Why PC Gamers Are Stuck in the Past: Shocking Stats Revealed!

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Summary

  • PC gamers prefer older games: 67% of player hours are spent on games at least 6 years old.
  • Steam’s popularity rising: Reached over 40 million concurrent users.
  • Rise in PC gaming: A reported 907.5 million PC gamers in 2024, up from 873.5 million in 2023.

It appears that the trend of PC gaming is on the rise, yet it’s interesting to note that a significant number of PC gamers seem to favor older games over recent releases. This observation is based on a study conducted by a video game market research firm, which provided some crucial insights into the preferences and behaviors of PC gaming enthusiasts.

It’s possible that Steam PC gamers might have noticed the increasing trend of gaming without consoles gaining traction. In 2024 alone, Steam shattered several records and, more notably, surpassed 40 million active users simultaneously in March 2025. Although fresh releases can cause a temporary spike in these figures, this recent study suggests that many gamers prefer to revisit older games.

According to Ben Porter, director of Newzoo, there’s been an upsurge in PC gaming popularity, yet the majority of gamers on this platform tend to favor established older games. Porter suggests that there were approximately 907.5 million PC gamers worldwide in 2024 compared to 873.5 million in 2023. In contrast, console gaming was projected to have around 653 million players in 2024. A poll of 73,000 players found that about 67% of their playtime went towards games that are at least six years old, while 25% were spent on titles released between two and five years ago, leaving just 8% for newer video games under two years old.

What Older Games are PC Gamers Gravitating To?

The report reveals that nearly two-thirds of the playtime for PC game enthusiasts was devoted to older games, with some high-profile titles leading the charge. Specifically, Fortnite accounted for approximately 5.4% of this time, closely followed by Dota 2 at 5.8%. Notably, Roblox and League of Legends both surpassed the 6% mark. However, it’s important to remember that this analysis was based on data from 73,000 players and 10,000 games, representing an extremely small fraction (0.008%) of all PC gamers. Consequently, the actual percentage of time spent playing these games among the entire PC gaming community might be different if we could examine every single gamer’s habits.

It’s plausible that PC gaming, which is increasingly becoming popular, might soon boast a billion players. Despite the initial high cost compared to gaming consoles, many games can be enjoyed on relatively affordable PCs because they don’t demand powerful systems. Even older games and indie hits like “Stardew Valley” fall under this category. With tariffs possibly influencing the price of games and computer components in the US, it seems that playing less graphically demanding, older titles will continue to be popular among PC gamers.

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2025-03-19 02:24