Games devs claim 32 per cent of downloads, 85 per cent of IAPs on Windows Store

Microsoft has released fresh stats about the apps that dominate its Windows Store, and video games are leading the way.

Games accounted for 32 per cent of all downloads on Windows platforms in Q4 2015, encompassing PCs and smart devices on Windows 8.x and Windows 10 – far outstripping the next biggest category Utilities and Tools, which took 15 per cent.

Games also present a great opportunity for Windows devs, TechCrunch reports. Looking at the total number of apps available, navigation and maps leads the way with more downloads per app, but games is third, just behind photo and video.

Action and adventure games have proved to be the most popular category, making up just under 30 per cent of downloads, well ahead of puzzle and trivia’s 14 per cent. However, the biggest opportunity in games is racing and flying games, followed by simulation.

Of most interest to devs will be the fact that the games category accounted for 85 per cent of all in-app purchases made through the Windows Store in Q4 2015. Puzzle and trivia games were the big earners at just under 40 per cent of games IAPs – massively outperforming the next biggest category, action and adventure, at 15 per cent.

You can find a full breakdown of statistics at the Windows blog.