Most PC Gamers Are Now Playing With More Than 8GB of VRAM
Data from the latest Steam Hardware Survey indicates that a majority of PC gamers now use systems with at least 10GB of VRAM. This shift reflects the increasing graphical demands of modern AAA video games.
Why it matters
This trend highlights the evolving hardware requirements for the gaming industry and the necessity for consumers to upgrade their systems to maintain performance.
<p>For the first time, the monthly <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/" target="_blank" title="(Opens in a new tab)">Steam Hardware Survey</a> shows a majority of gamers are playing on systems with at least 10GB of VRAM.</p><p>Not having enough VRAM has been a problem for PC gamers for much of this console generation, but it's become far more pronounced in recent years. Although I'd argue 8GB is still fine if you're not playing the latest AAA games or anything above 1080p, <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/what-is-vram-why-games-are-using-it-more-and-how-to-optimize-your-pc" target="_self">there are games that demand more</a>, and 10GB+ may become standard for future games.</p><img src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20768%20432'%3E%3Crect%20fill='%23f7f7f7'%20/%3E%3C/svg%3E" class="" data-image-loader="https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/articles/02AjQCo4K5BVJNFFXlW1axD-2.png" data-lazy-sized alt="steam hardware" data-image-path="articles/02AjQCo4K5BVJNFFXlW1axD-2.png">
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<small>(Credit: Valve)</small>
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