The new PS5 beta widget provides concrete, weekly player numbers for the first time. The data reveals a reality that the traditional gaming community won't like – but it shows precisely why Sony is fiercely defending its billion-dollar strategy.
The new Statistics widget in the Welcome Hub The PS5, currently in its beta phase, is providing precise figures on unique players over the past seven days. While gaming enthusiasts passionately discuss cinematic single-player masterpieces in forums, the reality on the dashboard tells a completely different story. The hard facts show that the PS5 user base is almost entirely dominated by live-service giants.
An insurmountable wall
Thanks to initial data from the US beta (via Mystic), we now know the true weighting of service games. The weekly active users paint a clear picture:
| PLATZ | Game | Weekly active players (USA) |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Fortnite | 14,6 million |
| #2 | GTA 5 | 5,13 million |
| #3 | Minecraft | 4,97 million |
| #4 | Call of Duty | 4,95 million |
| #5 | Apex Legends | 1,72 million |
Following behind are titles like Marvel Rivals (1,58 million), Battlefield 6 (1,51 million), and ARC Raiders (972k). Games like Roblox or annual sports franchises (EA Sports FC / NBA 2K) aren't fully included here yet, but should seamlessly join the million-dollar club.
The shocking thing for traditional fans: not a single classic story-driven game is on this list. Instead, it's dominated by titles like "GTA 5" and Minecraft, which are well over ten years old.
Why Sony isn't giving up the hunt for live services
The data undoubtedly explains why PlayStation's management, despite fierce opposition from the community, constantly tries to establish its own live-service hits. The formula is simple: In-game purchases and microtransactions have been by far Sony's biggest revenue generator for years.
Classic, excellent "one-and-done" single-player games like "God of War" or "Marvel's Spider-Man" are essential to the prestige of the PlayStation brand, but they don't keep players engaged for years. Once a story-driven game is finished, players move on. A Fortnite or Call of Duty, on the other hand, becomes a permanent habit.
Yes, Sony massively underestimated the transition in the live service sector in some areas. Management burned through hundreds of millions of dollars, overburdened studios, and canceled projects that stood no chance against the industry giants. But when the executive suite sees daily that almost 15 million people in the US alone launch a single free-to-play game on their console every week, it's simply not economically viable to surrender this market without a fight.
The new dashboard displays shatter an illusion for the gaming community. The typical PS5 owner isn't playing niche indie gems or eagerly awaiting the next linear single-player drama. The masses want games that never end, that constantly evolve through updates, and where you can meet up with friends.
One may fundamentally despise this development, but anyone who sees the raw numbers of this new PS5 widget can no longer blame Sony for the motivation behind their strategy.
It's inherent to the nature of live service games that they can be played for years. However, some players primarily play live service games, while others primarily play story-driven games. These stories are typically played only until completed, after which players move on to the next game. The result of this statistic is perfectly logical, but it doesn't necessarily mean that live service games are more popular.
Lol, Mystic isn't an insider, he's a PS fanboy. I've never heard anything critical from them about Sony, even when Bluepoint closed; they tried to downplay it with all their might.
Anyway, never mind the topic.
What is Sony thinking? They haven't had the stamina to continue Legends, even though it was a proven concept that they still managed to run into the ground. Which brands are they going to use to succeed with Marvel Token? The fighting game market is niche and saturated. Success will only come if they can get casual players to buy Token, and that's where I see a problem with Token: the roster is only 20 characters plus 4 DLCs for the first year. That's very little when you look at the competition, like Tekken 8, SF6, and even older titles like Tekken 7, SF11, SF1, SF4,5, Marvel vs. Capcom Collection, or Part 3. They've been able to build up larger rosters and more content over the years. And ARGA system games tend to offer very little replay value in single-player mode. People who play Call of Duty 24/7 certainly aren't going to start playing Token. Ah, let them continue. I'll get some popcorn and watch everything go to hell.