The latest Steam Hardware Survey data reveals a quiet shift in gamer memory preferences. From March to August 2025, the percentage of players using 32GB of RAM increased from 32.85% to 35.42%. Meanwhile, the share using 16GB slowly declined from 43.12% to 41.67%. This clear trend suggests 32GB will overtake 16GB as the most common configuration by the end of this year.
Industry experts point to several key reasons for this shift:
- Demanding New Games: Major new AAA titles like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Dragon’s Dogma 2 are pushing hardware harder. Running these smoothly at high frame rates often requires more system memory to avoid stuttering.
- Operating System Overhead: Windows 11 itself uses more memory in the background, raising the minimum requirement and making higher RAM specs more appealing.
- Falling DDR5 Costs: Market changes have made upgrading cheaper. In August 2025, DDR4 prices actually rose about 7% (reaching $9.17), while DDR5 prices fell around 3% (about $5.99). This unusual price shift makes 32GB DDR5 kits much better value.
- Platform Design: Modern desktops and handhelds increasingly use DDR5 in dual-channel setups. Since 8GB DDR5 modules are less common, buying two 16GB sticks (totaling 32GB) becomes the most practical way to get good dual-channel performance for many users.
While different reports show slightly varying numbers, they all point the same way. One report suggests the gap is even narrower, with 32GB at 36.46% and 16GB at 41.88% – a difference of only about 5%. If this trend continues, 32GB is likely to become the most popular RAM setup on Steam by early 2026.
For gamers, this shift means better performance and more “future-proofing.” While 16GB can still run most games, heavier workloads like streaming, having many browser tabs open, or using AI features make 32GB a smoother, more reliable experience. As one player noted on a forum: Running a browser with multiple tabs, Discord, and Photoshop at the same time feels noticeably smoother.
For hardware makers and PC builders, this signals the need to focus more on 32GB kits and pre-built systems with this configuration. For consumers, if the budget allows, choosing 32GB DDR5 is a smart, future-oriented move.
In summary, data from Steam’s vast user base shows 16GB RAM is gradually being replaced by 32GB, which is steadily becoming the new standard for gamers. If current trends hold, the title of “mainstream” will undeniably belong to 32GB by late 2025 or early 2026. This quiet shift in what gamers consider essential hardware is well underway.
