On August 3, 2026, Chinese media outlet Yicai reported that "ChinaJoy 2026," China's largest digital entertainment expo, concluded after recording a record-high number of visitors.

The article stated that "ChinaJoy 2026," which was held in Shanghai from July 31 to August 3 and has now concluded, exceeded 140,000 square meters in scale and saw participation from over 900 companies from 35 countries and regions worldwide. It also reported that the total number of visitors over the four days was 438,900, a 6.97% increase from the previous year, setting a new record high.

The article further noted that 65% of visitors were young people aged 18 to 29, and that the total consumption in categories such as food and beverages and retail reached approximately 709 million yuan (approximately 16.5 billion yen). Offline retail and F&B consumption in the four major business districts surrounding the venue also increased by 10.65% to 306 million yuan (approximately 7.1 billion yen).

The article pointed out that while "ChinaJoy," now in its 23rd edition, originally started as a game expo, major game companies such as Tencent and NetEase continued to be present this year, but a large number of companies from non-gaming fields, such as humanoid robots and smart cars, also exhibited.

ChinaJoy
In the newly established advanced technology exhibition zone "Vision Future," a large-scale exhibition of humanoid robots, a first in ChinaJoy history, took place. Over 10 companies, including Unitree, participated and showcased robot fighting shows, collaborations with game characters, and parades with cosplayers. Smart cars from companies like BYD also exhibited "itasha" (cars decorated with anime characters) and smart cockpits, and it was reported that the scale and depth of interaction improved.

The article explained that the reason for the active participation from non-gaming sectors is that young generations, who are eager to experience new products and actively spread information on social media, gather at "ChinaJoy." It indicated the view that "ChinaJoy" is evolving from a mere anime and game exhibition into a trending platform that encompasses new fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Embodied AI. (Edited and translated by Kawashiri)