The next generation of gamers is increasingly playing their favourite games on PC, and they’re set to propel the platform past console games revenue for the first time in over a decade.
According to Newzoo’s PC & Console Gaming Report 2026, the PC boom is being led by Steam, which isn’t a surprise—Valve’s digital distribution platform dominates PC gaming, commanding around 75% of the PC market share. What’s more surprising is that the future of PC is driven by growth in eastern Asia and among Gen Z and Gen Alpha players.
The rise of PC gaming in eastern Asia could also explain the popularity of certain monetisation models between console and PC. China is by far is the largest market for PC gaming, with over 250 million gamers on the platform, which could explain why microtransactions make up nearly half of all PC gaming revenues. Meanwhile, revenues from microtransactions have fallen on console, with the model seeing a 6.3% drop from last year.
Gamers are spending more on “premium” games now, a promising sign for fans of narrative- and progress-driven games. While the rumblings about the death of games-as-a-service is certainly exaggerated, players are evidently pouring more money into one-off stories and aren’t afraid of paying upfront costs for a high-quality experience.
PC already has a larger user base than console, though console has consistently generated more revenue since 2017. According to Newzoo’s projections, PC is on target to surpass console gaming revenue by 2028. Consoles’ player base growth is predicted to slow in the coming years, which is to be expected this late in the current generation.
