Most PC and Console Gamers Now Wait for Sales

Three-quarters of PC and console gamers are postponing purchases to catch discounts, according to research released by Newzoo, a market analysis firm. The shift reflects changing buying patterns as the gaming market becomes increasingly crowded with competing options.

Newzoo surveyed over 6,100 premium gamers across six countries—the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia—in August. The firm defined premium gamers as players aged 18 to 55 who engage with PC or ninth-generation console games at least monthly and have purchased or accessed major titles through subscription services within the past year. The research was conducted with support from G2A.COM and published as a white paper titled "Game purchasing behavior in an era of choice."

The findings reveal a fundamental shift in how gamers approach spending. Seventy-three percent of respondents reported waiting for sales more frequently than they did previously. This patience has become routine: nearly 60 percent of game purchases now occur after a title's initial release month. Newzoo attributes this trend to mounting competition, as new releases priced at $70 or higher face pressure from high-quality free-to-play alternatives, expanding libraries of older games, remakes and remasters, and subscription services. Gamers are making more deliberate choices about what to buy, when to buy it, how much to spend, and where to purchase.

The research identified several key patterns in consumer behavior. Players have developed specific expectations about discount thresholds, knowing roughly how long they will wait and what percentage reduction makes a purchase feel justified. The white paper details the discount rates at which games become appealing, when deals appear exceptional, and the point where steep markdowns raise quality concerns.

Subscription services present a complex picture. Forty-four percent of subscribers reported purchasing fewer games after signing up. However, the full impact is more nuanced, with some subscribers actually increasing their game purchases despite having access to libraries. Official storefronts remain dominant, with 97 percent of premium gamers using them. Nonetheless, authorized resellers and third-party marketplaces serve distinct purposes and retain meaningful market share.

The comprehensive white paper examines discount wait times, optimal pricing points, subscription adoption rates, brand awareness across 19 storefronts, and spending projections for the next two to three years. Interested parties can request the full report through Newzoo's website.