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PC & Console Gaming Report 2026
1. Market trajectory What direction is the PC and console market heading in 2026? 8 What direction is the PC and console market heading in 2026? 2. Attention & value allocation Where do players spend time and money on PC and console? 17 3. Market concentration What happens if you are not a top-20 game? 45 4.
NewzooApr 2026
Report
Live Streaming Basics: A Comprehensive Introduction
The global live-streaming landscape underwent a transformative shift in the third quarter of 2025, characterized by record-breaking viewership and a significant redistribution of market power. Total viewership reached 9.6 billion hours across traditional platforms, representing a 13% year-over-year increase. However, the most profound development was the emergence of TikTok Live as a dominant force, recording 9.1 billion hours watched and nearly doubling the output of Twitch. This surge reflects a broader consumer pivot toward mobile-integrated content and has resulted in Twitch’s market share falling below 50% for the first time, a decline exacerbated by aggressive internal crackdowns on fraudulent viewbotting. Content trends during this period favored non-gaming categories and massive live events over traditional gameplay. Non-gaming content led with 1.7 billion hours watched, while Ibai’s *La Velada del Año V* set a new industry benchmark with 9.2 million peak concurrent viewers. Although esports viewership grew by 8% to 805 million hours, the sector saw a notable migration of audiences from Twitch toward YouTube and TikTok, largely driven by the Esports World Cup. In the gaming sector, *EA Sports FC 26* emerged as the quarter's premier release, generating 62.3 million hours watched within its first month. Individual creator performance and brand integration reached new heights of commercial impact. Kai Cenat dominated the landscape, leading all creators with 91.4 million hours watched and setting a record with 1.1 million subscriptions during his "Mafiathon 3" event. This level of engagement translated into significant brand visibility, as evidenced by a 26,000-mention surge for Crocs during Cenat’s broadcast. While female viewership was led by ExtraEmily and the VTuber category saw Usada Pekora reclaim the top spot, the overarching trend indicates that high-production marathons and cross-platform accessibility are now the primary drivers of growth and monetization in the streaming economy.
Stream HatchetOct 2025
Legal
Public Consultation and Call for Evidence for the Digital Fairness Act Impact Assessment
The response to the public consultation on the Digital Fairness Act argues that the European Union’s existing consumer‑protection framework, together with the continent‑wide PEGI rating system and Germany’s USK scheme, already delivers the breadth, flexibility and enforcement capacity required to safeguard minors and ensure transparency for in‑game currencies and loot‑box‑type rewards. By emphasizing self‑ and co‑regulatory measures—clear real‑world cost calculations for virtual currencies, mandatory disclosure of reward probabilities, 48‑hour refunds for unused purchases and robust, default‑zero‑spend parental‑control settings—the industry contends that new, draconian legislation would jeopardise a sector that generated €26.4 billion in 2024. Empirical evidence underpins the argument that current safeguards are effective: only about 18 % of children are permitted to buy in‑game items, 95 % of purchases are supervised, 79 % of parents recognise PEGI labels, and 80 % are familiar with USK age ratings. Survey data also show that parental‑control tools now allow consent to data processing, limit communication and content sharing, and are audited by self‑regulatory bodies such as USK. Multilingual awareness campaigns have been deployed across 16 EU countries, partnering with family and media‑literacy organisations to promote joint play and responsible spending. The industry further maintains that the EU’s Consumer Rights Directive, Digital Content Directive, Data‑Protection Regulation, AI Act and Digital Services Act already cover “dark‑pattern” and vulnerability‑targeting practices. It calls for concrete, industry‑co‑created guidance rather than expanded definitions that could dilute legal certainty and impose disproportionate compliance costs, especially for subscription‑cancellation mechanisms. Reclassifying in‑game currencies as “digital representations of value” would strip existing protections and generate an impractical proliferation of contracts. Overall, the position presented seeks to preserve the balance between consumer information, the right of withdrawal and market innovation, urging legislators to enforce and refine current rules while supporting the video‑games sector’s self‑regulatory governance structures that span the EU and address both economic and child‑protection concerns.
Video Games EuropeOct 2025
Report
Vorhaus Digital Strategy Study: All Findings 2025
The digital landscape in the United States has reached a pivotal turning point as smartphones and connected televisions officially surpass traditional broadcast media as the primary vehicles for entertainment. With smart TV penetration reaching 63% and subscription services now more prevalent than cable or satellite, the American household is firmly rooted in a digital-first ecosystem. This transition is fueled by a surge in spending among younger consumers aged 18–34, who have increased their annual digital media expenditure by $235 over the past year. While the average household maintains 3.5 subscription video services, a growing trend of "subscription cycling" suggests consumers are becoming more price-sensitive and strategic with their digital commitments. Gaming has emerged as a near-universal activity, with 80% of the population engaging across various platforms and over half of the country playing mobile games daily. The industry is seeing a significant rise in social and cloud gaming, alongside a burgeoning interest in user-generated content and non-programmer creation tools. Although traditional game discovery channels are losing influence, total annual in-game spending has risen dramatically. Notably, 70% of computer gamers now spend $30 or more annually, and there is a growing consumer appetite for the ability to trade virtual goods between different titles, potentially facilitated by blockchain technology. Emerging technologies reveal a stark generational divide in adoption and sentiment. While the 18–34 demographic shows double-digit increases in familiarity and interest regarding the Metaverse and Virtual Reality, interest in Augmented Reality has declined sharply across all age groups. Cryptocurrency remains a niche expertise, yet a significant portion of younger investors plan to commit substantial capital to the sector in the coming year. Despite these advancements, privacy remains a critical barrier; over 60% of Americans express deep concerns regarding information security and the use of personal data for advertising. This tension between high digital engagement and data anxiety defines the current state of the American digital consumer.
Vorhaus AdvisorsAug 2025