PC Gaming Numbers Drop Again in Germany, Falling to 13.1 Million — a 20% Decrease Since 2019

Okay, let’s dive in. So, picture this: Germany, right? The land of precision engineering and… well, apparently, dwindling PC gamers. Weird, right? Since 2019, the stats are showing this surprising 20% drop in PC gaming love. Meanwhile, folks are cozying up to their consoles more than ever. The numbers are from Game.de—yeah, not just a random site but kind of a big deal in the German gaming world, representing the industry itself.

The chart they’ve got kind of yells it out. Consoles are climbing the popularity ladder like they’re on a mission. Makes you wonder if they’ll soon snag the crown as the gaming platform of choice over there. Not just me thinking this—Game.de seems to be waving flags too.

And speaking of consoles, the climb is pretty steep. I mean, the latest figures, without the 2023 blip, make it look like some crazy incline—like if you’re cycling uphill, and suddenly it’s 13 degrees steeper. Somehow consoles have grown a massive 29% since 2019. Yup, thank the usual suspects: Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, with their shiny new PlayStation 5 Pro and Switch OLED, keeping things spicy.

Weirdly enough, smartphones aren’t slacking. They peaked in 2020—don’t even ask me what that’s about. Maybe everyone just needed a new way to avoid work back then.

Now, let’s glance at the PCs—poor things. Down 20% since 2019! Even though there are still 13.1 million folks chilling with their PCs by the end of 2024, it’s fewer than before. Suddenly, consoles are way ahead, about 7 million strong, and just to make things complicated, about 19 million gamers are hopping between platforms like it’s some gaming buffet.

Why’s the PC crew thinning out? Good question. Game.de’s not dropping wisdom bombs on that one, just hinting that 2024 was a downtime year—like the market hit snooze or something. Game sales took a nosedive, dropping 17%, while hardware sales weren’t much better, down 10%. Online gaming services, though, seemed to be partying with a nice 12% growth.

Could it be that shiny new PC parts haven’t been exciting enough? GPUs and all that fancy stuff don’t thrill budget-minded gamers anymore, so they say.

Weirdly, I couldn’t find these same kinds of deets for the U.S. or global gaming worlds—guess Game.de’s got that insider hookup.

Anyway, keep your eyes peeled on Tom’s Hardware for more gaming thrills. Follow along if you can find that magical “Follow” button.