key driver of potential gamers and a proxy for
future structural growth in a market’s gamer base.
✓ Use broadband correction to refine PC and console accessibility.
• The model assumes that the availability of broadband internet enables multiplayer and large -scale
gaming. It primarily reduces the eligible audience in populous growth regions.
Bottom -up:
✓ Use the Global Gamer Study survey data to determine the share of respondents who play games.
✓ Apply platform -specific player shares to the total player estimates.
✓ Derive payer estimates by applying payer ratios from the survey.
Triangulation:
✓ We cross -validate estimates using multiple internal and external data sources and feedback.
Assumptions and adjustments
✓ Data gaps: Missing or incomplete data is addressed through modeling and proxy indicators for markets
Newzoo does not survey.
• Non -survey markets: We apply tailored assumptions based on regional dynamics and proxy
markets. For example, we use the average player and payer shares from comparable Western
European countries for non -surveyed markets like Ireland and Denmark.
Representation & product differences
✓ The Global Gamer Study covers people aged 10 –65 in most countries and 10 –50 in select emerging
markets. More details can be found here .
• Results in developed markets are nationally representative.
• Parts of Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa reflect active internet users in developed
residential areas. In China, the data focuses on Tier 1 –2 cities.
✓ Differences between the Games Market Reports and Forecasts and the Global Gamer Study arise from
age coverage and geographic focus. While this product uses the total population, depending on the
market, our survey focuses on people ages 10 –50 or 10 –65 in developed residential areas.
✓ Additionally, when available, we prefer to use actual player data over self -reported survey data.
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57
Audience funnel
Newzoo’s audience market sizing per platform functions like a funnel, as shown below.
Population
Online population
Total players
Mobile players PC & consoleplayers
Mobilepayers
PC & consolepayers
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Revenue
58
Definitions
Revenue refers to consumer spending on software and services
✓ Included:
• Boxed and digital full -game purchases.
• In-game spending (microtransactions, DLC, in -game subscriptions).
• Console multi -game subscriptions (e.g., Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus).
✓ Excluded:
• Taxes
• Second -hand trade
• Advertising
• Hardware
• B2B services
• Gambling
✓ Geographic attribution: Revenue is assigned to the country or region where the consumer resides, not
where the company is headquartered.
✓ Inflation: Newzoo’s forecasts are not adjusted for inflation.
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59
Methodology overview –
data to forecast
01. Data sources
Proprietary sources
✓ Game Performance Monitor : Engagement in 37 markets, revenue in six markets (PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch)
✓ Business & Store Intelligence : Steam platform engagement and revenue
✓ Global Gamer Study : 73,000+ respondents across 36 markets
Public sources
✓ IMF GDP per capita and World Bank household consumption data
✓ Company financial reports from 130+ public firms, private estimates (Valve, Epic Games)
Partner & third -party data
✓ AppTweak mobile store intelligence
✓ Client feedback from major global publishers
✓ Third -party research for triangulation
02. Modelling approach
Top -down market sizing
✓ Core predictive model sizes and forecasts market by platform and region
Company financials
✓ Covers 130+ public companies and private firm estimates
✓ Uses revenue (not bookings) for consistency
✓ Applies quarterly USD exchange rates to reflect actual spend
✓ Growth trends analyzed in local currency
Revenue allocation
✓ Platforms: GPM, BSI, AppTweak
✓ Regions: Public disclosures + modeled splits, even for private firms
03. Conceptual foundation
Conceptual foundation
✓ Forecasts driven by online population growth and Key Market Indicators (KMIs)
✓ Includes payer ratios, ARPPU, historical trends, cultural factors
✓ Iterative and granular review of assumptions vs. outputs
✓ Combines quantitative (metrics) with qualitative (culture, behavior, trends)
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60
Terminology
Key metrics
Players. Individuals who have played video games on PC, console, mobile, or cloud platforms in the past six
months.
Payers. Individuals who have spent money on video games on PC, console, mobile, or cloud platforms in
the past six months.
Game revenues. Consumer revenues generated by companies in the global games market, excluding
hardware sales, tax, business -to-business services, and online gambling and betting revenues.
Spend per payer. Annual average revenue generated per payer (Game revenues/Payers).
Active VR hardware install base. Consumer VR headsets capable of 6DoF positional tracking and being
used at least once in the past 12 months. We exclude enterprise headsets that can also be used to play VR
games and headsets that use only 3DoF tracking; for example, all smartphone -based VR headsets such as
Samsung Gear VR and entry -level standalone headsets such as Oculus Go.
Android players. Those who played mobile games at least once in the past six months on an Android
device.
Augmented reality (AR). A technology that supplements real -life views of users with computer -generated
sensory input as images or sounds.
Big spenders. Payers that spend an average of $25 per month or more on gaming content per platform on
PC, mobile, or console.
Cloud gaming or game streaming. The ability to play a game on any device without owning the physical
hardware required to process it or needing a local copy of the game itself. Also called game streaming, the
games are processed remotely on cloud or edge servers and streamed directly to a user’s device.
Compound annual growth rate (CAGR). The constant growth rate over a period of years.
Console games. Games played on PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo hardware. It excludes Steam Deck and
other PC handhelds.
Degrees of freedom ( DoF ). The number of directions of users’ positional tracking in VR, which relies on
built -in or external sensors to capture movement. While 3DoF tracking only measures three types of
directional rotation (rolling, pitching, and yawing), 6DoF adds three further directional movements
(elevating, strafing, and surging).
DLC revenues. Revenue generated from downloadable content (DLC) consumer spending. Downloadable
content is purchased from a digital store directly, not via in -game currency.
Epic Games Store players. We define Epic Games Store players as PC players who have played or
downloaded games using the Epic Games launcher at least once in the past six months. This excludes Epic
Games Store Mobile players.
Free -to-play (F2P) games. Games that are (legally) free to download and play, very often offering in –
game spending opportunities.
Full game boxed revenues. Revenues generated by the sales of games or game -related content delivered
on physical storage media (i.e., discs or cartridges). Also includes physical copies ordered in online stores.
It does not include boxed games that only include download codes. Also referred to as premium boxed
revenues.
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61
Full game digital revenues. Revenues generated by the sales of games or game -related content
purchased directly from an online store and delivered through a digital download, e.g., the PlayStation
Store, Microsoft Store, Nintendo eShop, Steam, and Tencent WeGame . Also referred to as premium digital
revenues.
Game genres. A genre is a classification assigned to a game, based on its gameplay interaction rather than
visual or narrative differences. A genre is a group of games with highly similar gameplay and interaction
patterns for the player. For an overview of categories and descriptions of all genres in the Newzoo Games
Taxonomy, visit our Help Center.
Game video content. Refers to all video content based on game content, including live -streamed esports
and non -esports content, video -on -demand, and short -form video.
Games as a service ( GaaS ). Games as a service provides game content or access to games on a
continuous revenue model, e.g., via a game subscription service or a season/battle pass. Often referred to
as live -service games.
Highly engaged players. Players that indicate they spent a minimum of 10 hours per week playing on a PC,
mobile, or console.
In-game revenues. Revenues generated through the sales of in -game items, including expansion or
content packs, cosmetics/skins, power -ups, time savers, loot boxes, playable characters, content passes
for a one -off fee (battle/season pass), in -game currencies, content passes for a recurring fee, and reward
passes. In -game revenues are the sum of DLC, microtransaction, and in -game subscription revenues.
In-game subscription revenues. Revenue generated from periodic subscription -based consumer
spending for a single game, such as a subscription to an MMO or a membership that provides in -game
perks. Does not include battle or season passes.
iOS players. Those who played mobile games at least once in the past six months on an iOS or iPadOS
device.
Live -service games. Games that provide game content or access to games on a continuous revenue
model, e.g., via a game subscription service or a season/battle pass. Also referred to as Games as a Service
(GaaS ).
Microtransaction revenues. Revenue generated from microtransaction consumer spending, including but
not limited to virtual currency, cosmetics, and battle passes.
Mobile games. Games played on smartphones or tablets. Spending through mobile web shops or other
direct -to-consumer channels counted as mobile revenue, not PC browser.
Monthly active users (MAU). Represents the number of users who launched a title at least once in a given
month.
Multi -game subscriptions or multi -game subscription revenues. Revenues generated by periodical fees
paid for subscriptions to libraries offering multiple games. A service that a user can access by paying for a
pre -determined time period . In this report, the term multi -game subscription is used in the context of a
game subscription service, which is a service that must offer access to software and potentially provide the
content through cloud streaming. Cloud services without content access are excluded.
Nintendo players. Those who played games, at least once in the past six months, on a Nintendo Switch,
3DS, or Nintendo’s old -gen (handheld) console, such as Wii U, Wii, and DS.
Online population. All people within a country/market or region who have access to the Internet, via a
computer or mobile device.
Pay -to-play (P2P) games. Games that must be paid for upfront or are paid subscription -based games.
Also referred to as premium games.
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62
PC games. Games downloaded from platforms like Steam or the Epic Games Store or bought as physical
discs. This includes MMOs, MOBAs, and games on browser, casual gaming sites or social networks. Steam
Deck and other PC handhelds are included in PC.
Peripherals. Gaming -related hardware products used for gaming, such as gaming mice, keyboards,
headsets, controllers, or monitors.
PlayStation players. Those who played games, at least once in the past six months, on a PlayStation (PS) 5,
PS4, PC via PS Plus cloud streaming (formerly PSNow ), or previous -generation (handheld) console such as
PS3, PS Vita, and PSPortable .
Premium games. Games that must be paid for upfront or are paid subscription -based games. Also
referred to as pay -to-play games.
Steam players. Those who played games using the Steam launcher at least once in the past six months,
including players using the Steam Deck.
Subscription revenues. Revenues generated by periodical fees paid for subscriptions to gaming content.
A service a user can access by paying for a pre -determined time period . In this report, the term is used in the
context of a game subscription service, which is a service that offers access to software content without
providing the platform/hardware access that a cloud gaming service provides.
Virtual reality (VR). The computer -generated simulation of a three -dimensional image or environment that
can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment,
such as a headset with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.
VR game revenues. VR game revenues generated through the consumer VR headsets capable of 6DoF
positional tracking.
Xbox players. Those who played games on an Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Game Pass, or
Mobile via Game Pass in the past six months.
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Platform Players Payers Revenue Regional
granularity
Available
years
Total Market 2015 -2028
PC Market 2015 -2028
Steam Market 2020 -2025
Epic Games
Store Market 2020 -2025
Console Market 2015 -2028
PlayStation Market 2020 -2025
Nintendo Market 2020 -2025
Xbox Market 2020 -2025
Mobile Market 2015 -2028
Android Market 2020 -2025
iOS Market 2020 -2025
Genre Market 2022 -2025
Cloud Market 2020 -2026
VR
(install base)
Regional 2016 -2025
63
Metric overview
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5
Work with Newzoo
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65
What you get with a Games Market
Reports and Forecasts subscription
Free edition Full subscription
The Global Games Market Report, our flagship annual report, including three quarterly updates 67-page preview 199 -page full report
Global and regional player and revenue forecasts per platform (PC, console, mobile) Preview
Downloadable data sets in Excel –
Report Data Tools for visualization and analysis –
Five special focus topics
Play it again: Revisiting the past for modern success Preview Full 17 -page analysis
Modernizing release windows: Data -driven launch insights 9-page highlights Full 17 -page analysis
The $80 dilemma: A new price ceiling or too soon? Preview Full 16 -page analysis
The long game: How post -launch content fuels engagement Highlights release in November Full 14 -page analysis
Unboxing Roblox: User trends, genre insights, and strategic fit Highlights release in October Full 12 -page analysis
Detailed revenue and audience breakdowns
Game revenue by business model per platform from 2015 to 2028 –
Game revenues by genre per platform from 2022 to 2025 Preview
Region -level revenues, players, payers, active VR install base and game revenues, cloud gaming revenues and paying users, and players per ecosystem Preview
Country -level revenues, players, payers, cloud gaming revenues, and paying users, and players per ecosystem –
Take the product tour
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The data and insights
powering this report
We use data from our product portfolio and proprietary sources
to inform our market analysis and industry expertise.
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Games Market Reports & Forecasts
Discover games market sizing & forecasts for
100+ countries and the key trends on a global and local level.
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CONTACT SALES
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profiling tens of thousands of gamers worldwide yearly.
Game Health Tracker
Track title -level demographics, consumer insights, and weekly
awareness, hype, and purchase intent.
GAMES DATA
Game Performance Monitor
Unlock title -level engagement and revenue data for
thousands of PC and console games.
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LONG -TERM STRATEGY
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CONTACT SALES
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Greenlight
01
CONCEPT & GAME DEVELOPMENT
What is going to be our next hit title?
Concept testing, forecasting, audience profiling & segmentation.
02
PRE -LAUNCH & GO TO MARKET
How do we effectively market our game?
Pricing strategy, launch planning, campaign & content testing
03
Launch
POST -LAUNCH & MONETIZATION
How can we further monetize our game (premium, live ops, DLC, in -game)?
Brand health, retention & UA modeling, live service strategy.
04
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