Steam, the world’s most used and loved game client, has shared statistics on what kind of gaming habits it followed throughout 2024, just like Spotify and Instagram did. After this first one realized by Valve, we also received some very interesting statistics. Here are the details and what you need to know…

Steam players played 85 percent of old games!

According to Steam’s 2024 statistics, only 15 percent of users’ total gaming time was spent on games released in 2024. This rate was measured at 9 percent in 2023 and peaked at 17 percent in 2022. Although there has been an increase compared to 2023, it seems that the majority of users are turning to older titles instead of new releases.

Another reason is the impact of portable devices like Steam Deck. New AAA games often have high system requirements, so players are turning to less demanding older titles instead. In addition, long-standing live service games such as Counter-Strike, Dota 2 and PUBG continue to attract a large player base.

The stats don’t stop there: 47 percent of Steam users’ gaming time is spent on games released within the last seven years. What’s more, 37 percent of that time was spent with games eight years or older. This once again shows how much interest gamers have in old games.

There may be more than one reason behind users turning to old games. One of the primary reasons is that the prices of older games are more affordable. Especially thanks to the discounts organized by Steam, users can get older but quality productions at affordable prices.