Video games market to decline year-on-year in 2022, study suggests Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Video games market to decline year-on-year in 2022, study suggests Wrong to assume games industry "recession proof". News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Published on 5 Jul 2022 40 comments A new study has forecast how the video games industry will perform over the course of 2022, and suggests a year-on-year decline following a strong period of growth. The sale of games, consoles and subscription services contributed to a enormous $191bn global total in 2021, which will fall slightly to $188bn this year, according to Ampere Analysis. This follows extraordinary growth through the early stages of the pandemic, with a leap in spending especially noticable from 2020 onwards. Watch on YouTube Eurogamer Newscast: What can Sony do to improve PlayStation Plus Premium? The reasons for this decline vary by gaming platform, with supply chain issues continuing to bottleneck the availability of consoles and PC hardware. Ampere also notes a hit to PC gaming in key Asian markets due to the Covid-era closure of internet cafes, privacy changes on mobile devices impacting user acquisition, and the general withdrawal of support from Western companies for the Russian market following the country's invasion of Ukraine. Credit: Ampere Analysis. The study notes how video games are not immune to the wider impacts of inflation and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, as some have suggested. However, the suggestion is the industry will recover in 2023, as component shortages stabilise, delayed games are finally released, and new markets continue to further adopt gaming. "After two years of huge expansion, the games market is poised to hand back a bit of that growth in 2022 as multiple factors combine to undermine performance," research director and long-time video games market analyst Piers Harding Rolls said. "Even so, the year will end well ahead of pre-pandemic performance, and the outlook for the sector as a whole remains positive, with growth forecast to return in 2023." Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store