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- 72% developers think that Steam has a monopoly over PC games, with concerns rising regarding market saturation, discoverability, and more.
- As such, most are now distributing to other platforms like Epic Games and the Xbox PC Games Store.
- Xbox is also expanding its ecosystem with emphasis on the PC market.
Steam represents PC gaming as a whole, and the store has long evolved to become a community and a hub for all gamers’ needs. With a hold on the desktop gaming market, this aspect is pretty worrying for the developers.
The same developers believe that Steam holds a monopoly in the PC games market, and rightfully so, since most gamers are acquainted with Valve’s store. The same monopoly is also forcing developers to start distributing on other platforms like Epic Games and the Xbox PC Games Store.
Why it matters: While a one-stop shop is a good thing for the consumers, indie developers and smaller video games get crushed by bigger releases on Steam.
Rokky, a digital games platform, recently published a paper delving into developers’ thoughts on PC games distribution for 2025. 306 managers participated in the said survey, sharing their concerns about Steam’s hold on the PC games market.
The biggest concern for them was the rise of F2P games, which in turn adversely affects paid games. Furthermore, the game market is also being saturated and, in turn, limiting discoverability.
While 88% developers say that 75% of their revenue is drawn from Steam, reliance on a single platform is no longer feasible for them, and 80% expect alternative channels to become revenue streams.
With a growing prominence of e-stores and marketplaces, PC game distribution is more varied, vast, and complex than it has ever been – Rokky CEO
With Xbox expanding its ecosystem and emphasizing heavily on the PC market, it’s also a huge risk to Steam. Since the gaming giant lies under Microsoft, makers of Windows, the Xbox ecosystem is widely spreading and already shows all your games under a single roof.
As such, the entire dynamics of the PC games market might change, and Epic Games Store and GOG may either stagnate or fall behind in the race.
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[Staff Writer]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
Get In Touch: shaheerzahid03@gmail.com
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