Boston Consulting Group (BCG) believes that game platforms are colliding and that this will spark the new era of growth in the game industry.
The report, entitled Video Gaming Report 2026: How Platforms are Colliding and Why This Will Spark the Next Era of Growth, predicts global gaming revenue will grow 6% to reach $350 billion by 2030.
That’s a signal that shows the overall games industry is rebounding from its post-pandemic slowdown and trending toward growth, the company said.
The report examines the trends that will fuel this growth and shape the industry in the coming years which include GenAI, the emergence of user-generated content (UGC), the rise of mainstream cloud gaming, and direct-to-consumer (DTC) stores taking on on-platform app stores.
“The gaming industry is turning a corner, and we are optimistic about what comes next,” said Giorgo Paizanis, a BCG partner and coauthor of the report, in a statement. “Growth is picking up and the post-pandemic slump is fading. While recent revenue gains have been driven largely by pricing, gamers remain passionate—and their growing share of leisure time spent playing proves it. Parents who grew up gaming are still playing and introducing their kids as early as age five, while rising accessibility across screens and platforms is allowing people to play in more moments.”
Key highlights and takeaways from the report suggest:
Cloud gaming is gaining traction and ready to go mainstream in the next 5 years – players report positive experiences, incumbents and new entrants are investing, and omni-screen access will increasingly be expected. This points to a move away from siloed hardware-based distribution models, and more toward multi-screen experiences. Cloud gaming revenues are set to grow from around $1.4 billion in 2025 to $18.3 billion in 2030, surpassing 50 million users.
Mobile in-app purchases in 2025 will total $130 billion, nearly half of global industry revenue in the wake of regulatory action opening up new opportunities for developers, particularly mobile, to distribute and monetize their games through alternative app stores. BCG’s report estimates one-third of adults and 40% of teens have already purchased from developer-owned web app stores.
Creator economy is today what live services were a few years back. The creator payouts will exceed $1.5bn, up 17% YoY (or more). Major live service leaders have seen their revenue and users plateau, and decline in 2025, leaving the door open for some new games to rise.
Production is increasingly democratized through UGC and AI tools that lower barriers to access, leading to net new experiences and even changing what players expect fun games to look like. While developers continue to worry about player pushback over AI, the majority of surveyed players reported AI in games not being a concern. 20% of games launched on an online-gaming platform last quarter reported using AI, and an expected 50% of studios are exploring use cases for AI in workflows and player experiences. AI can boost efficiencies by improving code and automating quality assurance or enhance the player experience through gameplay that adapts to players’ choices in real time and making non-player characters (NPCs) more lifelike with GenAI-powered memory, personality, and behavior.
There are more video game players than ever and access to play is only increasing. The range of players is also expanding with children playing younger than ever (as early as 5yrs) and adults playing into their retirement years at higher levels. This provides a strong tailwind for long-term increases in time spent. This means games are gaining penetration and share of time while social media and TV are both declining over time as a share of leisure time spent.
“In the next five years, we expect an explosion of new gaming content and players,” said Ernesto Pagano, a BCG managing director and senior partner, and coauthor of the report, in a statement. “Cloud gaming, user-generated content, AI, and the opening up of app stores will transform how games are built and distributed. Players will expect more—fresh experiences, vibrant communities, and the freedom to play across devices wherever they go. Studios that embrace this moment of change have an opportunity to define gaming’s future.”