2021 is setting out to be a great year for the gaming industry, as the total player numbers have reached 3 billion this year, and will continue to rise in the coming years.
Today, Newzoo released its 2021 Global Games Market report which highlights how the gaming industry is healthier than ever, with total player numbers having reached 3 billion in 2021. Of these players, 2.8 billion play on mobile devices, high numbers driver by Asian players and accessibility, 1.4 billion on PC, and 0.9 billion on consoles. The total number of players is expected to exceed 3.30 billion in 2024.
Due to Asia-Pacific's appetite for mobile games, as well as the segment's accessibility and ubiquity in all markets, 2.8 billion of the world's 3.0 billion gamers this year will play on a mobile device. This is compared to 1.4 billion on PC and 0.9 billion on console.
There is understandably plenty of crossover here, as more consumers than ever before play across multiple segments. This is in part driven by the ongoing trend of platform agnosticism (blurring lines between platforms), which is in turn driven by crossplay.
It isn't just the total player numbers that are expected to grow in the next few years. The market is expected to grow with a compound annual growth of +8.7% to reach $218.7 billion in 2024.
The full report from Newzoo also touches on more interesting data such as the growth of the Virtual Reality market, which generated total revenue of $816 million, and the raise of the metaverse trend. You can check the report out in full by heading over Newzoo's Official Website.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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