Newzoo forecasts that PC revenue will continue at a 6.6% annual growth rate between 2025 and 2028 compared with an expected 4.4% for consoles, projecting that continuing PC games revenue growth will outstrip console sales by 2028. The forecast suggests a remarkable shift in market dynamics, with the PC platform capitalising on regional growth and evolving player preferences.
The growth trajectory reflects genuine structural changes in gaming. Newzoo predicts that the combined PC player base will exceed 1 billion players by 2028, driven by adoption across developing regions and ongoing investment in premium gaming experiences. PC platforms have historically offered advantages in price flexibility, game variety, and user freedom compared to console ecosystems, advantages that appear increasingly valuable to players worldwide.
Some games already demonstrate PC's competitive strength. Minecraft had 15 million PC players in January, whereas PlayStation had 8.2 million and Xbox 5.5 million. If such patterns accelerate, console makers face a genuine challenge to their traditional dominance.
However, the forecast comes with significant caveats. Newzoo's predictions of continuing PC revenue growth could be rendered irrelevant by the growing memory and storage supply crisis, which threatens not only the PC hardware market but the entirety of consumer electronics as we currently know it. The scale of turmoil unleashed by widespread shortages and skyrocketing prices could be so profound that the landscape of the gaming industry will be unrecognisable by 2028.
Analyst estimates themselves vary considerably. Some forecasters project console growth at substantially higher rates, driven by exclusive titles and new hardware cycles. The consensus remains contested, reflecting the sector's genuine unpredictability. Variables including regional economic conditions, currency fluctuations, and new product launches could easily reshape these projections.
For Australian gamers and investors, the underlying trend matters more than any single forecast. PC gaming's accessibility and lower hardware entry costs position the platform well in emerging markets, while Western console markets show signs of maturation. The real test will be whether developers continue investing in premium PC experiences or concentrate resources on console exclusives.