In a nutshell: Many game developers and publishers have increasingly focused on the PC market, recognizing its growing importance. A recent market analysis highlights the expanding potential of "computer games," offering valuable insights into the PC userbase and their preferences. This data paints a clearer picture of the evolving gaming landscape and the shifting priorities of the industry. PC Gamer reports that recent market research from analysis firm Newzoo shows that the PC gaming sector remains stronger than ever, surpassing consoles in popularity. During an upcoming GDC keynote, Newzoo Consulting Director Ben Porter will highlight that the PC gaming base has topped 907 million players. Interestingly, about 92 percent are more drawn to older titles from a few years ago.According to PC Gamer's advance copy of the report, there were an estimated 873.5 million PC players in 2023. This count grew to 907.5 million in 2024. Meanwhile, the console players are around 653 million, showing that the master race still deserves its title.Newzoo extrapolated these figures from an in-depth survey of 73,000 players, coupled with player-hours data from over 10,000 games. As mentioned, most PC gamers are "heavily skewed towards older, live service games" (92 percent). Titles six years or older amounted to 67 percent of player hours in 2024, while two- to five-year-old games comprised another 25 percent. Only eight percent of players spent time on games released within the last two years. Popular older PC titles include:Counter-Strike: Global Offensive/Counter-Strike 2 (7.1%)League of Legends (6.4%)Roblox (6.2%)Dota 2 (5.8%)Fortnite (5.4%).Given the highly diverse PC gaming base, the report's findings are unsurprising. Many of the most anticipated releases are also the most demanding, requiring modern (and expensive) hardware. At the same time, many users continue to rely on older systems with less capable components.The report also highlights the popularity of live service, free-to-play games, which typically attract a broad audience with a focus on generating revenue through microtransactions or subscriptions. Despite the growing number of challenges within the live-service model, many game publishers prioritize these always-on projects for their ongoing financial potential. // Related StoriesNewzoo will present its findings at GDC on Thursday, offering additional insights into player engagement, revenue models, and spending habits in 2025. The session is aimed at senior executives and game industry strategists but will likely provide valuable data for gamers and PC enthusiasts as well.