Once Human is a big hit at Steam Next Fest, but wishlists are a drop in the bucket

Once Human, NetEase's upcoming third-person shooter, boasts over 15 million global pre-registrations, a success highlighted by its strong showing at Steam Next Fest. However, this success presents a fascinating contrast. While pre-registrations are impressive, only 300,000 of these translate to Steam wishlists. This discrepancy underscores the challenges of achieving comparable discoverability on PC compared to mobile, particularly given NetEase's traditionally mobile-focused approach and the prioritization of a PC-first release for Once Human.

Despite this, Once Human's performance on Steam remains significant, attracting the largest player base during Steam Next Fest. This highlights the inherent differences between the PC and mobile gaming landscapes, with mobile consistently demonstrating greater reach.

NetEase's PC-centric strategy isn't inherently flawed, but the data reveals a significant disparity in audience engagement between the two platforms. Even a major developer like NetEase faces hurdles in replicating the level of visibility and popularity on PC that it enjoys on mobile.

While awaiting Once Human's launch, explore our curated lists of the best and most anticipated mobile games of 2024. These lists offer a handpicked selection of top-tier mobile gaming experiences.