PC gamers opting for more genre diversity and complexity, Circana data shows

As reported by Eurogamer, almost 40% of all playtime across console gamers in January was spent on the top 10 live-service games. These figures highlight a clear challenge for the industry - when free live-service games are absorbing so much attention, it's increasingly difficult for new releases to break through and compete for player engagement.

However, the figures on PC tell a different story. Mat Piscatella, the executive director of Circana, took to Bluesky to discuss some of these figures. While providing the aforementioned stats on player engagement on consoles, he also shared the top 15 titles in the US between PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The top rankings paint an interesting picture.

On console, the usual suspects - Call of Duty, Fortnite, GTA V, Roblox, NBA 2K25, and Minecraft - remain dominant. But on PC, the distribution shifts significantly. Helldivers 2, Monster Hunter: Wilds, and Balatro occupy the top five, alongside the recently released Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Other notable placements include Warframe, Civilization VII, and Baldur's Gate 3.

The contrast is clear. Sports games, a staple of console rankings, are almost completely absent from PC's top charts. Instead, there's a noticeable presence of indie (Balatro), strategy (Civilization VII), and deeper single-player experiences (Baldur's Gate 3, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2). The overall variety of genres is larger on PC, and Call of Duty, despite topping the console charts, is completely absent from the list.

A key takeaway from the data is the type of audience each platform attracts. Console charts are stacked with live-service games designed to keep players engaged long-term, often catering to a younger audience. Meanwhile, PC players seem to be gravitating toward more involved experiences - tactical shooters, RPGs, and strategy games that demand more time and investment.

Without debating which platform has better taste, the data highlights a clear difference in gaming preferences. Console titles tend to appeal to a broader audience with familiar experiences, while PC players engage with a wider range of genres. What that means for each audience is open to interpretation, but the numbers make one thing clear - gaming habits across platforms are far from the same.