Newzoo Says PC Revenue Is on Pace to Surpass Console by 2028

The long-running PC versus console debate picked up a data-heavy angle this week after Newzoo said PC revenue is on track to surpass console revenue by 2028. The story gained traction on r/pcgaming because it goes beyond a one-cycle sales spike and instead frames the next few years as a structural shift in where game spending is growing.

According to GamesIndustry.biz, which cited Newzoo's latest PC and console gaming report, PC revenue is expected to grow at a 6.6% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2028. Console revenue is still projected to grow, but at a slower 4.4% rate over the same period. Newzoo says the combined PC and console market reached $88.3 billion in 2025, up 7% year over year, and could reach $94.3 billion in 2026 before climbing to $103.7 billion by 2028.

What stands out is where the PC growth is coming from. Newzoo said premium PC games represented 29% of total PC revenue in 2025 and were the main growth driver, with revenue in AAA, AA, and indie releases up 11.8%. It also found that engagement outside the top 20 titles rose from 33% in 2022 to 42% in 2025. That suggests the market is not growing only because of a few entrenched giants. The spending base is broadening.

Regional dynamics matter too. Newzoo expects the PC player base to exceed one billion by 2028, with East Asia providing much of the expansion. Ben Porter, Newzoo's director of consulting, told GamesIndustry.biz that China remains a major source of volume, while Japan and South Korea are increasingly important because they combine stronger PC adoption with higher average revenue per paying user. Steam's growing relevance in Japan was one of the clearest signals he highlighted.

Console is hardly collapsing. Newzoo still expects premium console titles to account for about half of console revenue, and it said that category grew 12% year over year in 2025. But the report argues that console remains more dependent on blockbuster launches and hardware cycles. Microtransaction revenue slipped slightly, subscription revenue rose more modestly, and titles priced above $50 still dominate spending on that side of the market.

For publishers, the implication is not that console stops mattering. It is that PC is becoming harder to treat as a secondary port destination. Pricing flexibility, broader catalog engagement, and expanding demand in East Asia are turning PC into a central revenue lane. If Newzoo's forecast holds, platform strategy over the next two years will likely be judged against that shift.