Steam is easily the most popular platform for PC gaming, and there’s little chance of that changing any time soon. Epic Games puts up very strong numbers, but these are certainly relying on the success of Fortnite. Steam’s user base has steadily increased over the course of its nearly two-decade history, with some spikes here and there (notably in 2020, early on in the COVID-19 pandemic). And now, the platform has just hit a new peak, with well over 41 million concurrent users.

There’s no sudden large spike in users compared to previous weeks, but it’s clear to see that Valve’s gaming service isn’t slowing down. The platform hit a new record for concurrent users on Sunday, October 12, perhaps spurred on by the launch of Battlefield 6 just a couple of days earlier.

Steam gets a new record on October 12

Battlefield 6 is the top-selling game on Steam at the time of writing, and along with the big BF6 launch, rival Call of Duty also got a free trial week for Black Ops 6. The platform has enjoyed around 35-40 million users during the weekend for over a year now, and it’s perhaps going to take another blockbuster launch to break the record again.

Another suggestion we can throw out there as to why Steam peaked on the weekend is that fewer players are relying on Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft rarely announces subscriber numbers for the service; Xbox president Sarah Bond revealed there are 34 million subscribers (as of Feb 2024), and it has been estimated to have grown since then. However, Game Pass is now in a tricky spot following some price changes.

Microsoft has split Game Pass into three tiers, and the most notable price hike is for the Ultimate membership – this tier remains the only way to get day one releases. It has jumped from a $20 monthly subscription to a $30 one, which equates to a 50% increase. Now, not all regions are affected by this “for now,” but the backlash has seen droves of users online claiming to have canceled their subscriptions.

We should note that Battlefield 6 is not available on Game Pass at launch, so naturally, we’re seeing more users turn to Steam or the EA app. Perhaps the upcoming Black Ops 7 launch (which will be available day one on Game Pass) will be a better indicator of how the pricing changes have affected the platform. That’s not to say that players can’t use both Steam and Game Pass, but these blockbuster game launches give us a little glimpse into the shifting user bases.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.