The British game and interactive entertainment trader, Ukie, announced today that British consumers had spent Pound8.76 billion on video games in 2025, an increase of 7.4 per cent over the same period, the highest ever in the British game market.
Software spending increased by 7 per cent to Pound6.03 billion; game hardware grew by 3 per cent to Pound2.17 billion; and play culture (play-related video) grew by 42 per cent to Pound566 million. The above data attest to the growing demand for games by the British public.
Chief Executive Officer Nick Pool of Ukie said: “Despite the background of rising costs and budget constraints in the home, British consumers’ commitment to the game in 2025 was at an all-time high, reflecting the players’ confidence in the game industry. The next 12 months may be crucial for the British game industry, where play studios across the country are developing games that attract millions of players.” Ukie emphasizes that the game is one of the most influential but most easily ignored cultural outputs in the UK. Toys and surrounding commodities spent £333 million, an increase of 43 per cent over the same year, and game IP is being integrated into people ‘ s daily lives. My Big World Film, launched earlier this year, amounted to £56.8 million in the British box office alone, making it the highest-income game in British history, and boosting the growth of game-related film and television revenues by 70 per cent to £159 million.
Digital host consumption grew by 9.2 per cent to Pound2.49 billion, largely as a result of the new generation of mainframe capacity reaching a critical level, and British consumers increasingly preferred digital to physical versions. Digital PC software reached Pound1.15 billion and all major platforms showed growth. The growth in mobile games remained strong, with growth ranging from Pound79 to Pound2.07 billion. According to Ukie: “Despite the year-on-year decline in downloads, moving-end expenditures will continue to grow in 2025 and the profitability of all business models and major application stores will increase.”
The British game industry has more than doubled in size over the past decade and currently supports more than 73,000 jobs, contributing a total value added of Pound6 billion annually to the British economy.
