Worldwide Digital PC and Mac Gaming Forecast, 2024-2028: Paid Game and DLC Revenue Set for Record Highs

This IDC study forecasts digital PC gaming through 2028 worldwide and in four geographic regions: North America, Western Europe, Asia/Pacific (including Japan), and a combined rest of world (ROW). From a gamer perspective, the digital PC gaming market includes players aged 16+ who play games at least monthly on Windows, macOS, Linux/GNU, or Chrome OS systems. From a revenue angle, the forecast includes video game software and service spending derived through digital channels and the share of associated ad advertising revenue going to related game studios and publishers. Four business models and gamer bases are independently sized and assessed: client-based subscriptions; paid digital game, add-on/DLC, and season/battle passes; client-based free to play; and browser-based instant, .IO, and cloud-streamed games."PC gaming remains a remarkably dynamic market. In many ways, it's the crucible in which tomorrow's broader gaming experiences are forged, as suggested by the innovations that have shown up in popular F2P games like Roblox and Fortnite in the past year or two. From a revenue growth standpoint in 2024, however, it's paid games that have outperformed, with the Steam platform leading the way." - Lewis Ward, research director of XR, Gaming, and Interactive 3D Software at IDC