ChinaJoy 2026 Opens with Game Industry Data and Hardware Debuts

On July 31, 2026, the 2026 China International Digital Interactive Entertainment Exhibition (ChinaJoy) opened in Shanghai. No independent booths from leading PC processor and motherboard manufacturers were present in the exhibition hall, with only a few exhibitors using partner booths. During the event, more keyboard and switch manufacturers participated. TCL displayed multiple monitors based on its products, while YMTC and Kioxia showcased their latest solid-state drives. Domestic GPU maker Lisuan exhibited several mass-produced graphics cards and a domestic x86 gaming PC using a Zhaoxin plus Lisuan solution.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon theme pavilion became the focus of the expo, showcasing over 300 display devices and offering more than 200 interactive experiences. In 2026, more game company booths were concentrated in the Qualcomm area, and promotion of related models and chip solutions in esports events increased. Qualcomm mentioned its "Grand Slam" achievement of being selected by five major mobile game tournaments in 2025. iQOO and Red Magic also showcased their esports achievements. Redmi, Nubia, iQOO, and OnePlus all announced new models or partial information.

In game software, the number of anime-style game booths decreased. The PlayStation booth saw queues for experiencing Gran Turismo 7. Classic game booths such as King of Fighters, Metal Slug, and Legend drew large crowds. BYD set up an itasha (decorated car) display and held gaming challenge events. SF Express appeared with an anime-style mascot. E-commerce platforms such as Tmall and camera manufacturers also participated, focusing on game-related scenario displays.

On the day before the expo opened, the China Digital Entertainment Congress (CDEC) released the "China Game Industry Report for January-June 2026", which showed that as of the end of June 2026, domestic game users reached 684 million, up 0.82% year-on-year. The overall sales revenue of the game industry was RMB 188.45 billion, up 12.17% year-on-year. Among them, PC client game market revenue grew 27.92%, and mobile game market revenue grew 7.9%.