This report has been updated 3 times. Last updated on January 26, 2026
- Peak concurrent users increased to 42.04 million in January 2026, replacing the prior record of 36.7 million from January 2025.
- Monthly active users were revised to 132 million, replacing the earlier figure of 147 million.
- Steam revenue figures were updated from $9.8 billion in 2024 to $16.2 billion through November 2025, with a record $1.6 billion generated in December.
- Most-played games rankings were refreshed, adding titles with over 763,701, 454,260, and 307,182 average concurrent players, while removing older leaders.
- Average concurrent player metrics were recalculated using 30-day averages instead of daily estimates.
- Steam Deck lifetime sales were corrected from 5.6 million units to 4 million units, with new Q1 2026 sales of 950,000 units.
- Regional user distribution was expanded with updated country-level figures, including 13.7 million users in the U.S. and 11.4 million users in China.
- Game genre analysis shifted to revenue share, highlighting Action games at 58.37%, followed by Role-Playing at 17.11%, Strategy at 13.97%, and Simulation at 9.76%.
- Steam VR headset usage data was updated, showing Meta Quest 3 at 27.58%, Quest 2 at 24.84%, and Valve Index at 13.35%.
- Pricing and discount data were expanded, noting that 58% of purchases occurred during sales, and bundles generated $125 million in revenue.
- User behavior metrics were enhanced, including 1.8 games launched per DAU, 5.2 weekly logins, and an average session length of 1.4 hours.
- New sections were added covering total playtime of 45.3 billion hours and Steam Deck playtime of 5.4 billion hours.
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Back in 2003, Steam was launched as a humble digital storefront primarily to distribute updates for Valve games. Fast-forward today, and it’s evolved into the largest PC gaming platform on the planet. Whether you’re a casual gamer logging a few hours after work or a full-time streamer grinding through competitive ladders, Steam likely plays a central role in your digital gaming life.
This article explores the latest Steam statistics, offering a comprehensive look at its user base, gaming trends, and economic impact on the global market. With data-driven insights, we’ll help you understand just how massive and influential Steam has become.
Editor’s Choice
- The platform set a new record with 42 million concurrent users online in January 2026.
- Counter-Strike 2 led as the most-played game, with over 1.8 million peak concurrent players.
- ARC Raiders, a major hit, sold 12 million copies on Steam.
- Steam’s 2025 revenue reached $16.2 billion through November, trending higher year-over-year.
- Asia-Pacific now accounts for 42% of Steam’s total user base.
- The Steam Deck has surpassed 4 million units sold globally.
Recent Developments
- Valve announced new Steam Hardware, including the Steam Machine, the Steam Controller, and the Steam Frame, launching in 2026.
- Steam client was updated on January 21, 2026, with extensive controller fixes, including Nintendo Switch 2 support.
- Steam revealed 22 themed festivals throughout 2026, occurring every 2.4 weeks.
- Valve updated AI disclosure rules to focus only on AI-generated content consumed by players.
- Steam client transitioned to 64-bit on Windows 11 and 10 64-bit as of January 1, 2026.
- Steam ended support for 32-bit Windows versions on January 1, 2026.
- SteamOS expanded with official support for third-party handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go S.
- Steam client beta was released on January 19 with general fixes and improvements.
Most Played Steam Games by Average Concurrent Players
- Counter-Strike 2 dominated with 763,701 average concurrent players over the last 30 days.
- Dota 2 held second place, averaging 454,260 concurrent players.
- ARC Raiders averaged 307,182 players, surging into the top 3.
- Marvel Rivals recorded 165,784 average concurrent players.
- Bongo Cat surprised with 115,879 average players.
- PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS maintained 88,932 average concurrent players.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 averaged 86,843 players.
- Rust continued strong at 83,516 average players.
- FiveM hit 83,123 average concurrent players.
- Warframe rounded out the top 10 with 75,440 average players.
Peak Concurrent Users on Steam
- Steam shattered records with 42,042,778 concurrent users on January 11.
- This surpassed the previous peak of 41,816,052 set on January 4.
- Steam hit 41,666,455 concurrent users on October 12, 2025.
- The average daily peak for January reached 36.74 million concurrent users.
- Actively gaming users peaked at 13.4 million during January records.
- Platform crossed 40 million concurrent users first time on March 2, 2025, with 40,270,997.
- Weekends average 34 million concurrent users during prime hours.
- Concurrent game sessions increased 18% year-over-year.
Steam’s Monthly and Daily Active Users
- Steam reports 132 million monthly active users, up 10% from the previous year.
- Daily active users average 69 million, with 52.27% of MAUs logging in daily.
- 66% of monthly users log in at least four times per week.
- DAUs spike to 17 million+ during major events like the Lunar New Year Sale.
- Highest DAUs averaged 14.9 million daily in January.
- Mobile Steam app accounts for over 12% of daily activity.
- Steam Chat hit 8.3 million daily active accounts, up from 7.1 million.
- Steam Notifications interaction rates increased 20%.
- Daily community activity rose 14% since 2024.
- Average user launches 1.8 games per day among DAUs.
Most Used Languages on Steam
- Simplified Chinese leads with 33.7% of users.
- English follows at 33.5% user share.
- Russian accounts for 8.2% of Steam users.
- Spanish is used by 4.6% of users.
- Brazilian Portuguese represents 2.8% of users.
- German language holds 2.5% share among users.
- Korean comprises 2.2% of the user base.
- French accounts for 2.1% of users.
- Japanese is used by 1.7% of Steam users.
- Turkish represents 1.7% of users.
Steam Revenue and Market Share
- Steam generated $16.2 billion in gross revenue through November 2025.
- December 2025 set a record with $1.6 billion gross revenue, up 22.7% year-over-year.
- Valve holds 74% share of the global PC gaming digital distribution market.
- Game sales accounted for 61% of total revenue, and DLC/microtransactions 27%.
- 19,606 games were published on Steam in 2025, generating a platform total of ~$16 billion.
- Steam Summer Sale 2024 generated $876 million gross merchandise value.
- Valve’s 30% commission yielded over $4 billion in direct earnings in 2025.
- Average revenue per user stands at approximately $19.
- Steam’s US market share reaches 75% of PC digital distribution.
- Indie games revenue increased 21% year-over-year.
Regional Distribution of Steam Users
- Asia-Pacific hosts 42% of Steam’s total user base.
- Europe follows with 28% of total users.
- North America represents 22% of the user base.
- Latin America comprises 5% of Steam users.
- United States leads with 13.7 million users (21.3% traffic).
- China contributes 11.4 million users (26.1% traffic).
- Russia accounts for 9.5 million users (6.91% traffic).
- Brazil has 4.9 million users (5.88% traffic).
Most Popular Game Genres on Steam
- Action dominates with 58.37% of total revenue.
- Role-Playing accounts for 17.11% of revenue.
- Strategy comprises 13.97% of total revenue.
- Simulation represents 9.76% of revenue.
- FPS subgenre generates $6.67 billion lifetime revenue.
- Open World Survival Craft earned $5.34 billion LTD.
- Action-Adventure contributes $5.70 billion LTD.
- Sports holds remaining revenue share after the top genres.
- Roguelikes saw 22% engagement boost during holiday sales.
- Indie games revenue increased 21% year-over-year.
Steam Deck Adoption and Usage Statistics
- Steam Deck has sold around 4 million units globally since launch.
- Q1 2026 sales reached 950,000 new Steam Decks, up 22% YoY.
- 42% of Steam Deck owners use it as their primary gaming device.
- OLED model accounts for 35% of total sales to date.
- 15,800+ titles now verified for Steam Deck compatibility.
- Average play session lasts 62 minutes, exceeding desktop averages.
- Windows installations on Steam Decks increased 19% year-over-year.
- Elden Ring leads the top 10 played Deck games by hours.
- Support ticket resolution improved 24% due to Deck documentation.
- 28% of new Steam games launch Deck-optimized.
Top 20 Countries by Steam User Share
- United States leads with 13.7 million users (21.3% traffic share).
- China follows with 11.4 million users (19.0% share).
- Russia ranks third at 9.5 million users (6.91% share).
- Brazil contributes 4.9 million users (5.88% share).
- Germany holds 3.6 million users (3.2% share).
- Canada accounts for 3.0 million users.
- Turkey has 2.6 million users.
- France contributes 2.6 million users.
- United Kingdom has 2.6 million users.
- Poland holds 2.4 million users.
Steam VR Headset Usage Share
- Meta Quest 3 leads with 27.58% share among VR users.
- Oculus Quest 2 holds 24.84% of VR headset usage.
- Valve Index HMD accounts for 13.35% share.
- Meta Quest 3S claims 9.46% of VR users.
- Oculus Rift S remains at 4.52% usage share.
- Pico 4 has 3.34% market share.
- HTC Vive is used by 2.87% of VR headset owners.
- Windows Mixed Reality at 2.42% share.
Average Game Prices and Discounts on Steam
- Indie games range from $4.99 to $14.99.
- AAA titles average $59.99 at launch.
- Seasonal sales offer an average 45% discounts, up to 90% off.
- Steam Summer Sale 2024 generated $876 million in revenue.
- Early Access titles average $19.73, up 6% YoY.
- Dynamic pricing across 37 currencies for region-specific affordability.
- Smaller studio games are discounted 4x more frequently than AAA games.
- 58% of 2024 purchases were made during promotional periods.
- “Complete the Set” bundles accounted for $125 million in sales.
User Demographics and Player Behavior Trends
- The largest group, aged 25–34, comprises 38% of users.
- Users aged 18–24 represent 31% of the base.
- 35+ accounts for 22% of users.
- 92% identify as male, 7% female.
- Average session 1.4 hours per login, 5.2 weekly logins.
- U.S. players spend an average of $173 annually.
- 74% engage in multiplayer, 26% single-player.
- Steam Family Sharing is used by over 15 million accounts.
- Mobile Authenticator adoption exceeds 88%.
Steam Workshop and Community Engagement
- Steam Workshop hosts nearly 15 million items across 2,000+ games.
- Wallpaper Engine leads with 2.2 million workshop items.
- Garry’s Mod has 800,000 items, Portal 2 has 950,000.
- 429 games feature over 1,000 items each.
- 128 games surpass 10,000 items.
- 25 games exceed 100,000 workshop items.
- 950,000+ creators published content since inception.
- The average creator earns $4,200 annually.
Most Downloaded Free-to-Play Games on Steam
- Counter-Strike 2 tops with over 128 million total downloads.
- Dota 2 follows with over 110 million installs.
- PUBG: Battlegrounds holds over 90 million downloads.
- Warframe crossed 80 million installs.
- Apex Legends recorded 56 million downloads since 2020.
- Destiny 2 reaches 48 million+ installs.
- Goose Goose Duck amassed 36 million downloads.
- Path of Exile maintains 35 million total installs.
- Team Fortress 2 garners 12 million new downloads annually.
- The Finals gained 22 million installs in less than 4 months.
VR Usage Statistics on Steam
- SteamVR hit 4.3 million monthly active players in Q1 2025, up 18% YoY.
- Meta Quest 2 accounts for 38% of VR usage.
- Valve Index holds 21% share.
- Meta Quest 3 at 17% usage share.
- Average VR session lasts 52 minutes, up 7% YoY.
- 31% of VR users play twice weekly+.
- 1.64% of Steam users own VR headsets.
- VR content viewership rose 28% on Twitch/YouTube.
Total Hours Played on Steam
- FPS/MOBA titles accounted for 38% of total time played.
- Dota 2 led single titles with 3.8 billion hours globally.
- Single-player RPGs amassed 2.6 billion hours collectively.
- Steam Deck users contributed 5.4 billion hours.
- Co-op games showed 17% increase in session length.
- North America averaged 6.4 hours weekly, Europe 7.1 hours.
- Idle games accounted for 3% total playtime.
- Weekend activity comprised 40% of weekly hours.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What was Steam’s peak concurrent user count in early 2026?
Steam set a new record with over 42 million concurrent users logged in simultaneously in January 2026.
What percentage of Steam’s monthly users logged in daily in 2025?
The DAU‑to‑MAU engagement ratio was 52.27%, meaning over half of all monthly users played daily.
How many games were available on Steam by late 2025?
Steam hosted approximately 117,881 games on its platform.
What market share does Steam hold in PC digital distribution as of 2025–26?
Steam controls roughly ~75% of the PC digital game distribution market.
Conclusion
Steam’s growth today reflects much more than just numbers. It’s a barometer for how gaming culture, technology, and global access have evolved. With a record-breaking player base, billions of hours logged, and rising engagement across mobile, VR, and handheld platforms, Steam continues to cement its place as the center of the PC gaming universe.
Whether you’re a developer trying to break into the indie scene, a hardcore FPS competitor, or a weekend gamer exploring RPGs, Steam’s ecosystem offers something for everyone. And with its expanding hardware line, smarter recommendations, and global reach, this year is shaping up to be Steam’s most transformative year yet.
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