PC Gaming Declines in Germany: Down 20% to 13.1 Million Since 2019

Sure, I’ll give it a shot. Here’s my attempt:

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So, something’s brewing in Germany, yeah? Turns out, PC gaming’s taking a bit of a nosedive since, like, 2019. Weird chart showed up, and it’s kinda like a sad story. Apparently, PC gaming slumped by 20%. But, hey, mobile and tablet gaming? Still cruising along fine. Consoles? Oh man, they’re climbing — the only ones with a clear, steady rise, year in, year out.

Now, Game.de isn’t about PCs. Nope, it’s like this big German games industry thing and they’re all about console love. They’re practically cheering for consoles, making it seem like they’ll be gaming royalty in Germany soon. I mean, who saw that coming?

Oh, there’s a chart with this sharp incline that looks like it’s had way too much caffeine. Anyone who sees it would think consoles are on some serious fast track. Makes you wonder… are they just flexing or are they really that good?

Why are consoles winning? Well, the report from Game.de throws out some fancy numbers — says they’re up 29% because big names like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo keep pushing out new tech toys. Optimized consoles, like the PS5 Pro or the shiny new Switch OLED. And now Switch 2’s here, too. Nintendo might just steal the show next year.

Anyway, the numbers show console lovers in Germany (20.5 mil, if you’re counting) are catching up to smartphone gamers (22.9 mil). But phones had their spotlight in 2019-2020, then kinda flatlined, you know?

But PCs… poor PCs. Down 20% since 2019, with YouGov numbers showing Germany’s still got 13.1 million PC gamers at the end of 2024. Which, yeah, sounds okay but means 400,000 gamers just… vanished in a year. Back in 2019, PCs were champs with more gamers than consoles — now they’re trailing by over 7 million! Little reminder: lots of gamers use multiple platforms, so that’s like 19 million folks in Germany doubling up on their gaming devices.

What’s up with the PC decline? The report didn’t really spill the tea. Apparently, they’re taking a “growth break” in 2024. Game sales? Down 17%. Hardware? Down 10%. Not looking fab, right? Basically, there’s a shortage of fun new components, and GPUs aren’t doing much for those on a budget.

And oh, in case you’re curious, no cool charts for the U.S. or global gaming scenes. Seems like Game.de has a secret handshake with YouGov for that data.

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