In early 2023, Steam set two new benchmarks at once: the peak number of online players and the count of users actively gaming. On January 7, Steam reported 32 million concurrent users, with 10 million of them playing games at the same moment. Interestingly, these records came not during the winter sale, but a few days after it concluded.
It is worth recalling that Valve recently wrapped up the 2022 Steam Awards, highlighting the top titles across eleven categories. The grand prize for Game of the Year went to Elden Ring. Cyberpunk 2077, originally released in 2020, also received notable recognition.
Earlier in January, excitement surrounded the most anticipated PC title among Steam players. The industry chatter noted that this title managed to reach parity with the remake of Space, a notable milestone for fans eagerly awaiting updates. Valve also released a December 2022 snapshot showing which hardware items enjoyed the most attention on Steam, underscoring the trends that shaped PC builds during that period. A resident of Taganrog even recreated his local district inside Minecraft, drawing interest from the wider community for its creativity and attention to detail.
These developments illustrate how Steam continues to evolve as a platform that tracks both player engagement and rising hardware trends, while also serving as a stage for award ceremonies, community showcases, and long-term game performance after release.