author: Bart Swiatek
PC Remains Leading Platform Among Developers; PlayStation Before Xbox
A survey conducted by the organizers of GDC indicates that PCs are the most popular platform among video game developers. PlayStation 5 arouses noticeably more interest than Xbox Series X/S.
IN A NUTSHELL:
- 58 developers find PCs the most relevant platform, with 53% indicating it as the hardware on which their next game will be released;
- Among consoles, the PS5 was the most successful in the survey;
- The majority of developers are not concerned about the negative impact of subscription services on video game prices.
Each year Game Developers Conference organizers prepare a survey in which they ask attendees about their attitudes towards various issues, thus examining market trends. The latest edition of the survey shows that PCs are still going on strong among European game developers - as many as 58% of them indicate it as the most relevant platform from the developer's point of view. That's up 8% from a year ago.
It is worth noting that the respondents could select more than one option, so the high position of PCs does not mean a lack of interest in consoles. In second place was taken by the PlayStation 5 (44%). Sony's hardware came ahead of the Nintendo Switch (38%) and Xbox Series X/S (30%). The streaming platform Google Stadia fared exceptionally poorly, with only 6% of respondent interested (twice as many people indicated Macs and... web browsers).
53 respondents also indicated that their next work is being created with PC in mind. Also in this ranking desktop computers bested all other platforms. Mobile devices also have a strong position (31% each of Android and iOS). As far as stationary consoles are concerned, the largest number of games is planned for PlayStation 5 (30%) and Xbox Series X/S (25%), which is hardly surprising. Nintendo Switch (19%) and eighth-generation hardware (15% for Xbox One and 14 la PlayStation 4) fare slightly worse. 11% of developers intend to create a title dedicated to VR goggles.
There are also some interesting opinions on subscription services such as Xbox Game Pass or EA Play. 21% of developers are concerned that they may lead to lower prices for single games, while 26% consider such a scenario possible. However, the most numerous group is the one which does not share such concerns (30%). 22% of respondents are not sure what to think about this.
It's worth noting that the survey was filled out by over 3 thousand conference attendees, so the data can be considered quite reliable.