PC Game Development Surges to Record High Among Developers

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Four out of five game developers are currently working on a project for the PC, marking a significant increase from 66 percent a year ago, according to the 2025 State of the Game Industry survey. The survey, conducted by Informa in partnership with Omdia, polled over 3,000 game industry professionals ahead of March’s Game Developers Conference.

The 80 percent of developers working on PC projects represents the highest platform-specific figure since at least 2018, when 60 percent of surveyed developers were focused on PC games. Over the past six years, the percentage of developers working on PC games had fluctuated between 56 and 66 percent before this year’s sharp rise. Interest in the PC as a platform also grew, with 74 percent of developers expressing enthusiasm, up from 62 percent in 2024.

PC development has consistently outpaced console and mobile platforms in the annual survey, with consoles and mobile typically attracting between 12 and 36 percent of developers. Informa’s report described the surge as a “passion for PC development exploding” among developers, noting that while PC has always been the platform of choice, its dominance has grown even more pronounced this year.

The trend is reflected in the number of game releases on Steam, which reached a record 18,974 titles in 2024, a 32 percent increase from the previous year. While many of these titles were “Limited Games” that did not qualify for Steam Badges and Trading Cards, the growth underscores the platform’s expanding influence.

Informa speculated that the rise in PC development may be linked to the growing popularity of Valve‘s Steam Deck handheld gaming device. Although Valve has not released official sales figures, GameDiscoverCo analyst Simon Carless estimated that between 3 million and 4 million units had been sold by October 2023, a significant jump from the previous year. The Steam Deck has introduced new possibilities for PC gaming, allowing players to enjoy games in settings traditionally dominated by consoles, such as on couches or during travel.

Despite the Steam Deck’s success, its impact on the broader PC gaming market remains relatively small compared to the estimated 1.5 billion PCs in use worldwide. However, the device’s ability to deliver high-quality gaming experiences on the go may be attracting developers to the platform.

The survey results also highlighted a potential caveat: the data comes from a self-selected sample of Game Developers Conference attendees, who may not fully represent the global developer community. While the survey has historically shown consistent platform preferences, this year’s results saw slight upticks across most major platforms, except for the Xbox Series X/S, suggesting possible sampling anomalies.

Regardless, the findings underscore the PC’s growing importance in the gaming industry, even as consoles and mobile platforms continue to draw significant interest from players. As the industry evolves, the PC’s versatility and expanding hardware capabilities may further solidify its position as the platform of choice for developers.