NewZoo Report: Global Games Market to See Sustained Growth, with Mobile Revenue Surging Past $100 Billion by 2025

NewZoo, the leading provider of games and esports market analytics, has released its comprehensive Global Games Market Report, forecasting a steady growth trajectory for the PC, console, and mobile gaming segments through 2025.

The 200-page report provides a holistic overview of the industry’s dynamics. It reveals that the global player base has now surpassed 3.3 billion players in 2023, creating a robust foundation for ongoing revenue generation. The total market revenue is projected to reach approximately $184 billion in 2023, with continued steady growth expected in the coming years.

Key takeaways

• Market Size: Global games revenue is projected to reach $188.8 billion in 2025, exceeding $206 billion by 2028.
• Player Base: The global player count will reach 3.58 billion in 2025 and grow to 3.9 billion by 2028, though growth rates are slowing compared to previous years.
• Platform Trends:
  ✓ Mobile gaming remains dominant (55% market share, approximately $103 billion), but growth in mature markets has cooled.
  ✓ Console gaming leads growth (year-on-year +5.5%), driven by new hardware launches, premium pricing, and a strong content pipeline.
  ✓ PC gaming maintains stability, supported by momentum in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Regional Markets:
  ✓ The Asia-Pacific region contributes 46% of global revenue.
  ✓ Latin America and the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) are the fastest-growing regions.
  ✓ The U.S. and China together account for 50% of global games consumer spending.

The mobile gaming segment stands out, reaching an unprecedented scale this year. NewZoo forecasts that mobile game revenues will break the $90 billion mark in 2023, accounting for nearly 50% of the total global games market. This solidifies smartphones as the dominant gaming platform worldwide.

Key drivers identified in the report include the ongoing smartphone penetration and mobile internet upgrades in emerging markets (e.g., Southeast Asia, Latin America), the rising popularity of cross-platform play, and the maturation of game service and subscription models like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus.

Mobile game revenue is projected to reach $103 billion (a year-on-year increase of 2.9%), with strong performance in mobile-first growth regions, though growth in the Asia-Pacific region has slowed. Western markets are adapting to new direct-to-consumer models, while regulatory changes are impacting global operations.

“Despite a challenging macroeconomic climate, the demand for gaming remains resilient,” stated a NewZoo analyst. “Future growth will be increasingly fueled not just by new user acquisition, but by deeper engagement and monetization of the existing player base through live services, in-game content, and subscriptions.”