Report: PC Gaming Commanded Nearly Six Times More Revenue Than Consoles In 2016

Research firm SuperData has just released its latest year-in-review report. While some of the findings are expected, others are a little surprising. Some are also great if you happen to be a PC enthusiast, as PC game sales dwarfed game sales on all of the consoles combined.

That's an amazing data point, so let's bring in some real numbers. According to SuperData, the entire console market generated $6.6 billion in 2016, which is a Far Cry (pun intended) from the $35.8 billion the PC platform generated. That's a staggering difference, but the PC isn't the only platform to vastly outperform consoles -- so did mobile.

Thanks to hits like Clash Royale and Pokemon GO, mobile gaming reached an impressive $40.6 billion in revenue this year. Other totals include VR, with $2.7b; gaming video (eg: Twitch), with $4.4b; and eSports, at $0.9b.

The fact that eSports hasn't yet reached $1 billion might seem quizzical, but it should surprise absolutely no one when that barrier is shattered next year. The momentum of eSports is undeniable, and there's no sign of it slowing down. It's only growing larger.

On the VR front, though, SuperData didn't exude confidence about the previous year, stating that a high price point and lack of strong content didn't help matters. The fact that the Rift was so hard to purchase after its launch helped hinder success there, with SuperData believing that "firms with more experience in hardware manufacturing like Sony and HTC" will take the lead next year. That does not bode well for Oculus, but with Facebook's backing they won't be lacking resources.