Hard Times for PC - Segment Will Grow Slower Than Console Market in 2022
This year, video game market revenues are expected to exceed $200 billion for the first time. The console segment will grow the fastest.
The analytics group Newzoo has released a report with forecasts for the game market results for 2022. The document gives a good idea of the shape of the industry and the direction in which it is developing.
- This year, gaming revenue is expected to reach $203.1 billion. This will be the first year to break through the $200 billion threshold.
- For comparison - the result for 2021 was $192.7 billion. Thus, the industry is expected to record a growth of 5.4%.
- At the end of the year, there are expected to be 3.09 billion gamers in the world.
- In 2022, revenue from the US market will reach $50.5 billion. Thus, for the first time in many years the results of the Chinese market will be sured (the forecast for this year says about 50.2 billion). This is due to the fact that recently the authorities in China are trying hard to limit the popularity of video games, for example, by stalling licensing procedures for the release of new titles.
In 2022, the fastest growing market will be console games
Mobile games will remain the largest market segment and are expected to bring $103.5 billion this year (a 5.1% increase compared to 2021).
The highest growth (8.4%) is to be recorded in the console segment, which is to be driven, among others, by a large number of anticipated premieres, such as the already released Starfield. In addition, a growing owner base of next-gen consoles will play an important role.
The PC game market will develop much slower, with revenues in 2022 expected to be 1.9% higher than last year. The reason for such a weak result is the progressive collapse of the PC browser-based games, which in 2022 will earn 16.9% less than last year. Traditional PC games (boxed or ed as part of digital distribution) will record a 3.2% growth.
Games market in 2022 - forecasts for individual platforms
Platform: |
Projected revenue in 2022: |
Segment share of overall gaming market revenue in 2022: |
Smartphones |
$91.4 billion (up 5.7%) |
45% |
Consoles |
58.6 billion dollars (increase by 8.4%) |
29% |
Traditional PC games |
38.7 billion dollars (increase by 3.2%) |
19% |
Tablets |
$12.1 billion (1.2% increase) |
6% |
PC browser games |
$2.3 billion (16.9% decrease) |
1% |
- CD Projekt believes that the trend for singleplayer games like The Witcher and Cyberpunk will never die out
- Ubisoft forms new subsidiary with Tencent focused on three franchises
- GTA 6 and Switch 2 set to push gaming industry to record heights. Meanwhile, gamers are playing fewer and fewer games
- Ubisoft had a tough year, but is pleased with Assassin's Creed: Shadows release. Company hopes for a new opening thanks to its partnership with Tencent
- Big publishers worry generative AI might damage their reputations. Players aren't fond of it