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    Casual and mobile gaming by the numbers (2026)

    Mobile is the largest part of the games business: Newzoo forecasts $121.1 billion of mobile revenue in 2026 out of a $213.9 billion market, with 3.1 billion mobile players.[1][2][3] Casual titles such as Royal Match, Monopoly Go! and Candy Crush Saga sit near the top of the charts,[4] but downloads are falling and growth now depends on spending by existing players.[5][6]

    Editor reviewedUpdated Gaming

    The headline numbers

    Most people who play video games play on a phone. Newzoo, a games-market research firm, expects 3.1 billion mobile players in 2026 out of 3.7 billion players on all devices.[3][7] It forecasts that mobile games will earn $121.1 billion in 2026, more than half of a $213.9 billion global games market.[1][2]

    Newzoo’s September 2026 forecast puts the 2026 market at $213.9 billion (+6.1%) and mobile at $121.1 billion (+6.8%).[2][1] Its forecasts have moved a lot: in September 2025 it projected $103 billion for 2025 mobile revenue, and its final estimate came in at $113.3 billion, with the total market at $201.6 billion.[8][9] Treat any single-year forecast as provisional. Sensor Tower counted 52 billion game downloads across mobile, PC and console in 2025, most of them on mobile.[10] Newzoo expects 1.65 billion paying players in 2026, up 4.7%.[7]

    Why the estimates differ

    Different research firms measure different slices of the market. Newzoo counts sales of game copies, in-game purchases, subscriptions and mobile platform revenue, and excludes advertising.[11] Sensor Tower’s figure is narrower: it measured $82 billion of mobile in-app purchase revenue in 2025, up 1%.[12] The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reports US consumer spending only: $60.7 billion on video games in 2025, of which $52.3 billion was on content.[13]

    Because Newzoo’s figure excludes advertising, money that free games earn from ads is not counted in it.[11] None of these three sources reports “casual” games as a separate segment, so the figures are best used for direction and comparison rather than as an exact size of casual gaming.

    Major titles and genres

    The ESA’s list of top-grossing US mobile games in 2024 includes several casual titles. Monopoly Go!, Royal Match, Roblox, Candy Crush Saga and Last War Survival made the top five, with Whiteout Survival, Coin Master, Township and Pokémon GO behind them.[4] Royal Match, for example, leads the puzzle genre, where players match tiles or sort pieces.[14]

    Newzoo’s first-half 2026 mobile genre ranking has puzzle led by Royal Match and casino led by Coin Master alongside strategy, role-playing and shooter genres.[14] Sensor Tower found that strategy was the only mobile genre to grow in revenue, downloads and time spent in 2025, led by Last War Survival and Whiteout Survival, the top two mobile games by revenue that year.[15] Monopoly Go!, a licensed Hasbro brand, contributed $168 million to Hasbro in 2025 and $44 million in the second quarter of 2026, which shows how a casual hit can feed a board-game company’s results.[16][17]

    Who plays and why

    More than 205 million Americans play video games, and 28% of players are 50 or older, according to the ESA’s 2025 report.[18] In its 2026 survey, the top two reasons Americans gave for playing were to relax and to have fun.[19] Those motivations echo research that links enjoyment to feelings of competence and autonomy, covered in how game mechanics work.[20]

    Platforms and distribution

    Publishers are selling more directly to players instead of only through app stores. Four of the five publishers Newzoo tracks earned at least 39% of their games revenue directly from consumers by the first quarter of 2026.[21] Sensor Tower’s chief executive named webstores and IP partnerships as tactics behind sustainable mobile growth.[22] For what this means for the year ahead, see casual gaming trends in 2026.

    Questions readers ask

    How big is the mobile games market in 2026?

    Newzoo forecasts $121.1 billion of mobile game revenue in 2026, up 6.8%. Sensor Tower measured $82 billion of mobile in-app purchase revenue in 2025; the two firms measure different things.[1][12][11]

    How many people play mobile games?

    Newzoo expects 3.1 billion mobile players in 2026, out of 3.7 billion players across all platforms.[3][7]

    What are the top-grossing casual mobile games?

    In the US in 2024 the ESA's top-grossing mobile list was led by Monopoly Go!, Royal Match, Roblox, Candy Crush Saga and Last War Survival. Newzoo's first-half 2026 data has Royal Match leading the puzzle genre.[4][14]

    How much do Americans spend on video games?

    US consumers spent $60.7 billion on video games in 2025, according to the ESA, including $52.3 billion on content.[13]

    Why do Newzoo and Sensor Tower give different numbers?

    They define the market differently. Newzoo counts game sales, in-game purchases, subscriptions and mobile platform revenue and excludes advertising; Sensor Tower's $82 billion figure is mobile in-app purchase revenue.[11][12]

    Sources

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Status shows how well established it is.

    1. [1]

      Newzoo forecast that mobile game revenue would reach $121.1 billion in 2026, up 6.8%, even as downloads decline. reportedas of 2026-09-23· forecast

    2. [2]

      Newzoo forecast in September 2026 that the global games market would reach $213.9 billion in 2026, up 6.1% year on year. reportedas of 2026-09-23· forecast

    3. [3]

      Newzoo forecast that mobile's player base would rise 3.9% to 3.1 billion in 2026. reportedas of 2026-09-23· forecast

    4. [4]

      The ESA listed Monopoly Go!, Royal Match, Roblox, Candy Crush Saga and Last War Survival as the five top-grossing mobile games in the US in 2024. confirmedas of 2025-12-31

    5. [5]

      Global mobile game downloads fell 25% year on year in the first half of 2026, while cost per install rose 30% to $0.56, according to figures cited in Newzoo's 2026 report. reportedas of 2026-09-23

    6. [6]

      Sensor Tower said mobile revenue growth in 2025 reflected a focus on retaining and monetising existing players in a mature market through live operations, events and IP collaborations. reportedas of 2026-02-26· interpretation

    7. [7]

      Newzoo expected the global player base to grow 4.4% to 3.7 billion in 2026 and the number of paying players to rise 4.7% to 1.65 billion. reportedas of 2026-09-23· forecast

    8. [8]

      In September 2025 Newzoo forecast that mobile games would generate $103 billion in 2025, a 55% share of the global games market. reportedas of 2025-09-10· forecast

    9. [9]

      Newzoo's final estimate put the 2025 games market at $201.6 billion and mobile at $113.3 billion, above its September 2025 forecast of $103 billion for mobile. reportedas of 2026-09-14

    10. [10]

      Sensor Tower counted 52 billion game downloads across mobile, PC and console in 2025, mostly on mobile. confirmedas of 2026-02-26

    11. [11]

      Newzoo's market estimate counts game sales, in-game purchases, subscriptions and mobile platform revenue, and excludes advertising revenue. reportedas of 2026-09-14

    12. [12]

      Sensor Tower estimated that mobile game in-app purchase revenue rose 1% to $82 billion in 2025 even as download growth slowed. confirmedas of 2026-02-26

    13. [13]

      US consumers spent $60.7 billion on video games in 2025, including $52.3 billion on content, according to the ESA. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    14. [14]

      In Newzoo's first-half 2026 mobile revenue ranking, the leading genres included puzzle (led by Royal Match), casino (Coin Master), strategy (Last War Survival), role-playing (Pokémon GO) and shooter (PUBG). reportedas of 2026-09-14

    15. [15]

      In Sensor Tower's 2025 data, strategy was the only mobile genre to gain in revenue, downloads and time spent, led by Last War Survival and Whiteout Survival, the top two mobile games by revenue. confirmedas of 2026-02-26

    16. [16]

      The licensed mobile game Monopoly Go! contributed $168 million of revenue to Hasbro in 2025. confirmedas of 2026-02-10

    17. [17]

      Monopoly Go! contributed $44 million of revenue to Hasbro in the second quarter of 2026. confirmedas of 2026-07-21

    18. [18]

      The ESA's 2025 report said more than 205 million Americans play video games and 28% of players are 50 or older. confirmedas of 2025-12-31

    19. [19]

      The ESA's 2026 survey found the top two reasons Americans play video games are to relax and to have fun. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    20. [20]

      A 2006 set of four studies applying self-determination theory found that players' needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness each independently predicted enjoyment and future play. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    21. [21]

      By the first quarter of 2026, four of the five publishers Newzoo tracks earned at least 39% of their games revenue directly from consumers. reportedas of 2026-09-23

    22. [22]

      Sensor Tower's chief executive said mobile opportunity had shifted toward developers who prioritise retention and monetisation, with tactics such as webstores and IP partnerships. reportedas of 2026-02-26· interpretation

    Revision history (1)
    1. Page created.

    Created Oct 10, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 10, 2026. Next scheduled review: Jan 10, 2027.

    Cite this page

    "Casual and mobile gaming by the numbers (2026)." ContentLora, updated Oct 10, 2026. https://contentlora.com/explain/casual-gaming-market

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