According to a new report from market research firm Ampere Analysis, there’s been a pretty seismic shift in PC gaming spending habits. It illustrates how deeply microtransactions and legacy games have overtaken the space. In 2024, PC gamers only allocated 28 percent of their overall spending to buying complete games. In contrast, a shocking 58 percent of their expenses were used on microtransactions.
One notable example of the growing trend in microtransactions is the Jay and Silent Bob tracer bundle available in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which retails for $20. This bundle exemplifies how publishers are increasingly monetizing games through in-game purchases rather than relying solely on traditional game sales.
Shifting to look only at PC gamers, the report found that gamers on that platform spent a mere 8 percent of their gaming time on new releases in 2024. More than 60 of their gaming sessions were playing games that were released over six years before. This change in focus means that spending on full game purchases has decreased tremendously. In reality, it actually fell to $10.7 billion, a decrease of 2.6 percent compared to last year.
Furthermore, DLC had a significant impact on the spending landscape, as it was 14 percent of the total spending. Whether it’s Xbox Game Pass, PS Plus Extra, or Switch Online Expansion Pack—subscription services are the hottest trend right now. They have now grown to form an impressive 16 percent of the gaming budget. As a consequence, the market just seems to be more and more focused away from releasing new games and instead on microtransactions and subscription services.
That has also been reflected in the data showing a very intriguing trend within the console gaming sector. Microtransactions make up 32 percent of total revenue with just 5 percent from the downloadable content (DLC), or roughly $2.2 billion. Consumers have gotten on board with the idea of spending above and beyond on cosmetic items and add-ons. In fact, they like doing so better than purchasing new titles directly.
Looking ahead, the report forecasts potential changes in spending habits with upcoming titles like Elden Ring Nightreign and Borderlands 4 expected to launch in 2026. In part, these new releases are expected to turn spending trends around again toward full game purchases.