Global shipments of TV video game consoles are predicted to reach 46.1 million units in 2018, an increase of 3.9% and the highest sales level since 2010. Retail revenues are expected to exceed $15bn this year. Both Microsoft and Nintendo will increase sales in 2018, but Sony will remain market leader in spite of a fall in its sales. Sony consoles still account for nearly half of all consoles in use, and the PS4 platform now dominates the Sony user base with an 84% share. Many pundits have written off the TV game console market over the years, for reasons ranging from the emergence of cloud gaming to the dominance of mobile devices and the arrival of VR, but it refuses to die. In fact, there is an argument that the enduring appeal of the TV game console, now in its sixth decade, continues to demonstrate the weaknesses and limitations of alternative games platforms.

The report provides shipment and installed base forecasts for 17 game console models from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo at a global level as well as for North America, Central & Latin America, Western Europe, Central Eastern Europe, Africa & Middle East and Asia Pacific. It also presents historical data and forecasts for total game console shipments, installed base, household penetration, average price and market value by region and country from 2012 to 2023.