A PwC forecast reported by GamesBeat projected U.S. video games and esports revenue would rise from $54.1 billion in 2022 to $72.0 billion in 2027, a 5.9% compound annual growth rate. In that forecast, traditional gaming revenue grows in dollars but loses market share because social and casual gaming expands faster. These are estimates and projections reported in 2023—not confirmed 2027 results.
What the $72 billion figure means
GamesBeat’s June 19, 2023 article, updated June 18, 2025, attributed the figures to PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook. It put the U.S. market at $54.1 billion in 2022 and projected $72.0 billion in 2027. The article reported 2.4% year-over-year growth in 2022 and a 5.9% CAGR across the forecast period. The figures describe a historical forecast, not realized 2027 revenue. GamesBeat’s report is the detailed source; the underlying PwC tables were not independently reviewed.
Why traditional gaming can grow while its share shrinks
Revenue share is a fraction of the overall market, so it can fall even when a segment’s dollars increase—if the total market, or other segments within it, grow faster. GamesBeat reported PwC’s traditional gaming forecast rising from $15 billion in 2022 to $16.5 billion in 2027, a 1.9% CAGR. Over the same period, social and casual gaming was forecast to grow from $37.1 billion to $53.2 billion.
The article’s body says traditional gaming’s share declines from 27.6% in 2022 to 22.8% in 2027. Its headline instead says 26.7% for 2022. Because those starting-share figures conflict, 26.7% should not be treated as a verified figure; the article does not explain the discrepancy. The dollar estimates and the direction of the forecast are distinct from that unresolved share inconsistency.
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Which segments drive the forecast?
Social and casual gaming
GamesBeat reported that PwC forecast social and casual gaming to rise from $37.1 billion, or 68.6% of the U.S. market, in 2022 to $53.2 billion, or 73.8%, in 2027. In-app games advertising was the largest source within the category in 2022: $19.3 billion, forecast to reach $28.7 billion by 2027.
App-based social and casual gaming revenue, a distinct component, fell from $18.3 billion in 2021 to $17.6 billion in 2022. The forecast projected it would recover to more than $24.3 billion by 2027. The contrast highlights why the broad category’s growth should not be read as uniform growth across every type of game or revenue source.
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Console games
Console games were forecast to grow from $9.5 billion in 2022 to $10.1 billion in 2027. The projected mix shifts away from physical purchases: physical console sales were forecast to fall from $4.2 billion to $3.5 billion, reducing their share of console revenue from 44.2% to 34.2%. By contrast, console online and microtransaction revenue was projected to rise from $1.9 billion to $3.2 billion, accounting for the segment’s growth in the article’s account.
The article also described the Nintendo Switch as the best-selling U.S. console in 2022. That is a historical ranking only; it does not establish a current sales leader or make the Switch a present-day recommendation.
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PC games
PC games were forecast to increase from $5.5 billion in 2022 to $6.3 billion in 2027, a 3.0% CAGR. The article said online and microtransaction revenue represented 85.2% of the U.S. PC segment, underscoring how much of the forecast category was tied to spending beyond initial game purchases.
Esports
U.S. esports revenue was forecast to rise from $455 million in 2022 to $662 million in 2027, a 7.8% CAGR. GamesBeat reported that media rights were expected to become the largest esports revenue category by 2027, reaching $230 million with a 12.7% CAGR. Ticket sales were forecast to increase from $35 million in 2022 to $46 million in 2027. These are esports revenue streams, not game-unit sales.
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How to read the categories
The forecast compares unlike revenue models: game purchases, in-game advertising, online transactions and microtransactions, and esports media rights and tickets. A category’s growth rate or share therefore does not directly measure how many games were sold or how much players spent on a particular title.
- Look at dollars and share separately. Traditional gaming grows in the forecast while losing share to faster-growing social and casual gaming.
- Keep the period consistent. The reported comparisons use a 2022 baseline and 2027 forecast endpoint; they are not current market measurements.
- Distinguish revenue streams. Physical game purchases, advertising, in-game transactions, and esports rights and tickets reflect different activities.
GamesBeat’s interview with CJ Bangah, a market research leader who worked on PwC’s outlook, framed esports as moving toward multiple entertainment and sports-like business lines, including rights, sponsorships, live experiences, and ticket sales. That context helps explain why the report groups game and esports revenue while tracking distinct sources within them.
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Forecast caveats
The available account is secondary reporting that attributes its estimates to PwC; it is not a direct examination of PwC’s original forecast tables. The reported figures should therefore be cited as GamesBeat’s account of PwC’s forecast, not as verified actual revenue. No newer comparable PwC forecast is established here, and the conflicting 2022 share values remain unresolved.
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