Newzoo analyst forecasts slower console growth than PC and mobile
Emmanuel Rosier says PC gaming has "really strong momentum" while console struggles, with about half of PC revenue coming from microtransactions.
Newzoo director of market intelligence Emmanuel Rosier said PC gaming has "really strong momentum" while console struggles, and forecast slower growth for console than for PC and mobile across the overall games market, according to gamesradar.com.
Rosier said about half of PC gaming revenue comes from microtransactions, because many PC games are free-to-play live services. On console, he said, premium remains the biggest business model.
He also pointed to breadth of choice on PC, which he said leads to less concentration around the biggest titles, and said indie publishers find it easier to launch first on Steam and then expand to console if it works.
According to Rosier, PC gaming has been growing for the past two or three years despite AI data center-driven price hikes. From 2015 to 2020, he said, PC growth was comparatively weak.
As an example of how the platforms can diverge, he cited Big Walk: the game drew more user traction on PS5 due to its PlayStation Plus inclusion but made more money on PC.
Quick answers
What did Newzoo's Emmanuel Rosier say about PC and console growth?
He said PC gaming has "really strong momentum" while console struggles, and forecast slower console growth than PC and mobile across the overall games market.
Why does PC gaming earn so much from microtransactions?
Rosier said about half of PC gaming revenue comes from microtransactions because many PC games are free-to-play live services, while premium remains the biggest business model on console.