A recent analysis of market It has revealed a contrasting panorama in the video game industry during 2025. On the one hand, North America is positioned as the region with the highest average expenditure per player in the world. On the other hand, the Generation Z has significantly reduced its investment in this entertainment.
North America leads world spending on video games
According to a report from Newzoo and Tebex, each American player spent on average $325 per year in video games. This figure includes the purchase of full titles, subscriptions, virtual currency, additional content and microtransactions. Although the region represents only 7% of the total number of players worldwide, it concentrates the 28% of global income of the industry.
In contrast, Europe recorded an average of 125 dollars per player, leaving far behind. Globally, the market reached 3.54 billion players in 2025. Asia-Pacific dominated in volume of users representing 53%. However, North America and Europe together generated the 46% of total spending, equivalent to about 85.8 billion dollars of a global market valued in 189 billion. Overall, interest in the video game remains strong.
The report also stressed that the microtransactions have become the backbone of income. represent the 49% of PC spending and the 52% on consoles, being the shooters the most profitable genre. On mobile devices, almost all of the revenue came from in-game purchases.
Generation Z cuts its spending on games
Despite these record figures, a study of CIRCEN shows that the Generation Z (18-24 years old) It is spending less on video games than in previous years. Between January and April 2025, this group reduced its weekly spending by almost 25% compared to 2024. Meanwhile, combined physical and digital purchases fell a 13%. By comparison, older generations decreased their spending by less than 5%.
according to the Wall Street Journal, this setback is attributed to economic difficulties. The shortage of employment for young people, the restart of student loan payments and the increase in delinquency in credit cards are key factors. This increase has reached its highest levels since before the pandemic. As interpreted, buying a video game is no longer so simple.
Even so, not everything indicates that young people are completely abandoning the consumption of video games. Recent surveys reveal that Titles with gacha mechanics have led part of the population to spend such high sums. In some cases, they have had problems covering basic expenses such as income or food.
This scenario poses a challenge for the industry: With the growth of stuck players in Western markets, the strategy seems to focus on increasing spending per person. This is achieved through more attractive packages, flexible payment methods and value-added offers.
