Steam vs Xbox Game Pass:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Xbox Game Pass had more branded searches than Steam among online game platforms worldwide. Xbox Game Pass was estimated to have 1.5M branded searches compared to Steam’s 201K, and held a 1.2% Share of Search versus Steam’s 0.17%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Steam or Xbox Game Pass?
Compare the online game platforms people choose between. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Xbox Game Pass, Steam. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Roblox | Minecraft | Epic Games | EA | Xbox Game Pass | Steam |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 70.5% | 17.4% | 7.7% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 0.14% |
| Nov 2025 | 70.4% | 17.4% | 9.5% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.17% |
| Dec 2025 | 55.8% | 16.8% | 25.1% | 1% | 1% | 0.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 66.5% | 20% | 10.9% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 67.9% | 20.4% | 9.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 64.7% | 23.7% | 8.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.19% |
| Apr 2026 | 69.1% | 20.7% | 7.6% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.17% |
| May 2026 | 67.6% | 20.2% | 9% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 68.8% | 20.6% | 7.6% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.46% |
| Jul 2026 | 64.3% | 23.5% | 8.6% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 0.64% |
| Aug 2026 | 63.3% | 23.2% | 10.3% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.34% |
| Sep 2026 | 68.9% | 20.6% | 7.6% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.17% |
How has the Steam and Xbox Game Pass comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Xbox Game Pass was ahead of Steam in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Steam’s estimated Share of Search among online game platforms worldwide moved from 0.14% to 0.17%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 201K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Xbox Game Pass’ estimated Share of Search among online game platforms worldwide moved from 2.3% to 1.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.4M to 1.5M.
How did search popularity change for online game platforms worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Xbox Game Pass worldwide fell 55.2% over 12 measured months, from 3.4M to 1.5M in September 2026.
Other head-to-heads among online game platforms
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Steam’s and Xbox Game Pass’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Steam
1 branded search term
- steam games
Xbox Game Pass
1 branded search term
- xbox game pass
Put your own brand in this comparison
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