Player spending on games in China grew to $49.2bn in 2024
| Date | Type | Companies Involved | Key Datapoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2025 | report | Niko Partners |
- China had 722m gamers in 2024, projected to hit 753.7m gamers by 2029.
- Growth is driven by evergreen mobile titles, premium PC games, and next-gen consoles.
- 85% of gamers are aware of generative AI, with nearly 40% interested in its gaming applications.
- 60% of Chinese studios already use generative AI in development; NetEase integrated it into Justice Online Mobile.
Player spending on games in China rose 3.6% year-over-year to $49.2 billion in 2024.
That's according to Niko Partners' China Market Model and Five-Year Forecast report which showed that revenue is projected to hit $50.7bn in 2025 and $54.8bn by 2029 at a 2.2% CAGR.
On player count, China had 722 million gamers in 2024 with an ARPU (annual average revenue per user) of $68. This number is projected to reach 753.7m gamers and $73 ARPU by 2029.
The report also found that the long-term outlook for China’s games market is positive, driven by mobile and PC evergreen titles, premium PC games, and next-gen consoles like Nintendo Switch 2.
The rise of mini games, growth in niche genres, out-of-app monetisation, generative AI-powered UGC, and direct-to-fan IP monetisation are also contributing to this growth.
Growing interests
Generative AI is gaining traction in China, with 85% of gamers aware of it and nearly 40% interested in its use in games.
Moreover, 60% of Chinese studios already apply the technology, with NetEase showcasing it in Justice Online Mobile through smart NPCs and custom video creation.
Mini games are also a fast-growing segment in China, with 84% of gamers having played them and nearly 10% of total player spending already coming from the category.
Meanwhile, esports and livestreaming remain central, with 46.5% of gamers engaging in esports and one in four regularly watching game streams.
You can access the full report here.
Companies
