Leading gaming markets worldwide 2020, by revenue

The biggest video game markets

Video gaming is no longer a hobby exclusively enjoyed by the young. As generations have grown up with video games a normal part of life, the video gaming market size has increased across the globe. As of 2020, it is estimated that China ranks first among the biggest gaming markets worldwide, with a revenue of 40.85 billion U.S. dollars. The video gaming market in the United States ranked second, generating an approximate 36.92 billion U.S. dollars in annual revenues.

Tencent – the driving force of the Chinese gaming market

China and the United States have been battling it out for the top spot of the biggest global gaming market for years. Shenzhen-headquartered Tencent, one of the biggest online companies worldwide, is also driving the gaming market in China. In 2019, Tencent generated approximately a third of its revenue through its gaming segment, accumulating 114.7 billion yuan in the most recent year. The company also has several controlling stakes in a wide range of online and mobile gaming companies worldwide. As such, it comes as no surprise that gaming apps ranked first as single most popular app category based on availability in Chinese app stores. As of 2020, it is estimated that there were more than 654 million mobile gamers in China.

The popularity of gaming in the United States

Considered as one of the mainstream forms of entertainment right now, gaming is an integral part of American culture. Current industry figures estimate that there are close to 175 million digital gamers in the United States. According to a survey conducted in 2020, 65 percent of adults in the United States played video games on at least one platform. Despite gaming already having a solid presence in everyday media consumption, the medium is only getting more popular: the coronavirus pandemic has led to non-gamers picking up the controllers, and pre-existing gamers in the United States also been spending more time and money on gaming activities.