- Valve’s new Steam Hardware & Software survey showcases a slow decline in 16GB RAM usage and an increase in 32GB RAM usage
- This comes as more recommended system requirements for games include 32GB of RAM
- 32GB of RAM can help improve frame times and reduce stutters in poorly optimized games
With new games launching on PC each year, gamers are often met with poorly optimized titles, even on the best gaming PCs, or higher hardware demands ultimately impacting weaker spec hardware – and that’s why users are upgrading one crucial component in their systems.
As reported by Tom’s Hardware, Valve’s latest Steam Hardware & Software survey results showcase a gradual decline in 16GB RAM usage from 43.12% to 41.67% and a steady increase in 32GB RAM usage from 32.85% to 35.42%, between March 2025 to August 2025.
While it’s not particularly a huge drop for 16GB RAM usage, the 2.57% increase on the 32GB of RAM side shouldn’t come as a surprise. A significant number of new triple-A games recommend 32GB of RAM for good performance. This doesn’t mean 16GB of RAM isn’t viable in gaming scenarios, but gamers are more than likely going to run into stutters or hiccups in games that rely on more RAM.
This is notable in games like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Dragon’s Dogma 2. All of these titles are poorly optimized and are yet to receive thorough performance patches to quell stuttering and low FPS issues, but 32GB of RAM instead of 16GB eases things up with better frame times.
It’s also worth noting that more handheld gaming PC manufacturers are releasing 32GB RAM configurations, and while handheld gamers may not make up a significant portion of PC gamers overall, it’s a market that’s growing rapidly.
It’s also no secret that Microsoft‘s Windows 11 has background processes happening constantly, some of which are unnecessary for gaming – so systems should have more RAM to compensate for this. Fortunately, RAM upgrades are affordable, at least compared to other components like the CPU or GPU.
Analysis: even if 16GB of RAM is fine for you, future proofing with 32GB of RAM is ideal
Having upgraded from 16GB of RAM to 32GB on both my main gaming PC and my handheld (Asus ROG Ally to Lenovo Legion Go S Z1 Extreme), I can say that the difference is certainly noticeable. While performance results are negligible in well-optimized games with minor frame rate gains, it’s certainly a bigger deal in games that run poorly on PC.
I’ve noticed that most of the latest games I’m playing on my Nvidia RTX 4080 Super rig are pushing far beyond 16GB of RAM – and yes, that’s while having other applications, like Mozilla Firefox, open in the background, and gaming at a 3440×1440 resolution on max graphics settings, but that just proves my point.
If you already have a powerful GPU and CPU, or you’re planning on upgrading in the near future, you’re likely going to be gaming at higher graphics settings and a higher resolution than 1080p. You may also have other content playing simultaneously, like I do, and that’s where 32GB of RAM will come into play.
Sooner or later, the majority of triple-A games will have 32GB of RAM as recommended for system requirements, so I advise acting on it now, before the current price hikes get worse.
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