Gamers spend more on remakes than remasters, data finds

Remakes versus remasters, which do you prefer? It was once rather difficult to tell the difference between the two, but now we see more and more that something called a remake actually tries to rework an original game to meet modern standards through utterly rebuilt gameplay, visuals, and other elements. Resident Evil 4 Remake is a great example there. Remasters, on the other hand, often make a game look as good as you remember it, often primarily in visual tweaks and some new gameplay offerings that don't redefine the old formula, but perhaps make it a little smoother.

According to new research from Ampere Analysis (via VGC), it's quite clear which of the two most gamers are drawn to. Video game remakes and remasters released in 2024 and 2025 drew 72.4 million players across Xbox, PlayStation and Steam, but where spending is concerned, it is usually much higher on your average remake.

Out of the 42 titles examined by Ampere, spending on an average remake was 2.2x higher than that of the average remaster. There are some outliers, like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, but otherwise it seems remakes largely just seem like the better deal for players.

Whether the same is true for developers and publishers is a bit of a mystery. Ampere notes that remakes are more costly, require more marketing and time, while remasters have a faster turnaround and lower cost, but bring less engagement. "Publishers deciding between a full remake versus a remaster have to balance franchise planning, investment risk, age of content, platform support, and more when choosing which route to take," said Katie Holt, senior analyst at Ampere.