Video Gaming Report 2026: The Next Era of Growth | BCG

Some players are already positioning themselves. Microsoft’s January 2022 purchase of Activision for around $70 billion, the richest industry M&A ever, was in part designed to position Microsoft for the new, cloud-enabled, era in which almost any device can function as a gaming platform. In November 2025, Sony announced that gamers can now stream some of its most iconic games from the cloud to its PS Portal handheld device, with no PlayStation console required. [...] Save It For Later Saved To My Saved ContentDownload Article")

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As 2025 comes to a close, the video game industry is emerging from its post-pandemic slump and ready to enter a new, more upbeat era. Employment and investment in the sector are stabilizing; growth is starting to pick up. [...] Video Gaming Report 2026

ByErnesto Pagano,Giorgo Paizanis,Povilas Joniškis,Niels Danielsen,Francisco Smart,Siddharth Modi, and Henry Anderson

Article December 09, 2025 15 MIN read

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Key Takeaways

As it enters 2026, the video game industry is poised for renewed growth driven by platform convergence. Multiple trends mark a new era of opportunity as boundaries between console, mobile, and PC break down—and as developers gain fresh opportunities for smarter monetization.

Generative AI will power innovative gaming experiences.

User-generated content and the booming creator economy will drive even higher engagement.

Cloud gaming will push gaming toward a platform-agnostic future.

The opening up of app stores will create new business models.

Source Insight: This report was curated based on original coverage from bcg.com.

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