In a recent conversation with PC Gamer, Ben Porter, Director at NewZoo, shared intriguing insights into the evolving landscape of the PC gaming market. Following an extensive survey involving 73,000 players and data from over 10,000 games, NewZoo has highlighted a significant increase in the number of PC gamers, rising from 873.5 million in 2023 to an impressive 907.5 million in 2024. This growth positions the PC gaming sector ahead of the console market, which is estimated to encompass 653.1 million players this year.
NewZoo’s findings reveal that the PC gaming demographic is predominantly engaged with older, live service games. A striking 67 percent of player hours in 2024 were dedicated to games that are six years or older. In contrast, 25 percent of gaming hours were spent on titles aged two to five years, while a mere eight percent focused on newer games, those less than two years old.
Among the most played titles, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and its successor, Counter-Strike 2, commanded a notable 7.1 percent of total hours played. Following closely was League of Legends at 6.4 percent, and Roblox at 6.2 percent. Other popular games included Dota 2 at 5.8 percent and Fortnite at 5.4 percent, illustrating the enduring appeal of these established franchises in the gaming community.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D’Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Bluesky.
