Newzoo forecasts that global PC games software revenue will surpass console games software revenue by 2028. Its 2026 PC & Console Gaming Report projects PC revenue to grow at a 6.6% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2028, versus 4.4% for console revenue. This is a forecast—not an outcome already recorded—and it compares games software and services, not hardware sales.
What Newzoo’s 2028 forecast measures
Newzoo’s comparison covers nominal consumer spending on games software and services worldwide. The underlying Games Market Reports & Forecasts metrics were updated in February 2026. Newzoo’s definitions include boxed and digital full-game purchases, in-game spending such as microtransactions and downloadable content, in-game subscriptions, and console multi-game subscriptions including Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus. Taxes, second-hand sales, advertising, hardware, business-to-business services, and gambling are excluded. Newzoo’s March 2026 forecast summary and its 2026 PC & Console Gaming Report describe the categories and outlook.
For this report, PC includes games played through storefronts such as Steam and Epic Games Store, physically purchased PC games, browser games, casual sites and social networks, as well as Steam Deck and other PC handhelds. Console covers games played on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo hardware. The figures are nominal, not adjusted for inflation, so they do not show how much purchasing power the revenue represents over time.
The forecast figures and what they show
Newzoo estimates the combined global PC and console games market generated $88.3 billion in 2025 and forecasts it will reach $103.7 billion in 2028. Within that total, it projects PC revenue to grow faster than console revenue over the 2025–2028 period. The figures below are Newzoo estimates and forecasts, not independently confirmed results.
#1 Best Overall
- Fearless ROG Design – The G700’s dual-glass chassis showcases iconic ROG design with the ROG Slash and Aura Sync RGB lighting. Its 58L capacity supports triple-slot GPUs.
- Unstoppable Power – Equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and 1TB SSD PCIe 4.0 storage for seamless gaming and multitasking.
- Optimized Thermals – Stay cool with a quad-fan system, while dust filters and efficient airflow ensure long-term reliability.
- Advanced Connectivity – Game without lag with 2.5Gbps Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, and versatile ports. Dolby Atmos audio and AI noise cancellation enhance sound and communication.
- Ready for Upgrades – Designed with tool-less access, easily swap out components, ensuring future-proof performance for years to come.
| Measure | Newzoo figure | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Combined PC and console software revenue, 2025 | $88.3 billion | Newzoo’s estimate for the global market. |
| Combined PC and console software revenue, 2028 | $103.7 billion | Newzoo’s global forecast. |
| PC revenue growth, 2025–2028 | 6.6% CAGR | Newzoo’s projected compound annual growth rate. |
| Console revenue growth, 2025–2028 | 4.4% CAGR | Newzoo’s projected compound annual growth rate. |
The faster projected PC growth is the basis for the expected crossover by 2028. The growth rates alone do not reveal the exact annual revenue for each platform or the size of the gap in 2028; those should not be inferred from the combined-market total.
Why Newzoo expects PC revenue to grow faster
Newzoo links its PC outlook to several factors rather than to one proven cause. It points to a growing player base, expansion in Eastern Asia, broader storefront adoption, higher average selling prices, and spending on premium games. It forecasts more than 1 billion PC players globally by 2028. That player count is not deduplicated across platforms, so people who play on both PC and console can be counted in each platform’s audience.
Rank #2
- System: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 3.6GHz 6 Cores | AMD B550 Chipset | 8GB DDR4 | 500GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD | Windows 11 Home
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT 4GB Graphics | 1x HDMI | 1x DisplayPort
- Connectivity: 4 x USB-A 3.2 | 4 x USB-A 2.0 | 1 x LAN | WiFi 5 | Bluetooth 5.0 | 7.1 Channel Audio
- Tempered Side Case Panel | Custom RGB Lighting | Keyboard and Mouse
- 1 Year Parts & Labor Warranty, Free Lifetime Tech Support
Regional growth is part of the picture: Newzoo reports that China’s PC player count grew 11.7% year over year in 2025. That is a player-count figure, not a measure of Chinese PC revenue or spending per player. Newzoo also notes that mature markets may have higher spending per player, while a larger player base can expand the overall market.
Console revenue is also expected to increase, but Newzoo projects slower growth. It associates console spending with premium releases, hardware cycles, and higher premium-game or subscription pricing. Those are the publisher’s explanations for its forecast, not proof that any single factor will determine the result.
Rank #3
- 8-Core 16-Thread Processing Power – Powered by the Ryzen 7 4700LE processor with Zen 2 architecture, delivering 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock up to 4.2GHz. Effortlessly handle multitasking, streaming, content creation, and demanding applications simultaneously without slowdowns.
- GeForce RTX 3050 8GB Graphics – Equipped with 8GB GDDR6 dedicated VRAM and real-time ray tracing support. Experience smooth 1080p gaming at 55-60 FPS in AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077, 70+ FPS in Fortnite, and 90-100 FPS in Apex Legends with DLSS enabled. The 8GB buffer handles modern game textures comfortably – a step above 6GB variants
- High-Speed Memory & Storage – Paired with 16GB of DDR4 3200MHz dual-channel RAM (16GB), the PC ensures responsive multitasking—whether streaming while gaming or editing videos. It also includes a 512 GB NVMe M.2 SSD for lightning-fast boot times, quick game loads, and ample storage for your game library, creative projects, and files.
- Next-Gen WiFi 6 Connectivity – Stay connected with the latest WiFi 6 technology for faster speeds, lower latency, and improved network efficiency. Whether you're gaming online, streaming 4K content, or joining video conferences, enjoy stable, high-speed wireless connectivity.
- Ready-to-Use Value Desktop – Pre-built and ready to go right out of the box. Perfect for gamers, students, content creators, and home office users seeking reliable performance without the hassle of building a PC themselves. The mature AM4 platform with DDR4 memory offers excellent value and proven stability.
PC and console revenue come from different spending mixes
The forecast is not simply a story of premium PC games taking over. Newzoo estimates that microtransactions made up 48% of PC revenue in 2025, or $20.6 billion, while premium game sales accounted for 29%, or $12.5 billion. It describes console revenue as more premium-led, with premium games representing about half of console revenue in 2025.
These estimates show why total platform revenue and the number of players are not interchangeable measures. PC’s projected growth combines audience expansion with several kinds of spending; console revenue has a larger reported contribution from premium games and is tied more closely to release and hardware cycles.
Rank #4
- POWERHOUSE 8-CORE GAMING PERFORMANCE — Driven by the AMD Ryzen 7 8700F with 8 cores and 16 threads, boosting up to 5.0 GHz for smooth, responsive gameplay and the ability to handle AAA titles, streaming, and background tasks all at once
- NEXT-GEN BLACKWELL ARCHITECTURE — The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is powered by NVIDIA's cutting-edge Blackwell GPU architecture, delivering a massive generational leap in rasterization and ray tracing performance so you can experience your games the way they were meant to be played.
- Simplistic Design: Enjoy the latest generation of Windows 11 Home for your everyday needs. *MSI recommends Windows 11 Pro for business use.
- Cool While Gaming: In conjunction with an ARGB fan Air Cooler, the Codex R2 features four system cooling fans; three in the front and one in the rear to pull in cool air and push heat out of the PC.
- Turn on the Bright Lights: With the built-in RGB lighting, take your gaming experience to the next level by pressing the MSI LED button to cycle through lighting options. Customize lighting even further with MSI Center software.
What could change the outlook
A forecast is conditional on the market assumptions behind it. Newzoo’s estimate may change as player growth, game releases, pricing, subscriptions, regional spending, and platform cycles evolve. PC Gamer’s coverage of the projection also flags memory and storage supply pressures as a possible uncertainty for the outlook; that is a risk to consider, not evidence that the forecast has already failed. PC Gamer’s March 12, 2026 coverage discusses that caveat.
Newzoo’s Director of Market Intelligence, Manu Rosier, summarized the broader context this way: “Growth is returning to the market, but it’s being driven by different fundamentals than during the pandemic years.”
Quick Recap
Best Value
- POWERED BY RTX 5070 12GB + RYZEN 7 9700X - The GeForce RTX 5070 12GB GDDR7 graphics card pairs with an 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 9700X processor to drive smooth 1440p and 4K gameplay, giving this gaming PC the headroom for modern titles, streaming, and creative work.
- 32GB DDR5 6000MHz MEMORY & 1TB NVMe SSD - 32GB of high-speed DDR5 memory and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state drive deliver quick load times, smooth multitasking, and generous storage, keeping this prebuilt gaming desktop responsive under heavy workloads.
- BUILT-IN 11.3-INCH Smart DISPLAY - An integrated smart screen shows real-time CPU and GPU temperatures, usage, and weather while you play, adding a distinctive and functional touch to your battlestation.
- 850W 80+ GOLD POWER SUPPLY, 360MM LIQUID COOLING & WiFi 7 - An 850W 80 Plus Gold certified power supply provides stable, efficient power with headroom for future upgrades, while a 360mm AIO liquid cooler, WiFi 7, and an ARGB mid-tower case keep the Ryzen 7 CPU cool and connected in a clean build.
- READY TO PLAY OUT OF THE BOX - Arrives fully assembled and tested with Windows 11 Home pre-installed, so your prebuilt gaming computer is ready to set up in minutes. Assembled in the USA, and backed by a one-year limited warranty and lifetime free technical support.
How to interpret the headline
- It is a forecast: Newzoo expects PC games software revenue to pass console software revenue by 2028; the crossover is not presented as an observed result.
- It is not a hardware comparison: PC and console hardware sales are outside the measure.
- It is a global, nominal comparison: the revenue is not inflation-adjusted, and regional markets may follow different patterns.
- It is Newzoo’s projection: the figures should be attributed to the company rather than treated as a settled industry consensus.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
