Asia MENA gaming market heads past $100bn

Asia and MENA’s video games market is on course to expand from $88.9 billion in 2025 to $103.6 billion by 2030, a 16.5% rise that underlines the region’s growing weight in the global games industry as publishers, platforms and investors look beyond slower mature markets for new growth.

The latest market model points to revenue growth of 3.4% in 2026 to $91.8 billion, with the five-year compound annual growth rate projected at 3.1%. The number of players across the 13 tracked markets is expected to rise to 1.77 billion in 2026 and nearly 1.99 billion by 2030, giving Asia and MENA close to half of global video game revenue covered by the model.

The forecast reflects a broad-based recovery after a period marked by weaker consumer spending, tighter advertising budgets and uneven platform performance. Mobile remains the dominant format across most of the tracked markets, but PC and console gaming are gaining strength in higher-spending segments, especially in China, Japan, South Korea and parts of the Gulf. The industry’s next phase is being shaped by a mix of premium games, live services, esports, user-generated content, cloud gaming and localised publishing strategies.

China remains the largest single market in the region, supported by a deep mobile and PC player base, strong domestic publishers and a licensing environment that has stabilised after earlier disruption. The country’s market continues to be shaped by companies such as Tencent and NetEase, while global studios still face approval barriers and competition from local titles. Japan and South Korea remain important high-value markets, with console, PC and mobile segments benefiting from well-established franchises, strong payments infrastructure and cross-platform play.

India is emerging as the fastest-expanding market by player growth, driven by smartphones, cheap data, digital payments and a young audience. Player numbers have moved well beyond 500 million, although spending per user remains lower than in China, Japan, South Korea and the Gulf. The market is also complicated by regulatory scrutiny over real-money gaming, taxation disputes and uncertainty over what separates skill-based competition from gambling. For publishers focused on conventional video games, the opportunity lies in scale, local pricing, regional language content and advertising-backed monetisation.

Southeast Asia continues to be a mobile-first market, with Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore offering a mix of mass audiences and improving payment conversion. Esports remains a major engagement tool, particularly around multiplayer online battle arena, shooter and battle royale titles. Local publishers and international studios are increasingly investing in community management, creator partnerships and culturally adapted content to improve retention.

MENA’s role is also expanding, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt among the key markets tracked. Saudi Arabia’s gaming strategy has brought sovereign investment, esports events, studio acquisitions and infrastructure spending into sharper focus. The UAE has positioned itself as a regional hub for gaming companies, esports organisers and Web3-linked entertainment ventures, while Egypt offers a large Arabic-speaking player base with long-term monetisation potential. High youth populations, digital payments and government-backed entertainment strategies are helping the sector move from niche consumption to a more structured industry.

The growth outlook is not without risks. Player acquisition costs remain high, privacy rules have weakened targeted advertising, and mobile app store fees continue to pressure margins. Console growth outside wealthier markets is constrained by hardware prices, while PC gaming depends on broadband quality and device affordability. Currency volatility, censorship rules, localisation costs and changing tax regimes add further complexity for foreign publishers.