Digital intelligence and analytics firm Sensor Tower has unveiled its State of Gaming 2026 report, which highlights a notable divergence in growth trends across gaming platforms. While mobile game revenue has remained relatively flat, PC and console gaming have experienced a robust double-digit growth, marking another record year for the PC segment, particularly on the Steam platform.
Key Insights from the Report
In 2025, the gaming landscape saw a staggering 52 billion downloads across mobile, PC, and console devices. Despite the impressive figure of 95,000 mobile games downloaded every minute, this number reflects a decline from 2024. Mobile game revenue saw a modest increase of just 1%, reaching billion. Sensor Tower suggests that this trend indicates a shift in focus towards “retaining, engaging, and monetizing existing players” in a mature market, employing strategies such as live operations, events, and intellectual property collaborations.
Conversely, PC and console gaming revenues surged by 13%, with downloads and releases rising by 7% and 8.4%, respectively. This growth was significantly driven by AA and AAA publishers, with year-over-year increases of 29% and 25%, respectively.
The report also highlights a particularly strong performance in the shooter genre, with Battlefield 6 emerging as the best-selling PC/console game of the year. Following closely were EA Sports FC 25 and EA Sports FC 26, which collectively outsold Battlefield 6. In the free-to-play category, Skate ranked as the most downloaded title, with Marvel Rivals following closely, and Delta Force and Deadlock securing the third and fourth spots, respectively.
Indie games also made their mark, with R.E.P.O. and Peak recognized as the best-selling indie titles of 2025, underscoring the growing popularity of chaotic co-op and creator-friendly gameplay.
Data trends from the analysis reveal that PC gamers tend to be younger, while hypercasual gamers are more likely to be female. The report outlines several key findings:
- Mobile gaming shifts towards monetization: As downloads continue to decline, the focus has shifted to ensuring each download is more valuable. Retaining and engaging existing players has become critical for sustained revenue.
- PC gaming sees another record year: Steam has achieved record gains in units sold, premium game revenue, and the number of games released, primarily driven by AAA and AA publishers.
- YouTube gains on mobile, loses ground on PC/Console: Although mobile game ad spend remains predominantly directed towards mobile app networks, YouTube’s share has shifted from PC/Console to mobile.
- 4X Strategy takes over mobile: The strategy genre has emerged as the only segment to gain in revenue, downloads, and time spent, led by the top two revenue-generating games of 2025, Last War: Survival and Whiteout Survival.
Oliver Yeh, CEO and co-founder of Sensor Tower, remarked, “2025 proved the strength of the PC/console ecosystem, fueled by viral indie hits, high-quality AA experiences, and reliable AAA pipelines—anchored by the year’s top-selling title, Battlefield 6. With GTA VI still ahead, that momentum will only accelerate into 2026.” He further noted, “Meanwhile, mobile has entered a more mature phase. While downloads are harder to scale, opportunity has shifted to favor developers who prioritize retention, monetization, and innovation, with tactics like webstores and IP partnerships driving sustainable growth.”
For those interested in a deeper dive, the full State of Gaming 2026 report is available for download at Sensor Tower.
