Game developers are continuing to prefer working on games for PC and PlayStation 5 over Xbox Series X|S, according to new data from the Game Developers Conference’s latest report tracking the state of the games industry over the last year.
The latest report from GDC (via Christopher Dring at The Game Business) showed a continued decline in developers working on projects for Xbox. While PC remains the one platform to rule them all, with 83% of surveyed developers currently making games for it and 80% saying they want to, developers are making games for PlayStation 5 at a seven-percentage-point difference over Xbox Series X|S. (47% versus 40%, to be exact.) This difference extends to developer interest as well, with 40% of surveyors saying they want to work on PS5 projects compared to just 20% for Xbox Series X|S.
The Steam Deck, meanwhile, is apparently the fourth-most-used platform, as 28% of developers are making or optimizing games for Valve’s handheld console. Speaking of handheld consoles, 39% of participants say they’re interested in making games for the Nintendo Switch 2, putting it just one percentage point behind the Steam Deck in terms of developer interest (40%).
While these numbers demonstrate a slight increase in developers making games for Xbox Series X|S when compared to 2024’s data (34% to 40%), it really shows how PlayStation 5 has not only grown in interest in developers but also grown in projects in the works for Sony’s latest console (38% in 2024 to 47% in 2025). Of course, PC is still the queen of the platform kingdom, with games being developed for it increasing from 80% to 83%, but the real surprising figure is just how much Microsoft’s latest console is lagging behind PC and PS5.
One more (maybe unsurprising) figure: fewer than 100 participants, apparently just 8%, said they’re making extended reality (XR) or virtual reality (VR) games at the moment, with 82% claiming that the Meta Quest and Horizon Store are the top platforms for these kinds of experiences. Likely not a coincidence, but Meta’s augmented reality (AR) and VR division Reality Labs is reportedly bleeding billions of dollars in losses.
The survey also looks at generative AI across the games industry, and the results are probably not that surprising. Compared to last year’s figures, where 30% of respondents said generative AI is hurting the games industry, the new data states that this number has increased to 52%. Unfortunately, more participants said they work for a company with generative AI use policies, up to 78% from 52% the year prior, with the tech being used for research/brainstorming (81%), writing emails (47%), and coding assistance (also 47%).
