Key Takeaways
Created with AI - we're still experimenting, so apologies if it misses the mark
- The digital game market in Brazil is normalizing after its peak in 2025, with a decrease in the percentage of players from 82.8% to 75.3%.
- Theres a shift towards PCs and consoles from mobile gaming as the primary entry point, with PC users accounting for 21.1% and console players representing 24% of the market.
- Gen Z has surpassed millennials as the largest segment of digital gamers, and theres an increasing adoption of PC gaming among this generation, driving a focus on gamer identity and esports.
- There are concerns regarding the use of AI in video games, with gamers emphasizing the importance of ethical considerations, transparency, and preserving creative quality, while also expressing worries about long-term accessibility of digitally owned games.
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Game Brasil (PGB) released its primary findings today, the 9th, featuring the 2026 study on digital game consumer behavior. Sx Group conducted the 13th edition of the study with Go Gamers, Blend New Research, and ESPM, surveying 7,115 respondents aged 16 to 55 between March 5 and 13. This year, PGB found that while games remain popular in Brazil, the market is normalizing after its peak in 2025. The percentage of digital game players has decreased from 82.8% to 75.3%. Guilherme Camargo of Sx Group and ESPM’s Game Business postgrad program explains that this dip suggests a settling down after the 2025 spike. He attributes this normalization partly to clearer market definitions established after regulations in 2025 distinguished legitimate digital games from lottery games. These rules established proper companies, taxes, guidelines, and consumer protections. While mobile gaming remains the primary entry point, preferred by 44.1% for its convenience, the study indicates a shift towards PCs and consoles. PC users account for 21.1%, and console players represent 24% of the market.
Carlos Silva from Go Gamers notes that the gaming scene is maturing after a period of major growth. Their data indicates that players are spending more time on PC games, increasing their engagement, and investing in hardware. Silva observed longer gaming sessions and a desire for more specialized games. Additionally, a demographic shift is occurring. While millennials (ages 30–44) constituted the majority of gamers in 2025, they now represent only 33.7% of the player base. Generation Z (ages 16–29) has surpassed them, now comprising 36.5% of all players. Women continue to lead in gender representation at 52.8%. The majority of gamers (54.9%) fall into the B2, C1, or C2 middle-class categories. The increasing adoption of PC gaming among Gen Z is driving a focus on gamer identity and esports. PC gaming provides a more immersive experience with competitive play, customization, and community, all of which are highly valued by this generation. This has led to increased playtime, interest in specialized games, and participation in online communities. Silva also stated that the future of digital gaming hinges on emerging concerns, such as the use of AI in video games and digital ownership.
Concerning the use of generative AI in game development, the study revealed that while not automatically opposed, gamers want clear ethical guidelines, transparency, and the preservation of authorship, quality, and creativity. Key concerns include significant potential for job losses and struggles for creators (45.7%), unauthorized use of artists’ work (39.6%), and a decline in game quality, potentially leading to generic, soulless games (38.4%). Approximately 39.3% indicated they would buy a game even if most of its art, voices, and text were AI-generated, while 40.9% remained unsure. According to Mauro Berimbau from Go Gamers and ESPM, attitudes toward AI in games are nuanced, with considerations around fairness, job displacement, and game quality. These considerations extend to concerns around digital ownership. The PGB study also highlighted concerns around digital game ownership. Over a third of players (34.5%) expressed concerns about potentially losing access to their games due to cloud-based or digital-only distribution models. Conversely, 26.8% were unconcerned, while 22% expressed significant worry. Berimbau explained that players are concerned about the ability to revisit their games in the future, even if issues arise with their digital copies.
Digital Game Consumption Trends in 2026: Nostalgia, AI Ethics, and Gen Z Dominance
The study also found that nearly two-thirds of players enjoy revisiting older games for both solo play and social engagement, highlighting the enduring appeal of nostalgia in gaming. Key factors influencing the repurchase of older games include low prices or sales (44%), improved graphics and performance through remakes or remasters (36.3%), and compatibility with current platforms (23.8%). The full PGB 2026 study can be accessed for free [here](insert link). The study highlights a normalization in digital game consumption following last year’s peak, with mobile gaming remaining dominant while PC and consoles gain traction. Gen Z now constitutes the largest segment of digital gamers. While gamers are not inherently against using AI to create new games, they emphasize the importance of ethical considerations, transparency, and preserving creative quality. Concerns persist regarding the long-term accessibility of digitally owned games.
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