Market (PC & Console)ยทUpdated Mar 21, 2026 by Video Game Insights
The share of Steam releases powered by custom in-house engines plummeted from over 70% in 2012 to 13% in 2024.
Custom engines have fallen below 50% of total unit sales for the first time, currently accounting for 42% of the market.
Unity remains the volume leader, powering 51% of all Steam releases in 2024, primarily dominating the 'Tiny' and 'Small' categories under 100k units.
Major AAA studios are increasingly migrating to Unreal Engine 5 to reduce maintenance costs and access a larger talent pool, solidifying its control over the 'Large' segment of games exceeding 1M units.
Godot is the fastest-growing smaller engine, accounting for over two-thirds of the growth within its tier since 2020.
The industry is projected to see a continued shift toward Unreal Engine 5 for high-end development, while Unity faces rising competition from open-source alternatives in the indie sector.
The share of Steam releases powered by custom in-house engines plummeted from over 70% in 2012 to 13% in 2024.
Custom engines have fallen below 50% of total unit sales for the first time, currently accounting for 42% of the market.
Unity remains the volume leader, powering 51% of all Steam releases in 2024, primarily dominating the 'Tiny' and 'Small' categories under 100k units.
Major AAA studios are increasingly migrating to Unreal Engine 5 to reduce maintenance costs and access a larger talent pool, solidifying its control over the 'Large' segment of games exceeding 1M units.
Godot is the fastest-growing smaller engine, accounting for over two-thirds of the growth within its tier since 2020.
The industry is projected to see a continued shift toward Unreal Engine 5 for high-end development, while Unity faces rising competition from open-source alternatives in the indie sector.