NetEase's upcoming third-person shooter, Once Human, boasts over 15 million pre-registrations globally, a significant achievement highlighted by its success at Steam Next Fest. However, a closer look reveals a disparity between its mobile and PC performance. While pre-registrations are impressive, only 300,000 translate to Steam wishlists.
NetEase, known for its mobile-focused titles, is prioritizing a PC-first release for Once Human, suggesting a deliberate strategy. Despite this, the game's popularity on Steam is undeniable, attracting the most demo players during Steam Next Fest. This highlights the significant difference in reach and discoverability between the PC and mobile gaming markets, with mobile still maintaining a considerable advantage.

NetEase's PC-focused approach isn't inherently flawed, but the figures underscore the challenges even major developers face in achieving comparable visibility and player engagement on PC compared to mobile.
While awaiting Once Human's release, consider exploring our curated lists of the best and most anticipated mobile games of 2024. These lists offer a selection of high-quality mobile titles to keep you entertained.