Most PC Playtime in 2024 Was Spent on Games Over Six Years Old, Report Says

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Most PC Playtime in 2024 Was Spent on Games Over Six Years Old Report Says
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A new report from Newzoo reveals that most gamers are still spending their time on older games rather than new releases. During a talk at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), Newzoo shared findings from its latest games industry report, which analyzed player habits in 2024.

According to the report, 67% of total PC gaming hours last year were spent on titles that are at least six years old. Some of the most played games included Counter-Strike 2 and GO (7.1%), League of Legends (6.4%), Roblox (6.2%), DOTA 2 (5.8%), and Fortnite (5.4%). Meanwhile, 25% of PC playtime went to games that were between two and five years old, leaving just 8% for games released in 2024.

On consoles, the trend was similar, though slightly less extreme. PlayStation players spent 44% of their time on games older than six years, while Xbox users spent 49%. Both platforms saw only 15% of playtime go to 2024 releases.

The report describes this shift, stating: “Overall playtime hours are growing, but concentrated in AAA and at times cannibalistic. The battle for audience hours is fierce and near zero sum.“

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Additionally, the data shows that gamers played an average of 10 different games on Steam and PlayStation in 2024, while Xbox players averaged 9 games. However, the report notes that gaming habits are becoming more focused on fewer titles, saying: “Play habits are calcifying into fewer games, reducing [the] addressable market for new launches.“

The report also highlighted a decline in console game sales. In 2024, players spent around $19.9 billion on full-price console games, a 14% drop from 2023. Newzoo attributes this decline to weaker releases in 2024, compared to major 2023 hits like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Spider-Man 3, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

This data suggests that while gaming remains popular, players are sticking with familiar favorites rather than exploring new releases.

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Valentina Kraljik is a writer and editor with a deep love for video games, especially action RPGs, it's not the fetch quests that she enjoys the most - it's the absolute freedom that (mostly) open worlds offer. She doesn’t shy away from a good FPS either, no matter how humiliating her K/D ratio is. With a background in Information Sciences, she brings both insight and passion to her writing, always aiming to break down games in a way that’s engaging and objective. After 15 years of playing World of Warcraft, she finally managed to break free (though the urge to resubscribe is always lurking). The last game that truly won her over was S.T.A.L.K.E.R. II.

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