AI Usage Up, PS6 and Xbox Helix Development Still Low in Newest GDC Dev Survey

The State of the Game Industry report from the GDC Festival of Gaming shows that over 2,600 game developers participated in the annual survey, with generative AI usage on the rise. 40% of game industry professionals now incorporate generative AI tools into their work, a 4-point increase from the previous survey. Daily AI usage is highest among mobile-only studios (70%) and free-to-play game developers (58%).

However, despite the growing adoption of generative AI, 55% of respondents felt it negatively impacts games, a figure consistent with the previous year's survey. Game developers expressed a range of nuanced views on the topic, acknowledging both its potential benefits, such as aiding in repetitive tasks, research, and prototyping, as well as concerns over environmental, psychological, and societal issues.

The survey also revealed that 10% of developers are currently working on PS6 and Xbox Project Helix next-gen projects, while VR/AR/mixed reality game development is down to 3% of the respondents. Meanwhile, interest in developing for Switch 2 has increased by nearly 10% to 47%. Unionization in the US gaming industry saw a slight decline, from 82% to 80%, but the number of developers who are part of a union rose to 15% from 12%.

The report also highlighted the negative impact of long working hours on mental health, with 65% of respondents stating that their mental health has suffered due to their job. A third of respondents have been laid off in the last two years, with two-thirds of them losing their jobs in the past year. Over half of those laid off (54%) had not found new employment, despite applying for 20 or more jobs on average, with over a quarter applying for more than 100 jobs.

Overall, one-fifth of survey respondents are currently unemployed, up from 13% in the previous report.