Steam has long been a dominant force in digital gaming. Operated by Valve and with two decades of history, it is the go-to game digital distribution platform for PC gamers, offering a vast library of titles.
However, the landscape is evolving, with competitors like the Epic Games Store vying for market share.
Steam has continuously improved its services to stay competitive, and users may have noticed recent updates. But has it worked? These ten key Steam statistics show its actual position in the video gaming market.
Usage Statistics
In recent years, the financial health of Steam has shown remarkable resilience. Game revenue on the platform soared by 31% in 2020 and another 11% in 2021, culminating in a staggering 74% growth in overall game sales over the past three years.
What’s even more impressive is Steam’s enduring popularity. The platform witnessed an explosive surge in player numbers during the pandemic, with no signs of slowing down.
Additionally, introducing the Steam Deck gaming handheld added a compelling new dimension to gaming and invigorated Steam’s user interface.
Keep reading for a deeper dive into the usage statistics behind Steam.
1. Steam reached over 33 million concurrent users for the first time
In 2023, Steam achieved a milestone by reaching over 33 million concurrent online users.
This surge in users began in early 2020, coinciding with the onset of the global pandemic. By March of that year, Steam had already set a new record with 20,313,451 concurrent users, which continued to climb, hitting 30 million by March 2022.
According to SteamDB, an independent database not affiliated with Valve, Steam achieved an impressive 33,078,963 online users in January 2023, surpassing its previous user milestones.
2. Steam has 30,000 games currently available
Steam is a significant game distributor, boasting nearly 30,000 games ready for players.
2023’s top titles are about action and multiplayer mayhem, with games like Apex Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive taking the lead. According to recent data, this is the most-played game on Steam in the year, with 935,772 current players as of June 2023.
3. PUBG: Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds is the most-played Steam game ever, with over 3 and a quarter million concurrent players
PUBG was a trailblazer for the trendy battle royale genre, inspiring numerous successful iterations. With more than double the concurrent players of the next game on the list (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive), it solidifies its position as the undisputed champion of Steam games.
By 2023, Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, or PUBG, held the title of the most-played Steam game of all time with over 3.25 million concurrent players.
4. Steam provides a developer revenue split ranging from 20/80 to 30/70, favoring games over $50 million in revenue
In terms of developer revenue, Epic Games Store takes the lead with a developer-friendly 12/88 split, allowing developers to keep 88% of their game earnings.
On the other hand, Steam provides a revenue split ranging from 20/80 to 30/70, favoring games that generate over $50 million in revenue.
5. Millennials between 20 and 29 years old represent 43% of adult Steam users in the U.S.
According to Statista, Steam’s popularity is exceptionally high among younger generations.
In the United States, millennials in the age range of 20 to 29 years old make up the largest share of adult Steam users, comprising a substantial 43% of the user base. Following closely behind are users aged 30 to 39, representing 33% of adult Steam users in the U.S.
This trend aligns with the broader gaming landscape, where 38% of video game players fall within the 18 to 34 age bracket, while only 6% are 65 years or older.
6. 68% of adult Steam users in the U.S. are male, while 32% are female
According to 4,969 participants surveyed by Statista Consumer Insights in the U.S., as of June 2023, most Steam users are male, comprising 68% of the adult user base, while females comprise the remaining 32%.
In the broader context of U.S. gaming audiences, the proportion of female gamers has been steadily increasing, reaching 45% in 2021, up from 41% in the previous year.
7. English is the top language on Steam, used by 36.87% of the community
English dominates the Steam gaming platform, representing 36.87% of users, according to Statista. Logrus IT Games further corroborates this language supremacy, reporting that 35.57% of Steam users prefer English.
Yet, Simplified Chinese also holds a significant presence, with 26.86% of Steam users utilizing it. If you’re interested in changing your language settings on Steam, various sources offer tutorials on how to do so.
The Steam Hardware & Software Survey also sheds light on language preferences, with English and Simplified Chinese emerging as the top choices as of September 2023.
Photo by Alexander Andrews on Unsplash
8. The Windows 10 64-bit operating system is the most used by Steam games, with 63.46% of the share
According to the latest Steam Hardware & Software Survey from September 2023, the Windows 10 64-bit operating system is the most-used platform by Steam games, with 63.46% of the share.
Other operating systems in use by Steam gamers include Windows 10 (32-bit) at 9.47%, Windows 11 at 37.43%, and macOS at 2.37%.
However, Valve, Steam’s parent company, has announced the cessation of support for Steam on Windows 7 and 8 starting January 1, 2024. That means users of these operating systems will need to transition to a newer Windows version if they wish to continue enjoying Steam.
9. 22.91% of VR gamers use the Oculus Quest 2 on Steam
The Oculus Quest 2 is the most-used VR headset on Steam, representing 22.91% of all VR headsets used for Steam gaming.
This figure saw an uptick from 17.40% in January 2021 to 22.91% in February 2021. This surge in Oculus Quest 2’s popularity aligns with the broader trend of monthly VR users on Steam growing to 2.8 million.
Notably, Oculus devices, including the original Oculus Rift, the original Oculus Quest, and the older Oculus Rift DK2, collectively constitute 58% of all VR usage on Steam.
10. 71.82% of Steam users with multiple monitors have a desktop resolution of 2840 x 1080
According to a post on Steam, nearly 72% of Steam users who use more than one monitor prefer a desktop resolution of 2840 x 1080.
Additionally, about 67% of Steam users with multiple monitors set their main display resolution to 1920 x 1080.
These numbers only apply to Steam users, so they don’t include people on other platforms or those who don’t use multiple monitors.
