In 2025, China’s gaming market exceeded $50 billion for the first time, showing a 5.4% increase to $51.8 billion.
According to a recent report from Niko Partners, the market is projected to grow by 4% in 2026 to $53.9 billion and is expected to reach $59.8 billion by 2030, indicating a five-year CAGR of 2.9%.
The player base in China is estimated to reach 769 million by 2030, with the average weekly playtime increasing to 15.8 hours from 14.1 hours in the previous year.
Niko Partners credited the revenue and player growth to the strong performance of both new and existing popular games.
Mini-games have emerged as a significant growth sector, with 80% of Chinese players participating in this genre, which accounts for nearly 20% of mobile game spending.
Almost half of players use short video apps to explore new games and information across different platforms.
The report also points out that 66% of Chinese players utilize various methods to bypass the country’s internet censorship, with 30.8% playing on global servers, 33.6% using gaming accelerators, and 21.9% using VPNs.
Earlier this year, China incorporated video games into its 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (2026-2030), moving them from the category of digital cultural products.
Niko Partners highlighted five key trends for China’s gaming market in the next five years: growth in niche genres, increased out-of-app monetization, regulatory enhancements, higher consumer spending on premium PC and console games, and the integration of generative AI.
The firm emphasized that Chinese gaming companies are quickly adopting generative AI in both development processes and player-facing features, along with a wider expansion in user-generated content platforms.
While the rapid development of generative AI infrastructure has led to an increased demand for RAM and semiconductor components, Niko Partners stated that ongoing innovation, clear regulations, and strong player engagement will continue to support long-term market growth in China.