Nvidia's RTX 5070 leaps to top of the Steam Hardware Survey but something looks fishy in the figures
PC Gamer
by Jeremy Laird March 3, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
The latest Steam Hardware Survey for February 2026 shows an unprecedented surge in popularity for Nvidia's RTX 5070, jumping from 2.87% in January to an impressive 9.42%, topping the list of most-used GPUs among Steam gamers. This sudden spike raises eyebrows, as such a dramatic increase would require an unrealistic number of gamers to upgrade to the RTX 5070 overnight. The article suggests that factors related to China might be at play, with a significant rise in Steam users reporting Simplified Chinese as their client language—up by over 30% during the Lunar New Year holiday period.
The timing coincides with Steam's introduction of regional pricing for China, which may have made games more affordable and attracted a surge in users, including those with higher-end hardware like the RTX 5070. Other Nvidia GPUs also saw notable increases, with the RTX 4060 climbing to second place at 7.46% and the RTX 5060 rising from 4.22% to 6.72%. While these figures might reflect a temporary boost due to holiday activity and pricing adjustments, they highlight potential distortions in Steam's data.
The article speculates that Chinese gamers logging in during the New Year period may be more likely to own higher-end hardware, which could explain the spike in RTX 5070 usage. However, questions remain about whether this trend reflects genuine market demand or a temporary anomaly tied to the holiday season and pricing changes. The significance for readers interested in gaming lies in understanding how external factors like regional pricing and holiday-related activity can skew data and influence perceptions of hardware popularity.
Overall, while the RTX 5070's rise to the top may seem surprising, it likely reflects a combination of China's Lunar New Year effect, Steam's new
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Originally published on PC Gamer on 3/3/2026