Gamescom opens – hundreds of thousands of gamers expected
The world’s biggest computer games fair, Gamescom, begins today in Cologne and will captivate countless fans until Sunday.
Cologne (dpa) – The world’s largest trade fair for computer and video games, Gamescom, opens its doors today. After an opening show on Tuesday evening, where new games were presented, the first day will mainly see trade visitors streaming into the Cologne exhibition halls. On Thursday the event will open to the general public. Guests will include Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär, who is responsible for the sector, and North Rhine-Westphalia’s premier Hendrik Wüst.
By Sunday, several hundred thousand visitors are expected to attend, to try out new games or make contacts. In 2024 the figure was 335,000. The exhibition space was increased by 3,000 to 233,000 square metres for this year’s Gamescom, with more than 1,500 exhibitors – more than ever before.
The gaming industry is a growth market. New technology offers ever better visual possibilities. Trends include so-called handhelds, i.e. small-display gaming devices such as the Nintendo Switch 2. High-performance processors have further improved the quality of the devices.