There are over 3.3 billion active gamers worldwide. That figure has risen by a billion in just 9 years and officially means that almost half of everyone on the planet is a gamer.

The video game industry is booming off the back of this and there are countless different gaming platforms to pick from. Of these platforms, which ones currently have the most active players? Let’s take a look at the platforms topping the charts.

Gaming Platforms with the Most Active Players in 2026

1. Mobile

● There are 3.2 billion mobile gamers worldwide

● In 2024, mobile game downloads hit 49.6 billion

● Half of all gaming industry revenue comes from mobile

Mobile is the place to be for gamers and it will likely be that way for the foreseeable future. Over the past decade, mobile has fast taken over the industry and even surpassed all the major consoles, including PlayStation and Xbox. There are plenty of reasons why, including the fact that the iPhone App Store and Google Play Store have become stacked with some awesome mobile games, many of which are free-to-play and powered by microtransactions.

Candy Crush Saga, Garena Free Fire, PUBG Mobile, and Subway Surfers have long since broken the billion player mark, while the gaming deputy site talks about how “Crash Games” and other new mobile titles have started building huge player audiences. It’s not surprising, either, especially when you consider the cost-of-living and how it’s forced many gamers to cut back on expensive AAA games and instead switch to free–to-play mobile alternatives. And with the entire mobile gaming market now boasting 3.2 billion users, it’s now the biggest gaming platform in history and will likely retain that crown for decades to come.

2. Roblox

● Roblox now has more than 380 million monthly users

● The gaming platform has become a smash hit with young teens and Gen Z

● Roblox’s global revenue for 2024 was $3.602B, a 28.68% increase from 2023

It’s 2026 and Roblox is continuing its dominance as a virtual playground. Even though some people still confuse it as an actual game, Roblox is very much a gaming platform and has now hit an all-time high of 380 million monthly users. Available across PC, mobile, and console, the way Roblox works is it allows users to create and program their own games within the platform.
These games can then be shared with other users and it’s essentially one huge community. And if you’re new to the world of Roblox, some excellent games to start with include Forsaken, Super Bomb Survival, Something Evil Will Happen, and Block Block Unblocked, which all have huge player counts and excellent reviews.

3. PC

● PC has 1.86 billion users worldwide

● Counter-Strike 2, Fortnite, and Minecraft are some of the most-played PC games

● The platform has a massive eSports presence

Next is PC.

There was a time when many thought that PC was set to become the #1 gaming platform, but iOS and Android devices burst onto the scene and stopped it from happening. However, PC has still managed to surpass console in terms of active players, currently boasting 1.86 billion users worldwide.

On PC, there are more games, customization options, and possibilities, so it was inevitable that the platform would eventually surpass console. PC also has the Steam and Epic Games Store to thank, with Steam alone having 132 million monthly users. Sure, PC gaming hardware can be expensive, especially for those looking to build their own PCs, but it won’t stop the PC player count from continuing to skyrocket over the coming years.

4. PlayStation

● Playstation’s overall monthly users have grown to 153 million

● The PlayStation 5 has sold over 84 million units, making it one of the best-selling consoles of all time

● Current sales dominance and the PS5 Pro have helped seal the console wars win for PlayStation.

It’s been an interesting half decade for PlayStation. Since the PlayStation 5 dropped back in 2021, PlayStation’s monthly active users have continued to grow, the hardware improvements have been close to flawless, and the brand has pretty much secured itself a longtime victory over arch-rival Xbox.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, EA Sports FC 26, Grand Theft Auto V and others have all racked up impressive sales numbers on the PS5, too, while the recent release of the PS5 Pro has made it so that Sony officially has the “most powerful console” on the market.

And with GTA 6 finally set to launch this year, PS5 player numbers will likely experience a huge spike like we’ve never seen before (it is, after all, projected to be the highest-selling video game ever).

Some will still argue that the PlayStation 5 didn’t actually deliver on expectations, but the player numbers don’t lie and it’s also important to remember that the PS5 itself got off to a rocky start due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The days of console dominance as we once knew them are seemingly over, but one thing for sure is that the market will always be there for the PlayStation and its loyal customers won’t be disappearing any time soon.

5. Xbox

● Xbox Live now has 130 million monthly active users, up from 120 million in 2024

● The Xbox X/S has sold 21 million units

● Halo, Gears of War, and other Xbox-exclusive franchises help

maintain a market hold

Despite the Xbox experiencing a significant fall from grace post-2020, Microsoft’s once juggernaut of a console brand still has a decent hold on the gaming market. The Xbox Series X/S, both released at the same time as the PlayStation 5, certainly underperformed in terms of hardware sales and it only got worse in 2025 when Xbox sales hit the ‘worst on record’.

However, despite the fall-off, Xbox is still a mid-size player in today’s gaming industry, helped in large part by Xbox loyalists and the handful of exclusive franchises the console still has. And let’s not forget that Nintendo’s annual revenue declined 33.35% in 2025 following a drop in consumer purchases, yet no one is calling Nintendo or the Switch 2 a flop.

Whether Xbox has simply fallen victim to a struggling economy or really is set to fade into irrelevancy over the coming decade, the Xbox Series X/S (and even the Xbox One) are still great gaming platforms, despite not offering the same power that the PlayStation 5 has.

Key Trends to Look Out For

Those are the current most popular gaming platforms, with honorable mentions going to the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, but what are some key trends to look out for in 2026? Well, the mobile gaming boom is set to continue and it’s going to get even hotter now that it’s recently been reported that Gen Z are spending less money than ever on video games and consoles (as one Redditor put it, “if hardware prices keep going up, people are just going to play Roblox on their phones”).

The eSports industry will also keep skyrocketing, with mobile and PC tournaments being the key driving force behind this trend. On top of this, don’t be surprised to see the retro gaming movement keep picking up speed as well, as more people than ever ditch expensive new consoles and hardware in favor of old consoles from the past. But whether you yourself are a fan of new-gen consoles or old, there’s plenty of options for you to still enjoy in 2026, whether you opt to keep it simple with mobile gaming or go for one of the 9th gen consoles in the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S.