PlayStation’s New Player Count Feature for PS5 Games Falls Short

PlayStation is drawing inspiration from Steam and is currently testing a new feature that will allow players to view weekly player counts for PS5 games. While this statistic could enhance engagement, it also risks fueling toxic discussions within the gaming community, especially given the already challenging discoverability on the PlayStation Store.

The feature, first highlighted by a YouTuber and reported by an outlet, is a “Community Activity” widget being beta tested in the PS5’s Welcome Hub. Players can select “Top 10” to see the week’s most popular games ranked by player count. The “Trending Now” option will showcase games that are gaining traction, whether due to increased playtime or a rise in matches played.

While having direct access to player data for PS5 games is intriguing, there are concerns that the numbers displayed by this Community Activity widget could be detrimental. The issues seen with player counts on Steam games serve as a cautionary tale.

In recent years, player count statistics have gained significant traction in gaming discussions across social media platforms. When a new title launches, discussions about its performance on platforms like SteamDB often dominate conversations. However, player counts reflect popularity rather than quality, leading to unfair comparisons, especially for multiplayer games. Titles like Kilnor or Marathon can be unfairly labeled as failures if their player counts don’t stack up against the biggest hits.

Not all great games will top these charts, and they shouldn’t have to in order to be recognized as worthwhile. While it’s nice to see that a favorite game has a large following, players shouldn’t need that validation to enjoy it. By emphasizing player counts, PlayStation risks encouraging a mindset where popularity overshadows genuine enjoyment.

Typically, console games have been insulated from the player count debates that plague PC gaming, but this could change. The potential backlash on social media if a game like Marathon or Marvel’s Wolverine fails to make the Top 10 could be significant.

Moreover, this feature could exacerbate the PlayStation Store’s discoverability issues. The Community Activity widget may lead players to gravitate toward the most popular titles, overshadowing newer or lesser-known games that might align with their interests. While the “Trending Now” option is a bit more promising, it seems to favor multiplayer games over single-player experiences. A focus on improving PlayStation Store curation would be a more beneficial approach than introducing this feature.

There’s no word yet on when the Community Activity widget will be widely released. PlayStation should carefully consider the implications of this feature before moving it out of beta, as it could amplify some of the less desirable aspects of gaming on the PS5.