Gaming Industry Emerges from Post-Pandemic Slump: 55% of Gamers Are Playing More in the Last Six ..

• 09 Dec 2025
• TM Team
• 0 Comments

The gaming industry is emerging from its post-pandemic slowdown, with global gaming revenue projected to grow by 6% from 2026 to 2030 and reach $350 billion by 2030.

A new survey of approximately 3,000 gamers found that 55% of them increased their playing time during the past six months. More adults are playing later into life, too, with over 40% of baby boomers and over 50% of Gen X players reporting that they game for five or more hours per week. Many are also cultivating the next generation of gamers, as about 44% of them say that their children began playing video games by the age of five. Yet many gamers feel squeezed economically, with 49% waiting for discounts before buying and 31% saying that they will skip purchases if prices increase.

These are among the findings of a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), titled Video Gaming Report 2026: How Platforms Are Colliding and Why This Will Spark the Next Era of Growth. The report examines four trends that will shape the industry in the coming years: GenAI, the emergence of user-generated content (UGC), the rise of cloud gaming, and the opening up of app stores.

"The gaming industry is turning a corner, and we are optimistic about what comes next," said Giorgo Paizanis, a BCG partner and coauthor of the report. "Growth is picking up and the post-pandemic slump is fading. While recent revenue gains have been driven largely by pricing, gamers remain passionate about gaming—and their growing share of leisure time spent playing proves it. Parents who grew up gaming are still playing, and many are introducing their kids to video games as early as age five, while rising accessibility across screens and platforms allows people to play in more moments."

GenAI Sparks a Wave of Innovation

As part of the report, BCG analyzed metadata from an online gaming platform and found that around 7,300 games disclosed AI use—including roughly one-fifth of titles released in Q3 2025 alone. On the basis of those findings, BCG estimates that around 50% of studios are now using AI.

AI can boost efficiency by improving code and automating quality assurance. It can enhance the user experience by creating gameplay that adapts to players' choices in real time and using GenAI-powered memory, personality, and behavior. Still, half of developers worry about player pushback over AI.

UGC: The Growing Creator Economy

UGC has emerged as a rapidly growing creator economy, with payouts that will reach $1.5 billion in 2025 from two games alone. More than 40% of survey respondents said that they're consuming more UGC this year than last year, but only 10% to 15% have created content themselves.