A recent look into Steam’s annual replay statistics reveals some intriguing insights into the gaming habits of PC enthusiasts, including members of the PC Gamer staff. This data provides a fascinating, if somewhat humorous, glimpse into what our favorite gaming journalists and writers are actually playing—how many titles they try, how often they switch between keyboard and controller, and their overall engagement with new releases. Such insights can help both casual players and aspiring developers understand current trends and preferences in the gaming community.
While these numbers are primarily for entertainment, they also reflect broader industry patterns. For example, the way players interact with new versus older titles or how often they prefer controllers over traditional keyboard and mouse setups. These trends can influence game design choices, marketing strategies, and even future development directions. If you’re interested in how game development strategies intersect with player behavior, exploring resources like the fundamentals of creating sequels in game development can provide valuable insights.
PC Gamer Staff’s Steam Playtime Breakdown
The recent Steam replay feature, which offers users a detailed breakdown of their gaming history for the year, prompted curiosity among our team about how they compare to the average Steam user. Out of a sample of 19 staff members—roughly representing the diversity in gaming habits—the average number of games played in 2025 was 72. This figure is quite impressive considering it includes all titles launched or played on Steam over the year.
Joshua Wolens, our most prolific player, managed to boot up an astonishing 134 games, while the least active among us only played 28 titles. Interestingly, Steam’s metrics do not seem to account for how much time is spent in each game, only whether the game was launched. As Wolens humorously notes, he often downloads many games but rarely plays them extensively—sometimes just launching and abandoning them. This behavior highlights that the raw number of titles played doesn’t necessarily reflect deep engagement; it’s more about breadth than depth.
Across our team, excluding duplicates, the total number of games played was approximately 1,235. The collective achievement score reached an average of 558 points per person, with the total across all staff hitting 9,497. These figures demonstrate a high level of gaming activity, although not all of it is necessarily intense or long-term play.
The Role of New Titles and Gaming Preferences
When examining how many of these games were new releases, the data shows that PC Gamer’s staff played an average of 56% titles released in 2025. Notably, when we excluded those who played over 100 games, the average percentage of new games increased by about four percent, suggesting that more dedicated or prolific players tend to stick to older titles or revisit classics.
A particularly revealing aspect of our gaming habits involves input preferences. On average, our staff played approximately 59% of their games with keyboard and mouse, and 41% using controllers. Personally, I contributed to this statistic with a split of 57/43. This controller usage might seem surprising for a publication dedicated to PC gaming, but it reflects the reality that many modern titles are designed with controller support, and devices like the Steam Deck have made portable gaming more accessible. It also indicates that even committed PC gamers sometimes prefer controller inputs, especially for certain genres like action or FromSoftware’s notoriously mouse-unfriendly titles.
Gaming Streaks and Time Investment
Another aspect worth noting is the daily gaming streaks among our team. The average was 36 days of consecutive play before taking a break—a stark contrast to Steam’s median of just six days. This difference underscores how dedicated some players are, often engaging intensely over extended periods.
When comparing these figures to general Steam user behavior, the disparities become even more evident. The median Steam user plays only four games annually, unlocking around 11 achievements and maintaining a streak of roughly six days. In contrast, our staff’s median achievements unlocked was 565, and the daily streaks far exceeded the median, emphasizing a more passionate or committed approach to gaming.
Additionally, our team spent a significant portion of their gaming time—an average of 56%—on titles released in 2025, compared to the median Steam user’s 14%. This focus on recent releases indicates a strong interest in new content, although it also reveals that our staff tends to play a broader array of titles than the average gamer.
Final Thoughts and Future Trends
These insights highlight just how diverse player habits can be, even among dedicated gaming journalists. Our controller usage, in particular, might raise eyebrows, but it emphasizes that modern gaming often blurs traditional boundaries between input methods. As the industry continues to evolve, understanding these patterns can help developers craft experiences that cater to both traditional and modern gaming preferences.
For those interested in the technical side of game design, exploring what ECS entails in game development can shed light on how performance and scalability are achieved in complex projects. Meanwhile, the rise of handheld devices like the Steam Deck exemplifies the importance of designing for smaller screens and portable experiences, making crafting immersive experiences for small screens an essential skill for modern developers.
Whether you’re a player or creator, these stats serve as a reminder that the gaming landscape is constantly shifting. As we look toward 2026, it’s likely we’ll see even more varied habits emerging, especially as new hardware and game types continue to diversify how and what we play.