The 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC) State of the Game Industry report reveals a significant trend: 80% of game developers are prioritizing PC as their primary development platform. This article delves into this and other key findings from the report.
The 2025 State of the Game Industry Report
PC Dominates: 80% of Developers Target This Platform
GDC's January 21, 2025 report highlights a remarkable 80% of game developers focusing on PC game development—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 the Steam Deck wasn't a selectable platform option, 44% of developers who selected "Other" specified the Steam Deck as a target platform.
Last year, PC was already deemed the dominant platform, even with the rise of UGC platforms like Roblox and Minecraft, and the anticipation surrounding the Switch 2. This continued growth from 56% in 2020 to 66% in 2024, and now 80% in 2025, solidifies PC's leading position. While the upcoming Switch 2, with its promised graphical and performance enhancements, might slightly alter this trend, the PC's dominance remains undeniable.
Live Service Games: A Mixed Bag for AAA Developers
The report also sheds light on the prevalence of live-service games. A significant one-third (33%) of AAA developers are currently working on such titles. Expanding the survey to all respondents, 16% are actively developing live-service games, with another 13% expressing interest. However, a considerable 41% are not interested, citing concerns like declining player interest, creative stagnation, predatory practices, microtransactions, and burnout.
GDC points to "market oversaturation" as a major challenge for live-service games, with developers struggling to maintain sustainable player bases. The recent closure of Ubisoft's XDefiant after only six months serves as a stark example of this difficulty.
Geographic Representation: A Noteworthy Gap
PC Gamer's January 23, 2025 article highlights a significant underrepresentation of developers from various regions in the GDC report. Nearly 70% of respondents were from Western countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia), with notable absences from major gaming regions like China and Japan. This skewed representation might influence the report's findings and limit its ability to accurately reflect the global game development landscape.
