In a further analysis, Newzoo examined the revenue potential of titles outside the top 20 and found that there is scope for good business even among titles other than the big brands. This is particularly true for the PC platform.
The new analysis is based on data from the PC & Console Gaming Report 2026, which Newzoo published in a free version a few weeks ago. Segment analyses are gradually being released, in which the market researchers delve deeper into specific topics. In the latest of these articles, Tianyi Gu, Market Analysis Manager at Newzoo, examines the performance of titles outside the top 20.
“The market remains concentrated, but the space below the Top 20 is becoming more important. What changes from platform to platform is whether that broader distribution is mostly about engagement, or whether it is increasingly translating into revenue as well,” says Gu.
The key finding is that both usage times and revenue are rising across all three platforms examined: PC, PlayStation and Xbox. In terms of revenue in particular, the diversity on PC is significantly higher than on consoles. Whilst 56% of all revenue from games on PC is generated by titles outside the top 20, the figure is 38% on PlayStation and just 35% on Xbox.
Pictures by Newzoo
“On PC, the space below the Top 20 is becoming more economically meaningful. That doesn’t make the market unconcentrated, but it does make games below the very top more commercially relevant than before,” explains Gu.
Further analysis shows that these differences are also linked to the marketing success of the back-catalogue business. The business model also plays an important role. Whilst free-to-play models account for a significantly higher proportion on PC, the long tail on consoles stems primarily from traditional premium console games. On the Xbox platform, Game Pass is also becoming a decisive factor. It makes it easier to discover games outside the top 20, which leads to more playtime.
You can read the full blog post of Tianyi Gu at Newzoo.
