Players Spend Twice as Much on Remakes as on Remasters, Study Shows

It appears players prefer fully reimagined games over modest graphical upgrades and higher frame rates.

According to a new study from Ampere Analysis, between 2024 and 2025 players spent 2.2 times more on full remakes than on remasters. In total, 42 titles (15 remakes and 27 remasters) released from January 2024 through September 2025 attracted 72.4 million players across Xbox, PlayStation and Steam, generating $1.4 billion from premium editions and microtransactions.

The average remake earned 2.2 times more than the average remaster, but analysts note it requires “substantially larger investments in development, marketing and time”. Remasters, on the other hand, ship faster and cost less to produce, but generally yield lower engagement.

A prominent example of a remaster’s success is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered — it posted peak revenues of $180 million and reached 7 million monthly active users across the three platforms.

Source: iXBT.games