Simplified Chinese overtakes English as the most commonly used language on Steam

The most recent information from Steam‘s month-to-month software and hardware study has actually exposed that Simplified Chinese has actually ended up being the main language on the video gaming platform, representing 32.84% of gamers in February. The shift might be credited to a significant boost in Chinese players requiring to the website throughout China’s Lunar New Year vacation (Feb. 9– Feb. 16).

Why it matters: The language pattern shows the growing impact of Simplified Chinese-reading gamers within the Steam neighborhood, and highlights strong need for the Steam platform and PC video games in the Chinese market.

Information: Steam carries out a month-to-month optional and confidential study to collect information on the hardware and software application made use of by its consumers. This info helps the platform in identifying financial investment top priorities for establishing brand-new innovations and offering items. In February, the leading 5 most frequently utilized languages amongst Steam gamers based upon this study were Simplified Chinese at 32.84%, English at 32.12%, Russian at 9.27%, Spanish at 4.10%, and Portuguese at 3.45%.

• This language ranking marks the 2nd time Simplified Chinese has actually topped the charts, with the very first circumstances going back to the appeal of the multiplayer online fight royale video game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds in 2017, when Simplified Chinese gamers represented over 60% of Steam’s user base, according to regional media outlet IThome
• Running system: Windows 10 stays one of the most utilized system amongst Steam users, representing a substantial 54.19%. Regardless of the release of Windows 11 in October 2021, gamers might be picking to continue utilizing Windows 10 due to factors to consider of stability and compatibility.
• Hardware setup: 49.04% of gamers’ computer systems have 16GB of system memory, making this the most common setup. As video gaming hardware needs increase, 16GB of memory has actually ended up being the requirement for making sure smooth gameplay throughout a bulk of video gaming titles.
• Show resolution: The bulk of gamers, some 58.82%, choose a resolution of 1920 x 1080. This information shows that 1080p stays the mainstream option for players, regardless of the steady appeal of 4K resolution. For the majority of gamers, 1080p deals a more economical choice.
• Graphics card: The RTX 3060 has actually ended up being the most extensively utilized graphics card with a 6% share, recommending the extensive appeal of Nvidia’s RTX30 series graphics cards due to their efficiency and ray-tracing innovation.

Context: The United States presently leads in the variety of Steam users, with 13.7 million individuals utilizing the platform to share and play video games, while China follows carefully as the second-highest user base, with 11.4 million users, according to World Population Review

• The most played Steam video games of 2023 (where the peak gamer count went beyond 300,000) consist of titles such as Apex Legends, Baldur’s Gate 3, Counter-Strike 2, Destiny 2, Dota 2, Goose Duck, Hogwarts Legacy, Lost Ark, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Sons Of The Forest, and Starfield. While not solely a Chinese video game, PUBG: Battlegrounds was released and dispersed in China by Tencent Games.