Methodology
How we estimate this
MetricsMaya’s CY2026 global games content spend is $206B (range $185B–$231B). Content spend is player payments for games and content. Ads and hardware are out. The 2026 range is grown from a CY2025 pin of $198B (range $180–218B) using public company filings and trade-body totals. It is not a store-by-store count, and it is not licensed data from a market-research vendor.
What this page is
- Estimates — not a census, and not a licensed market-data product you can subscribe to.
- Not Sensor Tower, not app-store actuals, and not a reprint of someone else’s database. Attributed published totals from Newzoo appear only in the comparison note below.
- Not investment, legal, or purchasing advice. This page is not legal advice.
- Some slices are weaker than others. Months are a split of the year, not a survey. Korea, Germany, and Rest of the world are scaled remainders. The US and Japan sit closer to public pins.
Countries in 2026 (midpoint)
Same country shares as the 2025 pin, applied to the CY2026 worldwide midpoint $206B. Not a separate census.
| Country | Share | 2026 $B |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 26.5% | $54.6 |
| China | 23.5% | $48.6 |
| Japan | 8.7% | $18 |
| United Kingdom | 3.8% | $7.8 |
| Korea | 3.8% | $7.8 |
| Germany | 4.6% | $9.6 |
| RoW (Rest of the World) | 29.0% | $59.9 |
Regions in 2026 (midpoint)
| Region | Share | 2026 $B |
|---|---|---|
| Asia-Pacific | 47.0% | $97 |
| North America | 27.8% | $57.4 |
| Europe | 17.7% | $36.5 |
| Latin America | 4.3% | $8.9 |
| Middle East & Africa | 3.3% | $6.8 |
2025 prior pin (how 2026 is built)
CY2025 content pin $198B (range $180–218B). Country dollars below are that pin, not the 2026 cite figure.
| Country | Share | 2025 $B |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 26.5% | $52.4 |
| China | 23.5% | $46.6 |
| Japan | 8.7% | $17.3 |
| United Kingdom | 3.8% | $7.5 |
| Korea | 3.8% | $7.5 |
| Germany | 4.6% | $9.2 |
| RoW (Rest of the World) | 29.0% | $57.5 |
2025 player spending on games
$180–218B
Midpoint $198B. Ads and hardware left out.
How 2025 splits
56% / 23% / 22%
Mobile / console / PC, rounded
United States, 2025
$52.4B
Games only (ESA / Circana restatement)
What is in this number
- Games people buy — boxed and digital
- Extra content and in-game spend (passes, packs, gacha)
- Game subscriptions (Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online, in-game clubs)
- China’s Android stores and other third-party Android shops (estimated)
- Publisher web shops and own channels, where we can see them
What is left out
- Hardware and accessories
- Ads in and around games
- Taxes, second-hand sales, B2B, and online betting
- Esports tickets, merch, and movies
- Ad-network company revenue
Vintage compiled 19 September 2026. Calendar 2025, current US dollars, spending on games (not hardware): $180B / $198B / $218B.
We add up unique public-company game bookings (about $103.7B) after dropping store double-counts, then allow for private studios and channels we cannot see line-by-line. US games spending is tied to $52.4B (ESA / Circana). Other countries are scaled with online population and income.