What has Led to PC Games Outselling Console Games?

Using data from several respected market research firms, the CEO of an investment strategy firm, Epyllion, has declared that PC gaming is the bright spot for a somewhat stagnant industry. Continued growth from 2011 to 2021 has stalled overall, but with mobile to one side, PC is now the primary driver of game revenue. It’s continued to grow, overtaking console gaming, and doesn’t look to slow down soon.

So, what is it that’s making PC gaming outsell the long-dominant home consoles, and what’s spurring this continued momentum?

Accessibility and Multifunctionality

One element that’s long been a driver of PC gaming is the multifunctionality of the hardware. With a gaming PC, not only can you play the top-tier games in the best possible setups, but you can also do work, browse the internet, player browser-based games, and stream other forms of entertainment. PC gaming isn’t just limited to the Steam launcher, after all.

There are several competing platforms to Steam now, and there’s entertainment to be enjoyed elsewhere online. You can see this take place in the resilient browser-based form of gaming that is online casinos. These casino gaming websites host hundreds of slots and table games that utilize the latest in iGaming tech and even make use of live-streaming. Of course, these are also compatible on the most popular platform, that of mobile gaming.

On consoles, you don’t get such a smooth path or usable path to the internet, locking off all the games available there and on many of the PC game launchers. While consoles did help to nullify standalone home media players like Blu-ray players, now that shows and films can be streamed to TVs and PCs, the selling point has waned.

This is all to say that a gaming PC is much more than just that. Similarly to the rise of mobile gaming, increasingly, people need home computers. Smartphones are in everyone’s pockets, so it makes sense that, regardless of the quality of the games, mobile gaming would be popular. With elements like working from home, hybrid working, and more jobs making use of better computer hardware, PC gaming has continued to grow.

Down to the Games Themselves

Some games simply don’t suit mobile or consoles. This is particularly true of the long-popular strategy and builder games. Sure, developers like Frontier do a good job of bringing the park builder experience to consoles, allowing the player to use a controller, but the experience isn’t anywhere near as seamless and expansive as on PC with a mouse and keyboard. Further, the lines between PC and console are being blurred.

The Nintendo Switch is on track to be the best-selling console of all time, with the Switch 2 on the horizon. Its key was a fairly low price point, compared to other consoles, and its hybrid capabilities. Now, Steam’s in the mix with its Steam Deck. A veritable mimic of the Switch, only it’s more powerful and gives access to a whole host of PC games. Suddenly, PC games can be enjoyed while laying in bed or on the sofa.

Bundle in the momentum being gained by PlayStation porting their coveted console exclusives to PC, and it’s easy to see how and why PC gaming has gained so much momentum even while the industry has started to slow.