PC Outselling All Console's Combined (PCG Article)

[ZedClampet]

TLDR: Told you

Out of habit we tend to still give consoles way too much credit. I have pointed out that every time I've checked game sales that PC has outsold the consoles. Well, here's the proof:

It's not just a little bit more, as it has grown rapidly in recent years. PC is now selling more content than all consoles combined by the tidy sum of $12 billion a year.

Reading on, the two most respected industry analysts have PC about 50 percent higher than consoles.

New report says PC games are outselling console games, calling PC gaming a 'bright spot' in a troubled industry

Everything's coming up computers.

www.pcgamer.com

 

[ZedClampet]

I expect everyone but Rockstar to act accordingly.

 

[Pifanjr]

I expect everyone but Rockstar to act accordingly.

I suspect Rockstar releasing GTA 6 on consoles first is just a marketing strategy to get a second spot in the limelight when the PC version is released.

Sony seems to have already taken note considering they've been porting over a bunch of their exclusives to the PC in recent years.

The only one that will probably ignore this altogether is Nintendo.

 

[ZedClampet]

I suspect Rockstar releasing GTA 6 on consoles first is just a marketing strategy to get a second spot in the limelight when the PC version is released.

Sony seems to have already taken note considering they've been porting over a bunch of their exclusives to the PC in recent years.

The only one that will probably ignore this altogether is Nintendo.

I think maybe Xbox sounding more and more like they are going to concentrate on software instead of hardware may be a nod to this.

 

[JCgames]

Consoles are great for a fewreasons,

they are plug and play

You don't need the internet, so people without high-speed are not out of luck. (You also own the psyhical media)

Great for kids because they are power on swap a disk and you playing. The chances of them messing something up is small.(Unless of course the delete your years long save to the abyiss. I'm still mad about loosing my gothum racing save which had about half the crap unlocked. Grab a spare for when the kids play!!)

You know the game will run well for the most part. There are edge cases where that isn't true or a pc can do it better (provided you have a better pc)
But for the most part if you buy a game on a console it will work well. Pcs always come down to specs and forums are filled with qs about crashes and how to get games working

And finally let's face it. Consoles are just better at mp gaming in the same room on the ol TV. There isn't a better way to go head to head playing Madden or Mario cart or any number of great side by side co-ops


That said none of that maters to me as most of my favorite games are pc only and there is no point and click on a console

Let's face it. Most gamers start out on a console, but pc is king for variety which I think is why it's only grown

 

[BeardyHat]

Unless I'm reading the graph wrong (which isn't unpossible, I did fail math classes repeatedly), mobile is really the cashcow here.

That said, remember back about 15 years ago when everyone was declaring from the rooftops, "PC gaming is dead!"

I do wonder what changed? PC building hasn't really changed dramatically in that time, but Steam and sales have gained more prominence, but is that the sole reason? I do wonder if it's the rise of influencers and a younger generation taking a bit of an interest. My nephew wanted a gaming PC a few years ago, so I put one together for him, though I do know he still vastly prefers his Switch and iPad, so I don't know.

 

[JCgames]

I do wonder what changed? PC building hasn't really changed dramatically in that time,

Actually it has, it's far less complicated to build systems now and sites where you make builds and tweaks. and so many videos with step by step. no more tweaking jumpers and setting up timings and bios out side of a few clicks.

it's all just plug and play with so many things specifically for gaming. building you own case, cutting holes for extra fans adding heat sinks ect are days of the past outside super custom builds. The only way to get a gaming comp back in the day was custom build. now you can buy them at all levels, and even the budget ones Like. I buy power are decent for entry gamers with zero tech skills

And lets face it these days you can build a budget system for 500-600 and run it for 6-8 years now. In the 90s and early 00s a budget system barely got you 3 of good performance and then you were in low frames on new games.

over all we are way better off.

 

[ZedClampet]

Unless I'm reading the graph wrong (which isn't unpossible, I did fail math classes repeatedly), mobile is really the cashcow here.

What's really interesting is that PC is growing significantly faster than mobile. In fact, mobile is declining and PC is getting bigger and bigger.

It should actually be two entirely different things, though, as PC and consoles play "core" games, while it's mostly casual games on mobile. People are putting some core games on mobile, but the experience is not great. We can all recognize a mobile game when we see one, and that's because playing on your phone is very limited.

However, I will say that the PC number listed is significantly less than the number given by the other two services. It's certainly a high enough number that, while it may be behind mobile, that it's something companies will pursue very hard, even more so if you consider that PC and mobile are really two different and independent things.

 

[isleepinabed]

This is just about business and industry. "Content" naturally involves microtransactions, paid subscriptions and everything that aren't actual games, that are cheap to make and almost pure profit. That's why mobile and PC are on top. This isn't a ranking of games sold...

And I can't believe arcades still had 2B to lose!..

 

[ZedClampet]

This is just about business and industry. "Content" naturally involves microtransactions, paid subscriptions and everything that aren't actual games, that are cheap to make and almost pure profit. That's why mobile and PC are on top. This isn't a ranking of games sold...

And I can't believe arcades still had 2B to lose!..

PC easily wins in games sold, and there are nearly just as many microtransactions on console, but, in any event, I've seen sales figures for many games and they all show PC outselling consoles in copies sold.

 

[DXCHASE]

News that surprises none of us lol. PCs, or some variation of one, are needed to do pretty much everything these days, even consoles being designed, put together and built need the use of PCs. There is no real way for this to go the opposite way unless somethin catastrophic, like end times, happens.

 

[Zloth]

Please send this information back to 1995, when PC developers were dumping us for consoles. I could have used the happy glow. Even BioWare dumped us and put Mass Effect exclusively on consoles for years!