Capcom earnings show a gradual narrowing of the console/PC divide

Nov 2, 2024

Capcom's latest earnings show close PC-console sales, with PC slightly ahead.

Capcom earnings show a gradual narrowing of the console/PC divide

: Capcom's earnings reveal that PC game sales are slightly ahead of consoles by 14 percentage points, constituting 54% of sales. Consoles hold 40%, with the balance in mobile gaming, which has a larger market at 2.8 billion customers. This trend reflects increased cross-platform gaming and narrowing performance gaps between consoles and PCs. The PS5 Pro's upcoming launch may impact this balance but its high price might limit its success.

Capcom's latest financial data indicates that the gap between PC and console game sales is narrowing, with PCs slightly ahead by 14 percentage points, capturing 54% of Capcom's sales. Consoles make up 40%, while mobile gaming holds a much larger market share, boasting 2.8 billion customers compared to the combined PC and console market of 1.5 billion.

Several factors contribute to this shift, including the closing performance gap between consoles like the Xbox Series X and gaming PCs, as well as the rise of cross-platform gaming. Handheld PC consoles and Sony's launch of exclusives on PCs also tilt the balance slightly in favor of the PC.

The upcoming release of the PS5 Pro may change the dynamics, but its $700 price point, without discounts on the standard PS5, could hinder its market penetration. This raises questions about Sony's expectation that 20% of current PS5 owners will upgrade, a scenario that may not repeat the success of the PS4 Pro.