Newzoo forecasts PC game revenue growing 6.6% a year through 2028 versus 4.4% for console, and its director of market intelligence says his team may have to raise its 2026 PC forecast again.
PC gaming is having a moment, and the numbers back it up. In an interview with GamesRadar+, Newzoo director of market intelligence Emmanuel Rosier said PC has “really strong momentum,” and Newzoo’s own reports say PC is on pace to out-earn consoles within two years.
The numbers
From Newzoo’s PC & Console Gaming Report 2026 (March 2026) and its 2026 Global Games Market Report summary:
- 2026 revenue: PC $45.9 billion (up 5.3%), console $46.9 billion (up 5.1%). They’re nearly neck and neck.
- Growth through 2028: PC at a 6.6% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2028, console at 4.4%.
- The flip: Newzoo projects PC revenue passes console revenue by 2028.
- Players: PC’s player base is projected to top 1 billion players by 2028.
- Whole market: PC plus console is projected to hit $103.7 billion by 2028, and the total games market (mobile included) is forecast at $213.9 billion in 2026.
- How PC makes money: in 2025, microtransactions were 48% of PC revenue ($20.6B) and premium game sales were 29% ($12.5B). Premium games grew 11.8% year over year on PC.
Why PC is growing, in Rosier’s words
- More choice: “PC players have more choice in general. For a lot of indie publishers, it’s easier to first release your game on Steam, on PC, and then if it works expand to console.”
- The trend flipped: “if you look back at 2015 to 2020, PC was almost flat and consoles were booming… But now it’s kind of the opposite.”
- Forecast may go up: “we’re probably going to need to revise up the PC forecast for 2026 because the first-half result for some publishers on PC is really good, higher double-digit in some case.”
- Even with pricey hardware: GamesRadar+ notes PC is dealing with AI data center-driven price hikes, but Newzoo finds “PC keeps growing” anyway.
The Xbox angle
Newzoo’s report has a line Xbox fans should notice: “On Xbox, engagement is spreading beyond the Top 20, partly driven by discovery through Game Pass.” In other words, Game Pass players actually try more games instead of only playing the same few blockbusters.
And Xbox isn’t only a console anymore. Xbox games launch on PC through the Xbox app and Steam, PC Game Pass puts day one first-party games on Windows, and Xbox Play Anywhere lets one purchase work on both. Capcom just said PC is its biggest platform too.
Where do you play most these days?
Vote and see what other Xbox fans think.
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OnPoint’s take: This is exactly why Xbox going all in on PC was the right call. If PC is where the growth is, Xbox is already standing there with Game Pass, Play Anywhere and its whole first-party lineup on Windows, while still giving console players the best value in the business. We’re huge PC fans here, and seeing PC on pace to pass console is no surprise. The best place to be in 2028 is wherever Xbox games are, and that’s your Series X and your PC.
Image: OnPoint 4 Gamers graphic, data from Newzoo
Sources
- GamesRadar+: Interview with Newzoo’s Emmanuel Rosier on PC gaming’s growth (Oct 30, 2026)
- Newzoo: Post-pandemic growth returns for PC and console (Mar 12, 2026)
- Newzoo: The forces driving the games market to $213.9 billion
