PS5, Switch Game Dev Takes a Back Seat as 80% of Devs Focus on PC

GDC's 2025 Game Industry Report Highlights PC Dominance and Live Service Trends

The Game Developers Conference (GDC) released its 2025 State of the Game Industry report on January 21st, 2025, revealing significant trends shaping the gaming landscape. A key finding indicates a strong preference for PC development.

PC's Reign Supreme: 80% of Developers Target PC

The report highlights that a remarkable 80% of game developers are prioritizing PC as their primary development platform, a substantial 14% increase from the 66% reported in 2024. While the exact reasons remain unclear, the report suggests the rising popularity of Valve's Steam Deck may be a contributing factor. Interestingly, although not a selectable platform option, 44% of those who selected "Other" specified the Steam Deck as a target platform.

This trend builds upon previous years' data, showcasing PC's consistent dominance. The growth from 56% in 2020 to 66% in 2024 underscores a sustained shift towards PC gaming. While the upcoming Switch 2 release might introduce some variation, the PC platform's extensive library is poised to expand further.

Live Service Games: A Mixed Bag for AAA Developers

The report also delves into the prevalence of live-service games. A significant one-third (33%) of AAA developers are currently involved in live-service projects. Across all respondents, 16% are actively developing live-service titles, with an additional 13% expressing interest. However, a considerable 41% showed no interest, citing concerns such as declining player engagement, creative limitations, and the potential for burnout.

GDC emphasizes the issue of market saturation in the live-service sector, highlighting the challenges developers face in maintaining sustainable player bases. The recent closure of Ubisoft's XDefiant serves as a prominent example of this challenge.

Geographic Representation: A Western-Centric Perspective

A PC Gamer article, published on January 23rd, 2025, points out a notable underrepresentation of non-Western developers in the GDC report. Approximately 70% of respondents hailed from Western countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia), with significant absences from regions like China and Japan. This raises concerns about potential biases in the report's findings and their applicability to the global game development landscape.

In conclusion, the GDC's 2025 report provides valuable insights into current industry trends, highlighting PC's dominant position and the complexities surrounding live-service game development. However, the report's geographic limitations underscore the need for broader representation in future surveys to ensure a more comprehensive understanding of the global gaming industry.