A new industry report reveals something many PC gamers might not be surprised to hear: we’re not just a massive audience—we’re a nostalgic one. According to market intelligence firm Newzoo, there are now an estimated 908 million PC gamers globally, and a staggering 92% of our playtime is spent on games older than two years.
This data, shared ahead of a talk at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) by Newzoo’s director of consulting Ben Porter, is part of a broader annual study that surveyed over 73,000 players and analyzed over 10,000 games. The findings offer a compelling snapshot of a massive and loyal player base that sticks with the games they love—often for years, even decades.
Between January and December 2024, 67% of all PC gaming hours were spent on titles six years old or more, and another 25% on games aged two to five years. That leaves just 8% of time going to anything released in the last two years, a tiny sliver considering the nonstop barrage of new releases.
So which games dominate? Unsurprisingly, it’s the titans of free-to-play and long-standing live service games:
While technically Counter-Strike 2 launched in 2023, many players and analysts consider it a direct continuation or remake of 2012’s CS:GO, which itself traces lineage back to the early 2000s. So its presence in the “older games” category fits the broader trend: PC gamers keep returning to what’s familiar, polished, and already part of their digital routine.
This deep-rooted loyalty is both a blessing and a challenge for the games industry. On the one hand, live service games that hit the mark become long-term revenue generators. On the other hand, launching a new title into this saturated space is extremely difficult. Gamers are comfortable. They already have their favorites.
The report also highlights the stark contrast between what players actually spend time on and what tends to dominate gaming media coverage. While headlines often focus on the latest AAA release, indie hit, or high-profile flop, PC gamers themselves are largely ignoring the hype and sticking with established titles that offer community, value, and consistent updates.
There’s also a practical element at play. Not everyone owns cutting-edge hardware or has the budget to buy brand-new titles. PC gaming, more than any other platform, makes it easy to run older games, find free-to-play titles, and grab classics on sale for just a few dollars. Accessibility and longevity remain central to why players keep coming back to old favorites.
So while the industry continues to chase the next big thing, the data makes one thing clear: most PC gamers just want to keep playing the games they already love. That’s not to say innovation isn’t needed—it just means developers might need to think differently about how to launch and support games that are built to last.
