Steam breaks its concurrent users record with 42 million online on Jan 11, as revenues hit new highs. Explore the trends driving sustained PC gaming growth.
© E. Vartanyan
Steam has set a new record for concurrent users. SteamDB data shows that on January 11, more than 42 million people were on the service at the same time. The previous peak, recorded in October 2025, stood at around 41.6 million.
Steam’s audience has been expanding for years, but the momentum became especially visible after 2020. Before the pandemic, the platform typically grew by about 4–5 percent annually; during lockdowns, interest in video games surged. From March 2020 to February 2021, concurrent users climbed from 20 million to 26.3 million — the fastest leap in the platform’s history.
Growth didn’t stop after the pandemic, only eased slightly. From 2022 to early 2026, Steam lifted its peak concurrent count from 30 to 42 million. That works out to roughly 12–13 percent per year — noticeably above pre‑COVID levels and a sign that the platform’s position has been strengthening for the long haul.
The audience gains are mirrored by rising revenues. According to Alinea Analytics, December 2025 was Steam’s strongest December on record: the platform’s revenue surpassed $1.6 billion, up 22.7 percent year over year and well ahead of the pandemic-era December 2020, when Steam brought in about $1.4 billion for the month.
In effect, Steam not only preserved the pandemic-era surge in attention but turned it into steady growth in users and revenue. The numbers point to a platform that remains the dominant force in PC gaming — and one whose business model continues to outperform many competitors.