PC game development has reached new heights, with over 80% of developers currently focusing on the platform, according to GDC's latest 2025 State of the Game Industry report. The survey, which gathered responses from 3,000 game developers, highlights the PC's position as the "dominant platform."
This marks a significant increase from 2024, where 66% of developers reported working on PC games. Now, at 80%, PC development has more than doubled the percentage of developers targeting the second-most popular platform, the PlayStation 5, which sits at 38%. The Xbox Series X/S follows closely behind at 34%.
The trend toward PC development has been building steadily over the years. In 2020, 56% of respondents were developing for the PC, with that number gradually climbing to 58% in 2021, 63% in 2022, and 65% in 2023. Alongside this growth, interest in the PC as a development platform has also surged, with 74% of respondents in 2025 expressing interest, compared to 62% the previous year.
According to the GDC report:"The exact reason for this jump is unclear, but it could be connected to the rising popularity of Valve's Steam Deck. This year's survey didn't single out Steam (or Valve's handheld gaming computer) as its own platform, because it's a hub for PC and Mac games. But it appears some developers do view it as a unique platform. For instance, when asked to name other platforms that interest them, almost half (44%) wrote in Steam Deck."
"Last year, 66% of developers reported that they were working on games for PC; this year, that number climbed up to 80%. While the reason for this is unclear, it could be at least partially attributed to the rising popularity of Valve's Steam Deck. While the Steam Deck wasn't specifically listed as an option for developers to list as a platform they're developing games for, of the respondents who chose the 'Other' option, 44% of them wrote in Steam Deck as a platform they're interested in."
Another intriguing development noted in the report is the resurgence of web browser games. The report states that 16% of developers are working on games for web browsers, compared to 10% last year and 11% in 2023."Interestingly, web browser games are also climbing in popularity, as 16% of developers noted that they're working on releases for web browsers (compared to 10% last year and 11% the year before). This marks the most interest game studios have in browser games across the past decade."
With PC gaming continuing to dominate and trends like the Steam Deck and web browser games gaining momentum, 2025 is shaping up to be a transformative year for the gaming industry.
Read more: GDC Survey Details
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