Morgan Stanley names 4 stocks that will benefit as AI changes video games

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to fundamentally restructure the economics of the interactive entertainment sector.

A seminal research report from Morgan Stanley suggests that generative AI integration could slash the cost of developing AAA titles by approximately 44%, potentially unlocking an estimated $22 billion in aggregate annual profit opportunities.

However, analysts warn of a “Scissors Effect”: as lower development barriers trigger an explosion in game supply, the industry faces a deflationary threat where only firms with massive scale and proprietary intellectual property can maintain pricing power.

To navigate this paradigm shift, Morgan Stanley has identified a list of stocks best-positioned to capture these margins while withstanding heightened competition.

Sony

Sony’s vertical integration and established PlayStation ecosystem provide a structural hedge against AI-driven disruption.

Analysts emphasize that Sony’s vast intellectual property moat and highly accretive recurring revenue from live services allow it to internalize development efficiencies without sacrificing brand equity.

Trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of about 16x, SONY stock remains a defensive powerhouse.

The company is expected to use AI to shorten the protracted development cycles of its first-party blockbusters, effectively accelerating its return on invested capital (ROIC).

NetEase

Morgan Stanley designated NetEase as the “leading game AI expert in the industry,” citing a talent pool uniquely equipped to leverage proprietary large language models.

Unlike competitors facing steep learning curves, NTES has already integrated AI into production pipelines to automate asset creation and NPC behaviors.

With a valuation hovering near 14x forward earnings, NetEase stock offers an attractive entry point for investors seeking exposure to high-margin software scaling.

The firm’s ability to maintain a robust release schedule while reducing R&D overhead provides a significant competitive advantage in the Greater China market.

AppLovin

AppLovin shares represent a strategic play on the “attention economy” created by AI.

As development costs plummet, the market will likely be flooded with content, making discovery the primary bottleneck for success.

Consequently, matching platforms like APP become an indispensable infrastructure.

This “discovery premium” is already reflected in its financials; AppLovin saw its sales climb 70% to $5.48 billion last year.

As competition for user acquisition intensifies, app developers' artificial intelligence-powered advertising engines are positioned to capture a larger share of developer marketing spend.

Roblox

For Roblox stock, the democratization of 3D world-building is a core catalyst.

Morgan Stanley posits that AI-enhanced creator tools will materially lower the barrier for user-generated content, driving platform stickiness and expanding the ecosystem’s complexity.

The platform’s fundamentals remain strong, with 2026 bookings projected to grow between 22% and 26% year-over-year.

RBLX is successfully aging up its demographic; the 18-and-older cohort is currently growing at a 50% annual clip – providing a “higher-monetization” user base that justifies its premium growth valuation.