We’ve recognized that lately older video games have been monopolizing increasingly more of gamers’ time, particularly on PC, nevertheless it seems that’s additionally been translating to gamers spending increasingly more of their cash on stuff that’s not precise video games. Particularly issues like battle passes and Name of Responsibility skins. The truth is, microtransactions make up over half of all spending on PC gaming, in response to a brand new report by Newzoo.
The market analysis agency’s 2025 report on console and PC gaming paints an image of a panorama more and more dominated by all the pieces however the dozens of latest video games popping out every week. Newzoo’s information suggests PC players solely spent 8 % of their collective gaming time in 2024 enjoying video games that got here out that yr. As an alternative, their time was spent on older video games, with over 60 % of it going to issues that had launched over six years prior.
Does that imply these gamers aren’t spending cash? Nope. It simply means they’re spending the vast majority of it on in-game microtransactions, whether or not that’s user-generated content material in Roblox, new Journey Time skins in Fortnite, or, uh, Venom twerking in Marvel Rivals. In line with Newzoo, solely 28 % of PC gaming spending in 2024 went to full video games.
The analysis agency’s breakdown places microtransactions at 58 % of spending with DLC, like Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree, at 14 %. Mixed, that left solely $10.7 billion for full recreation purchases, down 2.6 % from the yr prior. These numbers would possibly shift in 2026 with some greater releases like Elden Ring Nightreign, Borderlands 4, and extra on the horizon, however the development is fairly clear. And if the subsequent GTA On-line is anyplace close to as large as the present one, that may solely sap more cash out of the ecosystem by microtransactions.
After all, whether or not microtransactions are really leeching from the system is up for debate. With online game costs (largely) stagnant at the same time as budgets explode and unit gross sales figures stay largely flat, many publishers have opted to recoup extra income from these in-game purchases. Murderer’s Creed Shadows is barely $70, however features a full suite of purchasable cosmetics and different add-ons. On the similar time, video games with out that enterprise mannequin grafted onto them, particularly indie releases, are seemingly left in an more and more difficult place as a much bigger piece of the pie is being absorbed by a smaller set of gamers.
The shift is barely much less dramatic on console, however nonetheless seen. Microtransactions solely make up 32 % of participant spending there, in response to Newzoo (that’s up 4.5 % year-over-year). A plurality of all spending continues to be on full recreation purchases, although most likely not for lengthy. The expansion of subscriptions like Xbox Sport Go, PS Plus Additional, and Swap On-line Growth Pack are all taking a roughly 16-percent chunk of the cash (up 14 % year-0ver-year). DLC, however, is simply 5 % of spending, or about $2.2 billion. Console gamers, it could appear, nonetheless have a stronger desire for transferring on to the subsequent new factor.
.
