In a landmark moment, it was revealed through a financial report that Activision Blizzard is, for the first time ever, making considerably more money with PC gaming than it is with console gaming – and apparently, that gap is getting wider.
Reportedly, in Q1 of 2023, Activision Blizzard made $27 million more with PC platforms than it did with console platforms. There was a sharp uptick in 2022 on PC platforms that has ultimately culminated in computer-based gaming outselling console-based gaming with relative ease, and it’s showing no signs of slowing.
PC Master Race?
Thanks to PCGamer.com and some diligent research, we know that, historically, Activision has always had better financial performance in the console markets. There is twenty years’ worth of data, and up until now, consoles from the PlayStation 2 to the Xbox 360 and from the PlayStation 5 to the Series X|S have been considered king for Activision over the top of the slumbering PC platforms.
But PC gaming is on the up – and it’s on the up consistently. For the last two or three years, PC gaming has experienced a monumental boom, and global shortages of components failed to slow that growth by a whole lot. Now, almost every esports tournament is played out on PC, streamers and content creators are all using them, and any player seeking a competitive edge opts to build one over a PS5 or an XSX.
In the latest financial report from Activision Blizzard, it was revealed that year-on-year, there has been a 74% increase in PC revenue, much of which was attributed to Call of Duty and Overwatch 2, but also to Diablo Immortal and Dragonflight.
However, it’s important to stress that there are reasons for this growth. It’s Blizzard that’s driving the increase in value, as a mere 8% of Blizzard’s audience is on console. By contrast, Call of Duty’s audience is split differently, with 59% of players enjoying the franchise on consoles compared to the 26% made up of PC gamers.
With ports becoming the order of the day and the likes of Sony seeking to bring more games to PC, a shift is happening, and Activision’s data suggests that PC isn’t done growing just yet.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the Street Fighter 6 open beta, coming soon.
