Steam recently crossed Xbox Live in terms of monthly active users

We all know that PC gaming is quite popular but just how popular is it? Well, according to the latest data, Steam now has more monthly active users than Xbox Live. According to Microsoft’s latest earnings call, the service has 53 million monthly active users over the last quarter. However, Valve at the Casual Connect USA conference in Seattle this week revealed that Steam currently features 67 million monthly active players. That’s quite a jump from Xbox Live!

Valve owes a lot of its success to its growing presence in Asia. The service is really taking off in those regions. The company has added localized stores and more accepted payment methods. While I personally like GOG.com, it’s hard to deny the impact Steam has had on the gaming industry. They’re at the forefront of digital distribution and hopefully Microsoft can learn a lesson or two from their success.

Embracing a fully digital future and giving gamers cheaper prices is the way forward. That’s the only way to compete nowadays and take back some of the market share Sony has in the console space. A Steam-style approach is desperately needed in the console market. Had Microsoft offered cheaper games in 2013, it would’ve been a completely different situation in 2017. The company has always tried to be the market leader but they seem scared nowadays. Since Microsoft can’t just buy Steam, they have to adopt their model. Let’s hope they do it before Sony because they’ll miss out again.