These two key regions will outpace global growth, driven by expanding gamer base and next-gen console releases
SILICON VALLEY, Calif. – June 3, 2025 – Niko Partners, the world’s leading market research and consulting firm covering video games, esports, and streaming in Asia and MENA, today announced the immediate availability of their 2024-2029e video game market models and forecasts. The market models cover the 13 country markets that Niko tracks: China, India, East Asia (Japan, Korea), Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), and MENA (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates). The analysis is published in Niko’s annual Asia & MENA market model reports.
In 2024, the Asia & MENA video game markets generated $86.6 billion from player spending on game software and services, an increase of 1.4% over 2023. This growth is slower than in previous years, but Asia and MENA remain reliable sources of revenue, innovation, and growth in gaming, despite broader news of setbacks and consolidation across the global games industry.
Asia & MENA countries will outpace worldwide video game software and services growth – we project the regions’ development will continue reliably through 2029, at a 2.1% 5-year CAGR, which will value the games business in Asia & MENA at $96.0 billion by 2029, quickly approaching $100 billion by the end of the decade.
Topline takeaways from the 13 reports include the following data and trends for 2024-2029e:
- China is the largest single-country video game market in Asia, growing 3.6% YoY and generating revenue of $49.2 billion in 2024. Niko Partners forecasts total revenue for China to reach $50.7 billion in 2025.
- India is the fastest growing market we track. An additional 250 million gamers will be added over the next 5 years, taking the total to 724 million by 2029. Already by the end of 2025, India will be a billion-dollar games market.
- Southeast Asia and MENA are markets to watch, growing 5.3% and 4.2% respectively in 2024. In MENA, Saudi Arabia is leading this expansion, but the region as a whole will see strong development this year, at 8.5%. Thailand is the largest and fastest growing market in Southeast Asia, on track to reach $2.4 billion in player spending by 2029.
- Consoles will play a growing role in the Asia & MENA games industry as we expect several next-gen releases over our forecast period. Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 launch in June 2025 brings increased support for historically underserved regions, such as MENA and Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Switch’s existing success in China and East Asia, alongside growing interest in premium titles, means the console opportunity in the region is greater than ever.
- The number of gamers is on the rise. Efforts to increase female participation in gaming are starting to pay off. Women now account for over 37% of gamers in the MENA-3 region and 40% in India, markets that traditionally skewed over 80% male. There will also be 2 billion gamers across Asia & MENA by 2029, more than the rest of the world combined.
The Market Model report is part of Niko Partners’ Games Market Report Series. Niko produces a set of three reports for each market: Annual Market Model Report, Annual Gamer Behavior & Market Insights Reports, and Six-Month Market Model Update. The Annual Market Model Report includes PC, mobile, console, survey demographics, model assumptions, macroeconomic data, tables, exhibits, & qualitative analysis. The market models are also available in our SAAS platform, NikoIQ. Niko Partners surveyed 7,885 gamers in the Asia & MENA region in March 2025 as one of the key proprietary inputs, among many, that shape our market models.
For more information visit: https://nikopartners.com/asia-mena-market-model-2025/
About Niko Partners:
Niko Partners is the world’s leading global market research firm focused on video games and esports in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Leveraging unmatched local expertise with a global perspective, Niko Partners delivers the most in-depth market intelligence on the world’s fastest-growing regions. We provide the local market context behind our data, your data and other third-party data analytics you may refer to. With our deeper understanding of these markets, game developers, publishers, investors, and suppliers can make smarter business decisions with the utmost confidence. Our detailed reports, online SaaS tools, and custom consulting services dig into the details of nuanced, complex markets, empowering firms with a stake in the video game and esports ecosystems to make the right moves for their organizations. Detailed coverage areas include China, East Asia (Japan, Korea), Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), India, and MENA (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and UAE). The company is based in Silicon Valley, with offices in Shanghai, Bangkok, Jakarta, and London. Learn more at www.nikopartners.com, or contact research@nikopartners.com to arrange a no-obligation introductory meeting.