Steam Users Favor Classic Games Over New Releases in 2024
Steam users spent far less time on newly released games than you might expect—just 15% of global playtime in 2024 was dedicated to fresh titles. Steam’s year-end statistics provide insights into this trend, along with other intriguing details about what players enjoy on the platform.
As the leading and longest-running PC gaming platform, Steam boasts a vast library of games, including both recent hits and older classics. While it’s a running joke among Steam users that they tend to buy more games than they actually play, the stats show that older titles outshined new releases in popularity this year.
The 2024 Steam Replay, a personalized breakdown of user gaming habits, reveals these trends on a global scale. Only 15% of playtime across the platform was spent on games released in 2024.
Interestingly, players didn’t just focus on titles from 2023—only 47% of playtime went to games released within the last one to seven years, while a significant 37% was spent on games that have been around for eight years or longer.
Though 15% might seem low, it’s an improvement from 2023, when just 9% of playtime was spent on that year’s releases. Comparatively, 52% of playtime in 2023 was spent on games less than eight years old, and 38% on older titles.
However, 2024 narrowly missed breaking 2022’s record, when 17% of playtime went to that year’s games. Back in 2022, 19% of playtime was spent on games aged one to seven years, while a massive 64% of time was devoted to games at least eight years old.
Despite many standout PC releases in 2024, Steam’s extensive catalog and frequent sales help older games remain a strong draw. Discounts on classic titles during sales events give these games new life, keeping them competitive against fresh releases.
While new games continue to arrive annually, the sheer volume of games from the past decade—and beyond—means older titles maintain their grip on players’ attention.
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