2026 Mobile & PC Gaming Benchmarks
Download PDF2026 Mobile & PC Gaming
Benchmarks
This report provides an in-depth analysis of key
gaming metrics across mobile and PC, offering
global and regional insights into player behavior,
engagement, and performance trends.
2benchmark/ˈbɛn(t)ʃmɑːk/
noun
plural noun:
a standard or point of reference against which things may be compared.
What’s inside?
Introduction
2026 Mobile Benchmarks
Key highlights
Methodology
Global benchmarks
Retention
Engagement
Regional insights
Retention
Engagement
2026 PC Benchmarks
Key highlights
Methodology
PC benchmarks
Retention
Engagement
About GameAnalytics
3
Introduction
Powered by one of the largest and most diverse datasets in gaming, GameAnalytics is uniquely positioned to deliver
industry benchmarks at scale. Tens of thousands of games across all platforms rely on GameAnalytics every day to
understand player behavior, optimize performance, and grow sustainably. These games span multiple platforms, regions,
and business models, giving us a uniquely comprehensive view of how games are actually played today.
This allows us to go beyond isolated success stories or niche markets. By analyzing real gameplay data across platforms,
regions, and engagement levels, we surface trends and patterns that reflect the true state of the industry. From retention
and session behavior to playtime and engagement depth, our benchmarks are grounded in real-world performance.
The 2026 Mobile & PC Benchmarks are designed to help developers and publishers answer the most important questions:
Where are players dropping off, and where are we outperforming others?What should we focus on next to improve engagement, retention, or monetization?4
2026 Mobile Gaming Benchmarks
Mobile games continue to sit at the center of the
global games industry. They reach the largest
audiences, generate the majority of industry
revenue, and set the pace for innovation in live
operations, monetization, and player engagement.
From indie studios to the world’s largest publishers,
mobile remains the platform where scale, creativity,
and commercial success intersect.
As the mobile market matures, access to high-
quality data becomes increasingly important.
Understanding how games perform across key
metrics like engagement, retention, and session
behavior is essential. Not just for optimizing
individual titles, but for raising the overall standard
of mobile game development. These benchmarks
are designed with that goal in mind: to make
performance expectations clear, comparable, and
accessible to everyone building in the space.
By openly sharing insights drawn from thousands of
live mobile games, this report aims to support
developers at every stage: from early
experimentation to large-scale live operations. The
more clearly performance benchmarks are
understood, the easier it becomes to build better
games, deliver more engaging experiences, and
continue pushing mobile gaming forward as the
industry’s leading platform.
5
Key highlightsGlobal benchmarksRegional insights
Regional baselines are stable; differentiation happens at the top
Median retention and engagement metrics are broadly consistent across regions, while the largest gaps emerge
among top-performing games.Engagement is concentrated at the top
Most games see short, infrequent sessions, while a small group of top performers capture a disproportionate
share of playtime, session frequency, and long-term engagement.Western markets lead in long-term engagement
North America, Europe, and Oceania consistently outperform on D7 and D30 retention, reflecting stronger long-
term player commitment.Retention pressure intensified in 2025
Player activity is evenly distributed throughout the week, reinforcing mobile ’s role as a constant, everyday
touchpoint rather than a weekend-driven platform.Engagement patterns differ by regio n
S ome regions favor frequent daily sessions, while others lean toward fewer, longer play sessions, reinforcing the
need for region-aware design and live-ops strategies.
6
Methodology
AS
10,390ME
6,244OC
1,860EU
8,205NA
6,844SA
4,780Number of games published in individual regions
On average, each game was published in 2.77 regions. 7 Minimum threshold of 1k MAU
To ensure the dataset reflects actively played games, we
excludes experiences in testing phases, prototypes, or small-scale projects. This report is based on live games only. Data from 1 6,262ga mes
D ata was collected from 16,262
games, providing robust and
diverse insights across multiple regions, platforms, and genres. O n average, each game was
published in at least 2.77 regions. Jan 1st – D ec 3 1st 2025
A ll metrics and benchmar ks
presented in this report reflect data collected throughout the
2025 calendar year, ensuring the
insights are fresh and relevant to the mobile gaming landscape.
Global benchmarks
First, we will explore retention, one of the most critical metrics for understanding the health and success of a mobile game.
Retention measures the percentage of players who return to your game after their initial play session, typically tracked on
key milestones like Day 1 (D1), Day 7 (D7), and Day 30 (D30). It’s widely regarded as the most critical metric in mobile
gaming as it directly impacts every aspect of a game’s lifecycle: notably, user acquisition, monetization, and player
engagement.
Retention is the foundation of a sustainable and prosperous game as it measures how well your game resonates with
players over time. A game with poor retention won’t survive long, regardless of how many users are acquired. Conversely,
strong retention indicates players are finding value, enjoyment, or a reason to return.
D1 Retention | Global Benchmarks
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0%25%50%75%P99P75P95P508
D7 retention
In 2025, Day 7 retention remained under sustained pressure, reinforcing how difficult it has become to keep players
engaged beyond the first week. Median games (P50) recorded D7 retention just under 4% throughout the year.
The gap between performance tiers remained pronounced. The bottom 25% of games (P25) hovered between 1.67% and
1.94%, highlighting how quickly players disengage when early gameplay fails to evolve. Meanwhile, the top 25% (P75)
consistently delivered D7 retention in the 6-7% range.
At the upper end, standout games continued to set themselves apart. The top 10% (P90) maintained D7 retention around
11-12% for most of 2025, while the top 1% (P99) regularly exceeded 25%, peaking above 28% in a couple of months. These
top performers demonstrate that strong progression systems, live operations, and meaningful mid-game hooks can still
drive sustained engagement (but they are increasingly rare).
D7 Retention | Global Benchmarks
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0%20%40%P99P75P95P50P90P25
“The decline in D1 and D7 shows that players are no longer willing to “figure out” a game and they
expect instant value. The gap between the median and top games means that not “good” games
win, but games that are immediately clear and emotionally engaging. If the value is not felt in the
first 10–15 minutes, the player is gone forever. Advice: Design onboarding as a demonstration of
pleasure, not just as a tutorial.”
Oxana Fomina
Founder at Gradient Universe
9
D30 retention
Even though Day 30 (D30) is far removed from the initial download, it remains a critical indicator of a game’s long-term
health and sustainability. By this point, only games with strong progression, meaningful incentives, and ongoing content
manage to retain players.
In 2025, D30 retention remained extremely challenging across the mobile landscape. The median game (P50) retained just
around 0.68-0.79% of players by Day 30, while the bottom 25% consistently fell below 0.5%. Even among the top 25% of
games, D30 retention typically stayed between 1.6% and 1.8%, highlighting how difficult it is to sustain engagement beyond
the first month. Only the very top performers stood out, with the top 1% reaching 13-15% D30 retention, underscoring how
rare durable, long-term engagement has become heading into 2026.
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugust
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01020P99P75P95P50P90P25
“In a mature mobile market with tighter access to capital, retention isn’t about doing more, it’s about
doing fewer things exceptionally well. Data like this forces studios to focus ruthlessly on the
fundamentals that truly move the needle. There are no silver bullets, only systematic testing over
time, until you find what works and then you double down.”
John Wright
CEO at Turborilla“The median mobile game is a leaky bucket. With ~3% D7 and ~1% D30, that’s churn machine, not a
live game. The market isn’t maturing, it’s filtering.”Ömer Yakabagi
Founder of Gamigion
10
EngagementPlaytime distribution by days of the week
This distribution highlights one of mobile gaming’s defining strengths: its consistency. Playtime is spread evenly across the
entire week, with each weekday contributing roughly 13-14% of total playtime. While weekends do see a modest lift,
Saturday (15.92%) and Sunday (15.93%), the increase is minimal.
This pattern reflects the always-on nature of mobile games. As players carry their phones with them throughout the day,
mobile gaming fits naturally into daily routines, during commutes, short breaks, and moments of downtime, rather than
being reserved for longer, planned sessions on weekends.
For developers, this consistency reinforces the importance of designing experiences that support frequent, short sessions
and maintaining live-ops cadence across the entire week, rather than concentrating updates or events solely around
weekends.
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun0%
Playtime
Playtime measures the total amount of time a player spends in a game per day, combining all sessions. It remains one of the
strongest indicators of engagement depth, reflecting how embedded a game is in players’ daily routines.
In 2025, daily playtime remained remarkably stable throughout the year, with only a gradual upward shift toward the higher
engagement tiers. Median games (P50) averaged at around 12 minutes per day. While modest, this consistency highlights
how most mobile games continue to compete for short, frequent moments of attention rather than extended play.
The contrast between performance tiers, however, is substantial. The top 25% of games (P75) consistently delivered 22-24
minutes of daily playtime, while the top 10% (P90) averaged close to 40-42 minutes by the end of the year. At the very top,
the top 1% (P99) regularly exceeded 94 minutes of daily playtime, peaking above 99 minutes in April and May, underlining
how a small group of games captures a disproportionate share of player attention.
Playtime | Global Benchmarks
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0 min50 min25 min75 min100 minP99P75P95P50P90P2512
Session length
Session length measures the average duration of a single play session and provides insight into how long players stay
engaged in one sitting. It reflects the depth and pacing of the experience, as well as how naturally a game fits into players’
daily routines.
In 2025, session lengths remained stable but shorter than in previous years, reinforcing the shift toward more bite-sized
engagement on mobile. Median games (P50) consistently recorded session lengths between 3.1 and 3.5 minutes
throughout the year. The top 25% of games (P75) averaged around 5.2 minutes per session, while the top 10% (P90)
reached just over 8 minutes, showing that longer single-session engagement is increasingly concentrated among a smaller
group of games.
At the upper end, standout performers continued to differentiate themselves. The top 1% of games (P99) regularly
exceeded 22 minutes per session, peaking just above 24 minutes in March. These outliers typically reflect games with
deeper progression, social mechanics, or content that encourages extended, uninterrupted play.
Session length | Global Benchmarks
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0 min10 min20 min30 minP99P75P95P50P90P2513
Session count
Session count measures how often players return to a game within a day, offering insight into engagement frequency and
habitual play. While session length captures how long players stay in a single sitting, session count highlights how well a
game fits into daily routines.
In 2025, session frequency remained stable and slightly lower than in previous years, reflecting a continued shift toward
fewer, more intentional play sessions. Median games (P50) averaged between 3.8 and 3.9 sessions per day throughout the
year. The bottom 25% of games (P25) consistently sat at 2.7 sessions per day, indicating limited repeat engagement within
a single day.
Higher-performing games continued to stand out. The top 25% (P75) maintained around 5.3-5.7 daily sessions, while the
top 10% (P90) reached nearly 9.6 sessions per day in some months. At the very top, the top 1% of games (P99) regularly
exceeded 12 daily sessions, peaking above 14 sessions, highlighting how a small group of games successfully drive
frequent check-ins through strong loops, social mechanics, or live content.
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugust
SeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
051015P99P75P95P50P90P25
Most games live in short and infrequent sessions, while the top 1% capture a disproportionately
large share of total playtime. This means that engagement is not about the number of features, but
about the strength of the behavioral loop. Players return because there is a reason to come back
right now. Advice: Build multiple engagement loops in your game. One loop should fit into the
average session length of your players. The second loop should be designed to be completed
across several sessions within a single day. The third set of loops should span a longer time horizon,
over several days or weeks. This layered system of engagement loops allows you to create many
natural triggers for repeat sessions and helps turn occasional play into a daily habit.
Oxana Fomina
Founder at Gradient Universe
14
Regional insightsRetentionD1 retention
Day 1 retention shows clear regional differences under the refined methodology, with Western markets leading on early
engagement. Oceania stands out at the median level (25.63%), followed by North America (23.28%) and Europe (22.20%),
while Asia and Africa trail slightly below 19%, reflecting tougher early engagement dynamics.
At the top end, performance converges across regions. The top 10% of games (P90) reach 31-38% D1 retention, and the
top 1% (P99) exceed 45% in every region, peaking above 50% in Oceania, North America, and Europe. This reinforces that
while regional baselines vary, standout early engagement is achievable globally through strong onboarding and first-
session design.
In this chapter, we take the same core retention and engagement metrics (D1, D7, D30 retention, playtime, session length,
and session count) and break them down by region to highlight how player behavior differs across markets.
All figures shown represent yearly averages of weekly data, providing a stable view of long-term regional trends rather than
short-term fluctuations. To capture the full performance spectrum, metrics are presented across three percentiles: the
median 50%, top 10%, and top 1% of games. This approach allows us to compare typical performance with that of the
highest-performing titles, while maintaining consistency across regions.
By viewing these benchmarks through a regional lens, developers can better understand where engagement patterns
diverge, identify markets with distinct player behaviors, and contextualize their own performance against regional
standards.
15Africa 18.52% 31.32% 43.30% Asia 17.50% 32.77% 45.58% Europe 22.20% 36.36% 50.40% Middle East 21.90% 37.62% 45.96% North America 23.28% 36.90% 50.89% Central America 21.37% 34.24% 46.83% South America 20.09% 34.06% 46.89% Oceania 25.63% 38.17% 51.33% P50 P90 P99
D7 retention
Day 7 (D7) retention shows stronger regional separation than D1, reflecting meaningful differences in mid-term
engagement. At the median level (P50), Africa and Oceania lead at 5.60%, followed by North America (4.97%) and Europe
(4.06%). Asia trails significantly at 2.68%, while South and Central America remain below 3.8%, indicating a steeper drop-
off after the first week in these regions.
At the top end, the gap narrows across markets. The top 10% of games (P90) reach 12-13% D7 retention in Africa, Oceania,
and North America, while Europe follows closely at 11.31%. Among the very top performers, the top 1% (P99) exceed 25%
D7 retention in Africa, Oceania, and Europe, reinforcing that strong mid-term engagement is achievable globally, but
remains concentrated among a small set of standout titles.
Ömer Yakabagi
Founder of Gamigion
16
D30 retention
Day 30 (D30) retention shows the clearest regional divergence, highlighting where games are most successful at
sustaining long-term engagement. At the median level (P50), Oceania leads at 1.39%, followed by North America (1.18%)
and Europe (0.92%), while most other regions cluster between 0.5% and 0.8%. These figures reinforce how difficult it is to
retain players beyond the first month, even in stronger-performing markets.
At the high end, differences become more pronounced. The top 10% of games (P90) exceed 4% D30 retention in Oceania,
North America, and Europe, while other regions remain closer to 2.5-3%. Among the very top performers, the top 1% (P99)
reach 16.18% in Europe and exceed 12% in Oceania and North America, demonstrating that durable long-term engagement
is achievable globally, but remains concentrated among a small group of exceptional games.
EngagementPlaytime
Daily playtime remains relatively consistent across regions at the median level, with most markets clustering between 11
and 14 minutes per day. North America leads at the median with 14.45 minutes, followed by Oceania (13.62 minutes) and
Africa (13.55 minutes), while South America and Asia sit at the lower end, closer to 11-12 minutes, reflecting lighter average
daily engagement.
Differences become more pronounced among higher-performing games. The top 10% (P90) reach 40-47 minutes of daily
playtime across most regions, with Africa, North America, and Oceania at the upper end. At the extreme, the top 1% (P99)
exceed 90 minutes of daily playtime in several regions, peaking at over 115 minutes in Africa, reinforcing that a small subset
of games captures a disproportionate share of player attention globally.
18
Session length
Session length remains broadly consistent at the median level across regions, clustering between 2.7 and 3.6 minutes per
session. North America (3.64 min) and Oceania (3.47 min) lead slightly, followed by Europe (3.34 min), indicating a
tendency toward longer single-session engagement in these markets. Other regions remain close to the global norm,
suggesting similar baseline session behavior worldwide.
Differences become more pronounced among higher-performing games. The top 10% (P90) range from 6 to nearly 9
minutes per session, with Europe (8.95 min), North America (8.50 min), and Oceania (8.24 min) at the upper end. At the
extreme, the top 1% (P99) show significantly deeper engagement, peaking at over 26 minutes per session in Europe and
exceeding 20 minutes in North America, reinforcing that extended, immersive sessions are achievable across regions.
19Africa 2.69 min 5.76 min 14.27 min Asia 3.12 min 7.15 min 17.69 min Europe 3.34 min 8.95 min 26.26 min Middle East 2.92 min 6.26 min 15.24 min North America 3.64 min 8.50 min 20.22 min Central America 2.83 min 6.25 min 17.32 min South America 2.77 min 6.44 min 15.62 min Oceania 3.47 min 8.24 min 17.74 min P50 P90 P99
Session count
Session count shows clearer regional variation than session length, reflecting differences in how frequently players return
within a single day. At the median level (P50), Africa leads with 5.48 daily sessions, standing out from other regions, which
largely cluster between 4.2 and 4.9 sessions. This suggests higher habitual check-in behavior in Africa, while most regions
display more moderate daily engagement frequency.
Among higher-performing games, regional differences narrow. The top 10% (P90) reach roughly 7.5-10 sessions per day
across regions, with Africa again at the upper end. At the extreme, the top 1% (P99) show sharper divergence: Africa
exceeds 21 sessions per day, while most other regions range between 10 and 14 sessions, indicating that highly habitual
play is achievable globally, but most pronounced in specific markets.
20Africa 5.48 9.97 21.10 Asia 4.19 7.79 13.32 Europe 4.22 7.48 11.56 Middle East 4.63 8.05 13.78 North America 4.23 7.59 12.85 Central America 4.90 7.62 11.06 South America 4.49 7.32 10.49 Oceania 4.50 7.71 12.13 P50 P90 P99
This report shows a growing challenge in user retention and engagement, as D1, D7, and D30
benchmarks continue to decline.
To understand the gravity of this trend, we must look at four key industry shifts:
1. The paradox of precision targeting
The industry has pivoted toward ROAS and machine-learning-driven User Acquisition. By targeting
users whose profiles specifically align with a game’s genre, developers are attracting higher-quality,
“pre-qualified” cohorts.
Because these targeted users should naturally have higher retention, the fact that overall stats are
still declining is alarming. It suggests that the underlying drop in user engagement is likely much
more severe than the absolute numbers from this report display.
2. Monetization vs. Retention: The “Holy Grail” fallacy
There is currently a disproportionate focus on monetization over engagement. By treating
monetization as the “Holy Grail,” many developers seem to overlook the fundamental reality:
sustainable revenue is a byproduct of strong retention. Without a solid foundation of engagement,
aggressive monetization strategies are unsustainable in the long term.
3. The necessity of benchmarking and marketability
With fierce competition across the entire entertainment landscape, understanding “good,” “better,”
and “best” performance metrics for specific categories is critical.
Marketability insights allow teams to iterate faster and “fail fast” mentalities help studios kill
underperforming projects early. Resource allocation can then be shifted toward high-potential titles
rather than stagnant ones.
4. Innovation stagnation
The industry has become increasingly conservative. Investors and studios now favor iterations of
existing concepts over true innovation, as sequels or “clones” are seen as lower-risk investments.
This lack of novelty has led to user fatigue; players have less motivation to try “new” content when it
feels identical to what they have already experienced.
Mariusz Gąsiewski
CEE Mobile Gaming and Apps Lead at Google“Mobile has fully shifted to a power-law market. The top 1% isn’t slightly better, it lives in a different
universe of playtime and habit. Being good no longer works.”
21
2026 PC Gaming Benchmarks2026 PC Gaming Benchmarks
PC games remain a cornerstone of the global
games industry. They set the benchmark for depth,
immersion, and longevity, and continue to shape
player expectations around quality, content scope,
and technical excellence. From premium single-
player experiences to live-service multiplayer titles,
PC is where long-form engagement, competitive
ecosystems, and community-driven innovation
thrive.
As the PC market evolves, access to reliable
performance data becomes increasingly important.
Player behavior on PC is shaped by longer sessions,
varied play patterns, and distinct lifecycle
dynamics: from major launches to post-release
updates and expansions. Understanding how
games perform across metrics such as retention,
playtime, and session behavior is important not only
for evaluating success but also for making informed
decisions about content cadence, live operations,
and long-term support.
These PC benchmarks are designed to provide that
clarity. Drawing on aggregated data from over
3,500 PC games live in 2025, this report provides a
point of reference for developers building for PC.
22
Key highlightsPC Benchmarks
PC engagement is depth-driven, not frequency-driven
Most PC games generate meaningful engagement through longer play sessions rather than frequent daily check-
ins, reinforcing that session length and playtime are more indicative of success than daily habit metrics alone.Engagement rhythm varies widely across PC games
Some titles rely on deep, infrequent sessions, while others succeed through repeated returns across days,
making it essential to evaluate session count and DAU-to-MAU together rather than in isolation.
Retention reflects content longevity, not daily return behavior
D1, D7, and D30 retention rates are low in absolute terms but consistent across the market, highlighting that PC
retention should be interpreted as a measure of how long players continue engaging with content rather than
how often they return.
Player inflow alone does not guarantee long-term success
High volumes of new users often coincide with launch or promotional spikes, but only games that pair acquisition
with strong engagement metrics convert attention into sustained performance.A small group of games captures a disproportionate share of engagemen t
Across playtime, session length, DAU-to-MAU, and new users, top-performing PC titles significantly outperform
the median, underscoring how live-service design, replayability, and community features drive outsi zed results.
23
Methodology
To ensure the PC benchmarks accurately reflect live, player-facing experiences, we applied a stricter set of filters than in
the mobile analysis. PC games typically have longer development and testing cycles, with extended pre-release phases
that can distort engagement metrics if included prematurely. For this reason, we focused exclusively on games that were
live and actively played during 2025.
The dataset includes only games that contributed at least four months of data in 2025 and maintained a minimum of 100
Monthly Active Users (MAU). This approach excludes titles still in early testing, limited-access phases, or internal
prototypes, ensuring the benchmarks represent games with sustained player activity. After applying these criteria, the final
sample consisted of 3,582 PC games.
All PC benchmarks in this section are presented at a global level. Unlike the mobile analysis, we do not segment PC data by
region, as engagement patterns on PC are more heavily influenced by game design, lifecycle stage, and content model than
by geography.
The metrics analyzed in this section include retention, playtime, session length, session count, DAU vs. MAU, and new
users. Together, these metrics provide a holistic view of how PC players engage with games over time, capturing both the
depth of individual play sessions and broader engagement patterns across days and months.
This methodology balances data integrity with representativeness, providing PC developers with clear, comparable
benchmarks that reflect real performance across a wide range of live PC titles.
24
PC Benchmarks
Retention in PC games reflects a different engagement model than on mobile. While mobile retention often measures how
successfully a game becomes a daily habit, PC retention is more closely tied to content consumption, progression depth,
and lifecycle design. Many PC games are designed for long, immersive sessions spread across fewer days, making lower
day-based retention a natural outcome rather than a sign of underperformance.
In this context, retention should be interpreted as the time players continue to engage with a game after their first
experience, not how frequently they return each day. It provides insight into whether players find enough value to progress
through content, return for updates, or re-engage after major milestones such as expansions, seasonal updates, or
multiplayer events.
The retention benchmarks presented in this section offer a global reference point for PC developers to understand typical
engagement lifecycles across live games. When viewed alongside playtime, session length, and DAU-to-MAU ratios,
retention helps paint a complete picture of how players commit to PC games over time.
Retention
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D7 retention
Day 7 retention on PC highlights how quickly engagement consolidates after the initial experience, reflecting the platform’s
content-driven, lifecycle-oriented nature. Throughout 2025, the median game (P50) retained roughly 1.7-1.8% of players by
Day 7, with a slight softening toward the end of the year. The bottom 25% (P25) remained below 0.8%, underscoring how
many PC games are consumed in short bursts around launch or initial play.
Higher-performing titles show a much clearer separation. The top 25% (P75) consistently achieved 3.5-3.9% D7 retention,
while the top 10% (P90) maintained 7.5-8% across most months. At the extreme end, the top 1% of games (P99) achieved
consistently around 20% D7 retention, demonstrating that a small subset of PC titles (often supported by multiplayer
systems, live updates, or strong replayability) can sustain meaningful engagement beyond the first week.
On PC, D7 retention reflects whether players return to continue a longer-term experience or re-engage after their initial
sessions, rather than indicating daily habit formation. When combined with playtime and session behavior, D7 retention
helps reveal how durable a PC game’s engagement is once the early novelty fades.
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneAugust
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0%10%20%30%P99P95P5026Alex Nenadavets, Manager of Competitive Intelligence
D30 retention
Day 30 retention on PC underscores the steep drop-off that follows initial content consumption, reflecting the longer, more
finite engagement cycles common to many PC games. Across 2025, the median game (P50) retained only ~0.3% of players
by Day 30, while the bottom 25% (P25) consistently registered typically below 0.1%, indicating that a large share of PC
titles see little to no return engagement one month after first play.
Even among stronger performers, long-term retention remains difficult. The top 25% of games (P75) typically retained
1-1.2% of players by Day 30, while the top 10% (P90) clustered around 2.5% throughout the year. These figures highlight
how rare sustained month-long engagement is outside of games built around live-service models, multiplayer systems, or
ongoing content delivery.
At the top end, however, standout titles continue to differentiate themselves. The top 1% of games (P99) achieved 10% D30
retention, particularly early in the year, demonstrating that durable long-term engagement is achievable, but limited to a
very small subset of PC games.
D30 Retention | PC Benchmarks
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EngagementPlaytime
On PC, playtime reflects engagement depth. Players tend to engage in fewer, longer sessions driven by immersion, content
scope, and intent, making playtime a strong signal of perceived value. High playtime can occur even when day-based
retention is modest, particularly in narrative or content-rich experiences, and it explains how players engage when they
return, offering essential context for understanding engagement quality on PC rather than return frequency alone.
In 2025, median daily playtime (P50) remained stable at around 32-33 minutes, while the top 25% (P75) averaged close to
70 minutes per day. Higher-performing titles stood out more clearly, with the top 10% (P90) exceeding 120 minutes of daily
playtime and the top 1% (P99) reaching 300+ minutes, highlighting how a small group of PC games drive exceptionally
deep engagement.
Playtime | PC Benchmarks
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0200300100400P99P75P95P50P90P2528
Session length
PC session length captures how long players stay engaged once they start playing, making it a close companion metric to
playtime. While playtime reflects total daily engagement, session length explains whether that time is concentrated into
long, immersive sittings or spread across multiple sessions.
In 2025, median session length (P50) remained highly stable at around 18 minutes per session, while the top 25% of games
(P75) consistently exceeded 30 minutes. Higher-performing titles showed a clear separation: the top 10% (P90) averaged
just over 50 minutes per session, while the top 1% (P99) regularly exceeded 100 minutes, highlighting experiences
designed for deep, uninterrupted play.
When viewed alongside playtime, longer session lengths often explain how games achieve high engagement without
requiring frequent returns. In terms of retention, longer sessions can support stronger early engagement and content
consumption, but do not automatically translate into higher day-based retention, particularly for narrative-driven or finite
experiences.
JanuaryFebruary
MarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugust
September
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0 min50 min75 min25 min100 min125 minP99P95P5029
Session count
Session count measures how many times players start a game within a day, offering insight into engagement frequency
rather than depth. On PC, this metric tends to be lower than on mobile, as players typically engage in fewer, longer
sessions rather than frequent check-ins.
In 2025, the median PC game (P50) averaged 1.65-1.70 sessions per day, remaining stable throughout the year. The top
25% (P75) reached just over 2 sessions per day, while the top 10% (P90) hovered around 3 sessions. At the extreme end,
the top 1% (P99) exceeded 7-10 daily sessions, reflecting games designed around highly repeatable loops, competitive
play, or social coordination.
When viewed alongside session length and playtime, lower session counts paired with long sessions explain how many PC
games achieve substantial playtime without frequent returns. In relation to retention, higher session counts often align with
stronger early and mid-term retention, but are not a requirement for deep engagement, particularly in narrative or content-
heavy experiences.
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugust
SeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
064210812P99P75P95P50P90P2530
DAU vs MAU
This ratio captures how often monthly players return on a daily basis, providing a view into cross-day engagement
frequency rather than intra-day behavior. On PC, this metric reflects a game’s ability to establish recurring play patterns
across days, not daily habit formation in the mobile sense.
Throughout 2025, the median game (P50) maintained a DAU-to-MAU ratio of roughly 4-5%, indicating that most PC players
engage on only a few days per month. The top 25% (P75) reached around 7%, while the top 10% (P90) consistently
exceeded 13-15%, signaling more regular return behavior. At the high end, the top 1% (P99) reached extreme values, often
above 50%, as seen in live-service, multiplayer, or community-driven titles.
When compared to session count, the distinction becomes clear: DAU vs. MAU explains how many days players return,
while session count explains how often they play on those days. Games with lower DAU vs MAU but long sessions and high
playtime often reflect binge-style or finite experiences, whereas games with higher DAU vs MAU and moderate session
lengths tend to align with stronger D7 and D30 retention.
JanuaryFebruaryMarchMayJuneJulyAugust
SeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
0%20%40%P99P75P95P50P90P25
Interpreting session count and DAU vs MAU together
Taken together, session count and DAU vs. MAU describe engagement rhythm. They help distinguish between
games that rely on deep, infrequent play and those that succeed through repeated, structured returns. When
combined with retention, playtime, and session length, these metrics provide a complete picture of how, how
often, and for how long PC players engage, without forcing mobile-centric interpretations onto PC behavior.
New users
New users capture the inflow of first-time players and reflect a game’s ability to attract attention through launches,
updates, promotions, or platform visibility. On PC, this metric is inherently event-driven and should be interpreted as a
signal of momentum rather than sustained growth on its own.
In 2025, the median PC game (P50) attracted between 600 and 900 new users per month, while the top 25% (P75)
consistently onboarded 3,500-5,000 players. The gap widens sharply at the top: the top 10% (P90) regularly exceeded
20,000 monthly new users, and the top 1% (P99) reached hundreds of thousands, levels typically associated with major
releases, high-visibility updates, or strong creator-driven exposure.
When viewed alongside retention and engagement, clear patterns emerge. Games with high new-user inflow but low D7
and D30 retention often reflect short-lived interest tied to launches or promotions. In contrast, titles that pair steady new-
user acquisition with longer session lengths, higher playtime, and stronger DAU-to-MAU ratios tend to convert attention
into lasting engagement. Notably, many of the games with extreme new-user spikes also show high playtime but only
moderate retention, suggesting concentrated play during initial discovery rather than ongoing return behavior.
Overall, new users provide essential context for interpreting PC benchmarks. They help explain sudden changes in
playtime, session count, or DAU vs. MAU, and highlight whether engagement metrics are driven by sustained interest or
temporary surges. When analyzed together, these metrics offer a clearer picture of how PC games attract players, and how
effectively they turn that attention into durable engagement.
32P25 P50 P75 P90 P95 P99 January 223 833 5,056 29,074 85,904 434,624 February 192 819 4,620 24.141 73,417 431,486 March 215 894 4,934 25,844 76,194 432,671 April 188 772 4,396 23,707 67,211 380,434 May 190 783 4,462 25,144 70,603 530,673 June 171 715 4,136 23,307 75,564 491,746 July 161 658 3,553 22,967 70,644 467,996 August 151 599 3,988 24,942 69,120 363,688 September 146 627 4,467 23,975 70,185 365,733 October 177 711 4,860 27,684 74,911 352,897 November 164 648 4,674 26,861 72,918 359,248 December 169 673 4,769 28,669 73,953 393,597
About GameAnalytics
GameAnalytics is a top provider of analytics and market intelligence for mobile, Roblox, PC, and VR games, offering
powerful tools that deliver deep insights into player behavior and external market dynamics. With 13+ years of industry
expertise, 100,000 monthly active games, and over 27 billion daily events processed through their platforms, their data-
driven tools help developers optimize acquisition, monetization, and engagement strategies.
From real-time analytics and performance reporting to LiveOps capabilities and advertising insights, GameAnalytics
supports every stage of development – whether you’re building, growing your audience, or optimizing your portfolio at
scale.
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