UK consumers spent £5.4 billion on video games in 2025, marking a robust 7.4% year-on-year increase. This significant growth, reported by the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) and sourced from NielsenIQ/GfK Entertainment, Omdia, and GSD/IFSE, signals a strong rebound in the UK games revenue market. It represents the largest annual rise since the pandemic-driven surge of 2020.
This expansion pushed the total entertainment market in the UK—encompassing games, music, and video—to £13.3 billion, a 7.1% increase from the previous year. The video games sector’s contribution highlights its growing economic footprint, showcasing resilience and innovation after a period of slower post-pandemic growth.
Notably, the sector’s long-term trajectory is compelling. Between 2016 and 2025, while the UK’s GDP grew by 12%, games revenue soared by 86%, demonstrating a growth rate 7.2 times higher than the national economy, according to ERA data. This sustained performance underscores the industry’s dynamic nature.
Digital dominance and mobile’s pivotal role
The primary catalyst for 2025’s growth was an 8.8% increase in mobile titles, generating £1.88 billion and accounting for 35.5% of the total games revenue. This built on a 5.5% rise between 2023 and 2024, solidifying mobile gaming’s position as a key market driver.
Digital sales across all platforms collectively brought in £5 billion, an 8% year-on-year increase, representing the vast majority of consumer spending. Console game downloads alone contributed $857.6 million, up 11.5%. In stark contrast, physical sales dipped 1% to £318.8 million, now making up just 5% of the total UK games revenue for 2025.
The year’s top seller, EA Sports FC 26, moved over 1.97 million units across both digital and physical formats, illustrating the enduring appeal of major franchises. This blend of established titles and the burgeoning digital market underpins the sector’s continued expansion.
Ownership versus access in entertainment
The ERA report also highlights a fascinating consumer trend: games remain the last entertainment medium where ownership is significantly valued over subscription-based access. A substantial 45% of game revenue came from consumers buying games outright.
This figure stands in stark contrast to other media, where ownership is rapidly declining. For music, only 16.6% of revenue came from purchases, and for video, this dropped to a mere 7.2%. This unique preference in the gaming sector offers crucial insights into consumer behavior and market dynamics.
Kim Bayley, CEO of ERA, commented on the robust performance. “Growth in the games market slowed considerably after the incredible 27.9% gains seen in the pandemic year of 2020, but continuing innovation saw it return to form in grand style in 2025,” Bayley stated, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz. She expressed strong hopes for sustained momentum into 2026.
The significant 7.4% rise in UK games revenue to £5.4 billion in 2025 underscores a healthy and adaptable market, largely propelled by the unstoppable force of mobile and digital platforms. As the industry continues to innovate, its unique consumer preference for ownership offers a compelling differentiator within the broader entertainment landscape.
Future growth will likely hinge on further advancements in digital distribution and mobile technology, alongside the continued evolution of gaming experiences. Understanding these underlying shifts is paramount for investors and businesses navigating the dynamic entertainment economy.
