Take Two CEO Says Gaming Is Shifting Toward PCs, Though the Console Experience Will Remain

Strauss Zelnick, longtime CEO, chairman, and largest shareholder of Take Two Interactive, appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box to discuss the future direction of the games industry. As one of the most influential executives in the business and future head of what will become the largest independent American publisher once the Electronic Arts leveraged buyout is finalized, Zelnick offered a clear perspective on where gaming is heading.

According to Zelnick, the industry is steadily shifting toward PC gaming and broader open ecosystems. While consoles are not disappearing, he believes the momentum is clearly favoring platforms that are open, flexible, and hardware agnostic.

“I think it’s moving towards PC and business is moving towards open rather than closed,” Zelnick said during the interview. “But if you define console as the property, not the system, then the notion of a very rich game that you engage in for many hours that you play on a big screen that’s never going away.”

His statement reflects a trend industry data strongly supports. Console hardware growth has stalled for years, with Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft largely fighting over the same customer base rather than expanding it. Meanwhile, PC gaming continues to surge, driven not only by Steam’s record setting sales numbers but also by the rising popularity of hybrid PC form factors such as the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and the upcoming Steam Machine successors. These devices deliver console style convenience with PC level flexibility, further blurring the line between both markets.

Microsoft itself appears to be leaning into this convergence. Just recently, Xbox president Sarah Bond reaffirmed that the “Xbox experience starts with the console,” but the company’s broader strategy is unmistakably cross platform. Rumors surrounding the next Xbox hardware suggest it may function as a console PC hybrid capable of running a Windows desktop environment.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella fueled this speculation even further when he commented on the company’s long term vision
“We also want to do innovative work on the system side on the console and on the PC. It’s kind of funny that people think about the console and PC as two different things. At Microsoft, we built the console because we wanted to build a better PC, which could then perform for games. I kind of want to revisit some of that conventional wisdom. But at the end of the day, console has an experience that is unparalleled.”

Nadella emphasized that while consoles may evolve, the dedicated living room experience will continue to push performance and system innovation forward.

Zelnick’s perspective aligns with ongoing market behavior. As hardware manufacturers, publishers, and players increasingly embrace open ecosystems and cross platform compatibility, the influence of PC gaming continues to grow. Yet the emotional and experiential weight behind console gaming remains strong, ensuring its presence for years to come, even if its market share becomes more specialized.

Do you agree with Strauss Zelnick’s view that gaming is shifting toward PC? Or do consoles still represent the core experience for most players? Share your insights below.