GeForce RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 are the most popular current-gen GPUs, and it's not even close

The Steam Hardware & Software Survey results for March 2024 are now available, and the data once again shows that the GeForce RTX 3060 is still the most popular GPU among Steam gamers. As reported earlier today, its share rose dramatically in March, with 6.71% (+0.71%) of PC gamers rocking the mainstream Ampere card.

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What about the current generation of GPUs? The GeForce RTX 40 Series, the Radeon RX 7000 series, and Intel's first generation of Arc graphics cards. Although we've seen new models and variants arrive at a steady clip, most recently with the SUPER refresh from NVIDIA and the Radeon RX 7900 GRE global relaunch from AMD, we're now well over a year into the generation.

Now's as good a time as any to take stock and see what's hot and what's not. So, let's examine some trends, starting with the current generation of GPUs - where the GeForce RTX 4060 and GeForce RTX 4070 are the most popular new cards.

The Steam Hardware & Software Survey results can be volatile, but they provide an accurate overall look at what gamers choose to play with.

PC Gamers Have Chosen Ada Lovelace... Specifically the GeForce RTX 4060 and RTX 4070

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For the first time, the GeForce RTX 4060 and GeForce RTX 4070 have made the top ten list of the most popular graphics cards for PC gamers and active Steam users. NVIDIA dominates this space with 78% of the total GPU market share, with AMD in second place with 14.64%. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is also popular, making the top 20, followed by the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti.

The only Radeon RX 7000 Series graphics card to make the list and not be lumped into the "Other" category is the flagship Radeon RX 7900 XTX. And pretty far down, too, well below the GeForce RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 non-SUPER.

This means everything from the mainstream Radeon RX 7600 to the mid-range Radeon RX 7700 XT and 7800 XT are no-shows. Compared to RDNA 3, most RDNA 2 cards are on the list, with the most popular discrete Radeon GPU being the aging Radeon RX 580. This isn't a surprise, as NVIDIA's aging GeForce RTX 1060 is still in the top ten. The Radeon RX 6700 XT is the popular Radeon GPU that is still available to purchase, brand new, in most markets.

But, with the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER making the list and all non-SUPER 40 Series GPUs present, it paints a picture of PC gamers choosing NVIDIA, Ada Lovelace, and GeForce over the competition. By now, we would have expected to see the mainstream Radeon RX 7600 and even Intel Arc A750 make the list - but that day might never come. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out with AMD and Intel readying RDNA 4 and next-gen Arc Battlemage launches for later this year.

1440p Displays are On the Rise

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1080p is still the dominant resolution among PC gamers, with 58.45% of Steam users rocking 1920 x 1080 displays. However, 1440p displays continue to show the most growth, with the market share now at 19.86%.

This matches the growth seen with GPUs that you'd consider perfect for 1440p gaming (GeForce RTX 4070) and the rise in high-quality and affordable 1440p displays from all the big display companies. A month-to-month increase of +0.87% is enormous, too, so we wouldn't be surprised if 1440p displays crack the 20% barrier this month.

Most SteamVR Gaming Happens with a Meta Quest Headset

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The Valve Index is still quite popular with PC gamers, but when it comes to SteamVR, the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 reign supreme. They account for over 50% of the VR headset market share, with brands/models like HTC Vive and Pico falling behind older Oculus headsets like the Rift S.

Most still consider VR gaming niche on PC and console, but it can still deliver immersive experiences unlike anything else. It'll be interesting to see how PlayStation VR2 fares, as Sony will add full PC support for the headset sometime this year.

Windows 10 is Still the Most Popular OS, But Windows 11 Isn't Too Far Behind

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Even now, in March 2024, Windows 10 is still the dominant operating system - even among PC gamers. However, as PC gamers tend to adopt new software quicker than most PC users, the split is much closer than in other PC sectors. According to the latest Steam data, 54.40% of Windows users are running Windows 10, and 41.61% are running Windows 11.

Head here for the complete Steam Hardware & Software Survey results for March 2024.