Mobile income remained flat throughout 2025, however PC gaming “sees another record year” | Sensor Tower State of Gaming 2026

Digital intelligence and analytics agency Sensor Tower has launched its State of Gaming 2026 report, revealing flat development in cellular sport income, double-digit development for PC and console gaming, and one other document yr for PC, with extra video games bought on Steam than ever earlier than.

In 2025, there have been 52 billion sport downloads throughout cellular, PC, and console units. However, regardless of 95,000 cellular video games downloaded each minute throughout 2025 – plus a lift in YouTube cellular advert spend, historically utilized by PC and console video games – this was down from 2024, with cellular sport income growing by simply 1% to $82 billion.

Sensor Tower posits this implies a deal with “retaining, engaging, and monetizing existing players in a mature market through tactics like live ops, events, and IP collaborations.”

PC and console gaming noticed income develop by 13%, with downloads and releases additionally up by 7% and eight.4%, respectively, pushed by AA (+29% YoY) and AAA publishers (+25% YoY).

The evaluation additionally revealed a powerful yr for shooters, with Battlefield 6 the best-selling PC/console sport of the yr, with the second and third being EA Sports FC 25 and EA Sports FC 26, respectively (and mixed, outsold Battlefield 6) . Skate was the most important free-to-play title ranked by downloads, “followed closely by Marvel Rivals, with Delta Force and Deadlock at #3 and #4.”

R.E.P.O. and Peak have been the best-selling indie video games of 2025, “reinforcing the rise of chaotic co-op, creator-friendly gameplay.”

Across the yr, knowledge traits present that PC avid gamers skew youthful, and hypercasual avid gamers usually tend to be feminine.

The evaluation’s key findings additionally embrace:

• Mobile gaming shifts in the direction of monetization: With downloads persevering with to shrink however income holding regular, every obtain must depend for extra. Retaining, participating, and monetizing current gamers is vital.
• PC gaming sees one other document yr: Steam noticed extra document positive factors by way of items bought, premium sport income, and variety of video games launched, with development primarily pushed by AAA and AA publishers.
• YouTube positive factors on cellular, loses floor on PC/Console: While the vast majority of cellular sport advert spend nonetheless goes to cellular app networks and YouTube continues to be #1 for PC/Console, YouTube spend share shifted from PC/Console to cellular.
• 4X Strategy takes over cellular: Strategy is the one style to make positive factors in income, downloads, and time spent, led by the #1 and #2 video games, by income, of 2025 – Last War: Survival and Whiteout Survival.

“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,” stated Oliver Yeh, CEO 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.”

Head on over to Sensor Tower to obtain the total State of Gaming 2026 report.