Theoretically, Steam annually asks the user to indicate if there have been any hardware changes to their system. In the past it has been detected that this request happened twice a year, altering the statistics. In addition, we do not know how the data of users who have been inactive for years is treated.
Strange changes in Steam stats
Surely many do not remember it, but last month the hardware data of the platform took a big turn. Now we find a new turn in the data, which seems to be a beastly correction of the data seen in April (which referred to March).
We have compiled the processor core data and model graphics card, that show this variation more clearly. These are the data:
| APRIL 2023 | MAY 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 CORE | -3.5% | +3.3% |
| 4 CORE | -7% | +6.8% |
| 6 CORE | +12.2% | -12.3% |
| 8 CORE | -1.45% | +1.15% |
| APRIL 2023 | MAY 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| RTX 3060 | +6.3% | -6% |
| RTX 2060 | +3.4% | -3.6% |
| GTX 1060 | +2.6% | -2.9% |
| RTX 3070 | +2.5% | -2.5% |
| RTX 3060TI | +2.1% | -2% |
| GTX 1650 | -2% | +2% |
| GTX 1050TI | +1% | +0.8% |
| RTX 3060 LAPTOP | +1.7% | +1.3% |
All the data published this month correct the data from last month. The presence of Windows 10 (-12.7%) and the number of users they have 16 GB of RAM (-4.7%). We also see how the amount of VRAM memory of the graphics cards decreases, the amount of 8 GB GDDR6 falling by -4%.
It may be that the most interesting data is in the language, which would give us clues as to what has happened. English is up 12.8%, while Simplified Chinese is down 26.6%.
We say that this data gives us a clue as to what has happened, because it would have to do with something happened in 2018. So, Steam they erased a lot of data from your database because of of the Chinese internet cafes. It was detected by Valve that they passed the hardware survey twice a year and altered the metrics.
We do not have data on the reason for the great change between the publication referring to the month of May and the month of April. Although, the Chinese internet cafes could be behind these abrupt variations again.
An interesting composition, to say the least.
Leaving aside the ups and downs, the truth is that the image that Steam gives us is interesting. The average system, depending on the platform, ranges from approximately 1,000 euros. It also indicates that Ray Tracing has not yet taken off and the most used resolution is still 1080p.
We see that the majority of users use the Windows 10 operating system, which is not surprising. It is also noted that most systems have 6 cores, although 4-core and 8-core processors are widely used. In addition, these systems would be complemented with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB storage units (predictably SSD).
The most widely used graphics card is the NVIDIA GTX 1650, followed by the GTX 1060, RTX 3060, and RTX 3060 for laptops. These graphics cards are quite cheap, being able to find the first two second-hand at a very good price.
Now, it remains to wait until next month to see how the hardware has evolved in May. We will see if we have small variations again, which is normal, or if we have strange jumps again.
