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- A new report by Newzoo reveals that Steam users play more non-competitive and PvE-focused games than console players.
- 58% of the titles played by Steam players were PvE last year, compared to 41% on Xbox and 42% on PlayStation.
- The interest of Steam users in PvE games has steadily grown over the last few years, seeing an increase of 47% since 2021.
Despite the convenience of consoles, the PC platform continues to be a more diverse and affluent market for gamers. This tidbit has been highlighted again by Newzoo’s new industry report, which confirms that Steam users prefer PvE games more than console players.
The detailed ‘PC & Console Gaming Report 2025’ clarifies that 58% of titles enjoyed by Steam players last year were PvE. In contrast, only 41% of games played on Xbox were non-competitive, and 42% for the PlayStation ecosystem.
Why it matters: This trend of Steam users playing more PvE titles is attributed to the rise of smaller co-op and social-focused games on the platform over the last few years.
Newzoo reports a 47% rise in Steam players’ interest in PvE/non-competitive games since 2021. For consoles, there has been a rise and fall in the interest of PvE games instead.
This growing liking for non-competitive games for Steam players can be attributed to an upsurge of co-op indie experiences and social-focused titles, such as REPO and Schedule 1. The roster of these similar types of games is quite limited on consoles.
This survey is based on the raw telemetry data from over 1 million players and gauges interest on different platforms. Newzoo’s findings also revealed that Steam players were likelier to go for a PvE title after engaging with multiple other games.
It is worth noting that the Newzoo report does not include the Chinese and Indian markets; it also does not gauge interest by playtime. So, the results might differ in the non-Western gaming scene.
Do you think the growing number of PvE and social titles on Steam over the last few years means PC gaming is headed in the right direction? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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