In 2025, the United Kingdom's gaming industry saw an impressive upsurge, establishing a key milestone in its development of its most robust years in recent memory despite a downturn in other entertainment segments since the height of the pandemic. Consumers spent a total of £5.4 billion on gaming, a figure that underscores the sector's enduring appeal even as broader trends in home entertainment have softened.
Recent figures from the Entertainment Retailers Association, as reported by industry sources, indicate a 7.4% year-on-year increase in video game spending from 2024. This jump is the most significant revenue rise since the pandemic-induced boom in 2020 and highlights how gaming continues to capture widespread consumer interest.
The mobile gaming arena was the main driver behind this growth. Analytics reveal that mobile games enjoyed an 8.8% increase, generating £1.88 billion and representing 35.5% of the overall game spending in 2025. Other key segments within the market include:
- Console game downloads, which reached £857.6 million in revenue.
- Physical game sales, recording £318.8 million and constituting 5% of the total gaming revenue.
A noteworthy development was the unexpected popularity of EA Sports FC 26, which emerged as this year's top-selling game, boasting record-breaking sales totalling 1.97 million units in the country. Additionally, the pattern of revenue generation shifted, with 45% stemming from outright purchases rather than subscription models. This contrasts sharply with other media categories such as music and video, where subscriptions accounted for 16.6% and 7.2% of revenue respectively.
Overall, the UK's entertainment revenue reached an impressive £13.3 billion, up 7.1% from the previous year, with video games contributing the lion's share. This dynamic performance by the gaming industry not only underscores its resilience but also its potential to thrive in an ever-changing entertainment landscape.