Steam survey suggests more players are upgrading to 16GB RAM

White Corsair RAM sticks with blurred Steam library in backdrop — (Image credit: Future)

New PC games are more ravenous for RAM than ever, and Valve's latest Steam hardware survey hints that more players are making the jump to 16GB systems. Traditionally, 8GB tends to be what developers will recommend as a minimum within system requirements for games, but if recent releases like Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League tell us anything, it’s that your gaming PC will soon need more memory just to even reach the menu screen of blockbuster outings.

Memory alone isn’t a ticket to the best gaming PC ball, and capacity is only one factor to consider when picking up RAM for gaming. Still, developers still use a face value figure to provide insight into whether Steam releases will actually run, as drifting below minimum requirements can cause a complete performance ruckus. So, it’s not entirely surprising that there’s a shift towards using either upgrading their rigs or investing in new systems armed with more DIMM sticks.

If you look closely at Steam Hardware Survey results for January, you’ll see that aforementioned shift within the section labelled ‘system RAM’. Out of every configuration stat listed, the biggest shift was ultimately towards 16GB, with an 1.07% increase in usage bringing the total number of players up to 49.60%. At the same time, users using 8GB dropped by 0.43%, accompanied by a 0.22% dip in 4GB users. That latter percentage change is likely also a result of more gaming laptops coming with 8GB minimum, but there’s still reason to believe that the losses can be accounted for within the 16GB configuration gains.

Steam hardware survey results for January 2024 — (Image credit: Valve)

It’s worth hammering home that Valve’s Steam survey isn’t fool proof, and it’s based on a sample of users rather than the entirety of the platform. Nevertheless, it still provides some insight into the habits of PC players when it comes to hardware, not to mention it’s useful for detecting trends early.

Again, the stats included in January’s Steam hardware survey results aren’t a shocker, and moving towards higher PC specs is an inevitability. Admittedly, the biggest changes normally involve parts that regularly receive new line-ups, like graphics cards and new generation CPUs, but memory standards also change over time.

What these results don’t fill us in on is whether players are making the leap to using faster DDR5 RAM kits, or if the majority of players are still rocking DDR4. Since quicker data transfer rates don’t tend to impact performance as capacity, you could say there’s less of a rush to upgrade, but it would be handy to see how quickly the PC scene moves on from one generation of components to the next.

How much RAM does your PC need?

The question of how much RAM to arm your gaming PC or laptop with will change over time. However, at the moment, I’d say 16GB should be regarded as a minimum. That’s not to say you’ll need that amount to run every Steam game in your library, but when it comes to big budget adventures and fancy new releases, the extra headroom will prevent any hardware headaches.

Not every new game currently demands 16GB RAM, and minimum specs can vary depending on genre. For instance, Tekken 8 can get by on 8GB minimum, whereas open world romps like Starfield will make full use of more than 16GB. Even more traditional action adventures like Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League are now advising more memory as a minimum, demonstrating that PC games as a whole are becoming more demanding.

In any case, if you think your rig might need a RAM revamp, have a peek below at some memory offers available right now.

Looking for more than memory? Check out the best gaming CPU and best SSD for gaming and give your entire rig a refresh. We've even rounded up the best PC cases if you need something to throw everything into.

Phil is the Hardware Editor at GamesRadar+ who specializes in retro console setups, choosing the latest gaming handhelds, and navigating the choppy seas of using modern-day PC hardware. In the past, they have covered everything from retro gaming history to the latest gaming news, in-depth features, and tech advice for publications like TechRadar, The Daily Star, the BBC, PCGamesN, and Den of Geek. In their spare time, they pour hours into fixing old consoles, modding Game Boys, exploring ways to get the most out of the Steam Deck, and blasting old CRT TV visuals into their eye sockets.