Once Human, the highly anticipated third-person shooter from NetEase, has garnered over 15 million registrations worldwide, a testament to its success during Steam's Next Fest. Despite this impressive figure, only 300,000 of these are wishlists on Steam, highlighting a significant difference between its mobile and PC audience engagement.
NetEase, traditionally known for its strong presence in mobile gaming, is strategically focusing on a PC-first release for Once Human, with the desktop version slated for an earlier launch. This approach underscores the game's popularity on Steam, where it attracted the highest number of demo players during Next Fest. However, the disparity in pre-registration numbers between mobile and PC versions illustrates the challenges of achieving similar levels of discoverability and popularity on PC as on mobile, even for a major developer like NetEase.
Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on NetEasy does itNetEase's decision to target a PC audience first is not without merit, but it does shine a light on the contrasting dynamics between mobile and PC gaming markets. While Once Human has shown strong performance on Steam, the mobile platform continues to outshine PC in terms of user engagement and registrations.
As we await the release of Once Human, mobile gamers might find interest in our comprehensive list of the best mobile games of 2024 so far, offering a variety of titles to explore. Additionally, our list of the most anticipated mobile games of the year provides insights into upcoming releases, showcasing what could be the next big hits in mobile gaming. Both lists are curated to highlight the best and most promising games in the mobile space.