German PC Gaming Figures Drop to 13.1 Million, Down 20% Since 2019

Here’s my take—forewarning, this might zigzag a bit.

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Alright, so Germany’s been turning into a console-loving nation, leaving PC gaming crying in the corner since, what, 2019? I stumbled across this chart, and honestly, it felt like watching the slow-mo of a train wreck. Who am I kidding — I’m a sucker for drama. Anyway, Game.de, this German games industry mouthpiece (they’re not exactly wearing a “PCs Forever” tee), cheers on consoles with all the optimism of a kid on Christmas morning. If consoles keep sprinting like this, Germany might just crown them as King Play, and maybe soon.

Now, there’s this graph — a real piece of Picasso if you squint — the consoles’ rise looks like a kid’s crooked smile. Miss 2023’s bit for consoles, and it’s like watching a jagged mountain climb — boom, up 13 degrees. Trust me, I measured with imaginary tools.

Here’s why consoles are stealing the show: Game.de credits, or blames, a 29% climb on these clunky yet shiny contraptions by Sony and friends. Ever hear of PlayStation 5 Pro or whatever Nintendo just spat out? Apparently, these refined gadgets calm the gaming cycle storm. Remember the Nintendo Switch 2? Betting it flops is risking your lunch money.

Numbers shake out like this: console players in Germany (20.5 million, gasp), chasing down smartphone gamers (22.9 million). Side note, smartphones had a moment from 2019-2020, then just snoozed into a straight line.

Oh, PCs. Once the belle of the ball, now choking on a 20% decline since 2019. By end of 2024, 13.1 million Germans still worship their desktop altars — about 400,000 fewer acolytes than before. Used to be PCs had consoles cornered back in ’19. Now? Consoles have a comfy lead. Around 19 million Germans are cheaters though, playing double — or triple — platform juggler.

Apparently, the PC world is playing hard to get, refusing to spill the beans on its not-so-hot moves. A general industry pause is noted, game sales dipped 17% in 2024, and hardware nosedived 10%. Digital’s only silver lining? Online services climbing 12%.

Honestly, why’s PC gaming dragging? Lack of snazzy new hardware, maybe? GPUs for Joe Average not living up to promises? Who knows.

Couldn’t find an equivalent sob story for the U.S., though. Guess Game.de keeps the cool charts locked up for themselves. Weird flex, but okay.

Anyway, catch Tom’s Hardware over on Google News if you want more ramblings on this. They’re a riot.