A new report suggests that PC software spending is on track to overtake console software spending by 2028. According to the report, gamers have spent more on console software compared to PC since 2017, but that trend is expected to shift over the next few years. If projections hold true, the shift would represent one of the biggest changes in gaming’s financial landscape in over a decade.
This study comes just weeks after reports suggested Sony could be pulling back from releasing its first-party exclusives on PC. While nothing is confirmed, it could be that Sony changed its strategy due to underperforming sales on the platform driven by a lack of day-one releases. However, with this latest study highlighting PCs’ long-term growth potential, Sony may rethink its position.
New Report Highlights Potential Reason Why PlayStation PC Games Sales Struggle
New report reveals a potential major reason why PlayStation’s exclusives, which were ported to PC, struggled in terms of game sales.
Study Finds PC Software Spending Is Likely to Increase
On March 12, Newzoo released its PC & Console Gaming Report, which suggests that the video game industry is entering a more stable phase of consumer spending — at least for software. The data analytics firm found that PC software spending is projected to outpace console spending in 2028. PC gaming is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6% from 2025 to 2028, compared with a 4.4% CAGR for console spending.
According to the report, PC and console software revenue together is expected to hit $103.7 billion in 2028, showing that consumer spending isn’t diminishing, but rather steadying out. While the industry experienced dramatic growth during the early 2020s, this latest data suggests the market may now be transitioning into a more predictable, sustainable phase. The gaming industry has seen rapid change in 2026, and it looks like that isn’t likely to stop in the coming years either.
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In its study, Newzoo points to steady growth in the PC player base, particularly in Eastern Asian markets, as a key factor in the increase in PC spending. These regions have seen significant expansion in gaming audiences over the past decade, helping drive overall platform engagement. Younger audiences are also becoming a larger share of PC gamers, helping sustain the platform long term. The report found that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are increasingly getting into PC gaming. In addition, higher average game prices and the continued expansion of digital ecosystems like Steam and the Epic Games Store are helping to strengthen PC revenue growth by making it easier for players to access a wider variety of games.
It is also worth noting that the report focuses specifically on software spending rather than hardware sales like consoles or gaming PCs themselves. The projections track consumer purchases such as full games, downloadable content, subscriptions, and in-game spending on microtransactions. Because of that, the study’s forecasts might not account for potential changes in hardware supply, including ongoing concerns within the industry about RAM. While Sony indicated that a RAM shortage shouldn’t impact prices in 2026, that could change in the following years. So while one aspect of the gaming industry might see growth, the opposite could be true for hardware.
The findings suggest the gaming industry is entering a period where software trends may diverge from hardware. Physical game sales already hit a record low in 2025, which could highlight a continued shift toward digital distribution and new purchasing habits among players. PC spending is projected to grow in the coming years, but the hardware landscape could still shift depending on supply constraints and component availability. For now, Newzoo’s data suggests that expanding PC audiences and evolving digital ecosystems are helping position the platform for steady growth through the end of the decade.
