The Surging Avalanche of Steam Releases in 2023
Prepare to be overwhelmed by the sheer abundance of Steam releases in 2023 With an unprecedented number of games hitting the platform, your gaming journey is about to reach new heights of excitement and endless possibilities
The year 2023 is quickly becoming known for its exceptional lineup of new game releases, such as Baldur's Gate 3, The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, and Alan Wake 2. For Steam users, the options are plentiful, with reports indicating that over 14,000 games were launched on the platform last year.
According to SteamDB, an independent site that analyzes Steam activity, a total of 14,535 unique games were released on the platform in 2023, representing a significant increase of almost 2,000 games from the previous year. VGC, via Circana (formerly NPD), also highlights that the number of game launches on Steam far exceeds that of the second-place platform, the Nintendo Switch, which saw 2,360 games added to its library.
The recent increase in new releases on Steam is remarkable, especially when compared to a decade ago. In 2013, there were only 435 new games released on Steam for the entire year. This number nearly doubled in 2018, with 8,900 games launched.
In mathematical terms, if you tried to play every game released on Steam last year, you would have had to play video games every minute of every day of the year. And even then, you would only be able to dedicate a maximum of 37 minutes of playing time to each game.
As of now, 2024 continues to see a steady stream of game launches, with almost 100 reported on SteamDB. The number is expected to surpass 100 by the end of the day. Notable releases on Steam in January 2024 are Tekken 8, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown.
Editor's P/S
As a Gen Z fan, I am both excited and overwhelmed by the sheer number of Steam releases in 2023. On the one hand, it's amazing to see so many new games coming out, and I can't wait to try them all. On the other hand, it's a bit daunting to think about how I'm going to keep up with all of them. I'm definitely going to have to be more selective about what I play, and I'm sure I'm going to miss out on some great games.
I think the increase in Steam releases is a sign of the growing popularity of PC gaming. More and more people are choosing to play games on their computers, and this is leading to a greater demand for new content. I'm also glad to see that there are so many different types of games being released on Steam. There's something for everyone, from AAA blockbusters to indie darlings. I'm confident that I'll be able to find plenty of games to keep me entertained in 2023.
