SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sensor Tower, a leading provider of data on the digital economy, today released its annual State of Gaming report for 2026. The report, which for the first time includes data across mobile, PC, and Console, reveals that in 2025 games were downloaded 52 billion times across the three platforms. Mobile drives this volume, with 95,000 mobile games downloaded per minute during that year, though download growth has slowed from 2024. Meanwhile, higher downloads and premium game revenue across PC/Console games signal continued opportunities for growth.
Overall, mobile game revenue rose 1% to $82 billion, despite slowing download rates. This growth in IAP revenue suggests a focus on retaining, engaging, and monetizing existing players in a mature market through tactics like live ops, events, and IP collaborations. Accordingly, 2025 saw mobile game ad spend grow on YouTube, a channel historically focused more on PC/Console. This increased share aligns with a broader shift toward monetization, targeting high-value audiences instead of maximizing download volume.
For PC and Console games, revenue performance has seen double digit growth (+13%), while downloads and releases have also shown steady increases at +7% and +8.4% respectively. Demand was largely driven by AAA and Indie Action games, with Indie titles like R.E.P.O. and Peak seeing the most downloads in the genre. Sustained demand for these types of chaotic co-op offerings suggests developers may see success in combining a low friction price point with gameplay optimized for friend groups and content creators.
"2025 proved the strength of the PC/console ecosystem, fueled by viral indie hits, high-quality AA experiences, and reliable AAA pipelines-anchored by the year's top-selling title, Battlefield 6. With GTA VI still ahead, that momentum will only accelerate into 2026," said Oliver Yeh, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Sensor Tower. "Meanwhile, mobile has entered a more mature phase. While downloads are harder to scale, opportunity has shifted to favor developers who prioritize retention, monetization, and innovation, with tactics like webstores and IP partnerships driving sustainable growth."
More key findings include:
- Mobile gaming shifts towards monetization: With downloads continuing to shrink but revenue holding steady, each download needs to count for more. Retaining, engaging, and monetizing existing players is critical.
- PC gaming sees another record year: Steam saw more record gains in terms of units sold, premium game revenue, and number of games released, with growth primarily driven by AAA and AA publishers.
- YouTube gains on mobile, loses ground on PC/Console: While the majority of mobile game ad spend still goes to mobile app networks and YouTube is still #1 for PC/Console, YouTube spend share shifted from PC/Console to mobile.
- Battlefield 6 ranks #1 in an intense year for shooters: In a market full of titans like Call of Duty and Fortnite and massive launches including Delta Force and Marvel Rivals, Battlefield 6 topped 2025 as the best-selling PC/Console game of the year.
- 4X Strategy takes over mobile: Strategy is the only genre to make gains in revenue, downloads, and time spent, led by the #1 and #2 games, by revenue, of 2025 - Last War: Survival and Whiteout Survival.
- Content creator, friend group experiences rise up: The #2 and #3 best-selling PC/Console games of 2025 were R.E.P.O. and PEAK, handily beating AAA games with huge audiences. GTA 6 will be the culmination of this trend.
About Sensor Tower
Sensor Tower is a global provider of digital intelligence solutions, empowering companies to understand consumer behavior and market performance across mobile apps, digital platforms, and gaming ecosystems. Headquartered in San Francisco, Sensor Tower's insights are trusted by more than 2,500 enterprises worldwide.
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