A brand new PS5 update adds a feature that Steam users have had for years

It seems that PlayStation 5 is taking a page out of Steam's book as the console receives a new update that publicly shows player counts for the top 10 games of the week. The PlayStation 5 isn't known for this level of transparency in player counts, so this update comes as quite a surprise.

PC gamers have long had player count numbers for basically every video game on Steam, dating back to around 2013 when the unofficial SteamDB player count tracker was launched. In 2022, Valve launched the official Steam Charts page, which details how many players are currently online or in-game on Steam, along with the current best-selling games and the most played games at the moment. In comparison, neither the Xbox Series X/S nor the PlayStation 5 have an official player count feature built into their user interface. Console gamers often have to rely on rough estimates, in-game player counts, or direct reports from developers to gauge what a game's player base looks like. Meanwhile, on PC, fans can see what game has exploded on Steam at any time.

Sony is quietly launching PS5 player count tracking

However, it looks like Sony is starting to test the new player counting feature, as beta testers have received an update to their Welcome Hub widgets, which show the current top 10 games on PlayStation 5 and popular games. As reported and demonstrated by YouTuber Mystic, the “Trending” tab shows which games have seen the biggest increase in game hours recently, while the “Top 10” tab shows a complete list of the most played games of the week, strictly by player count. There is currently no timeline for when this update will hit all PS5 consoles, but various beta insiders are reporting that they have also received the latest patch with the Player Count widget.

Arrange the covers in the correct US release order.

Easy (5)Medium (7)heavy (10)

Start

Arrange the covers in the correct US release order.

Easy (5) Medium (7) Hard (10)Start

PlayStation 5 introducing a player count update would make it the first console to do so, but it's unclear why consoles haven't had the feature for so long, especially since fans have been asking for it for quite some time. The Trending tab in particular seems to be useful for the PS5's social environment, so players can see which games are the new viral hotness or which just got an update that's bringing players back. Meanwhile, the Top 10 card is a great addition, but all the usual suspects seem to be there, at least according to Mystic's video. Fortnite, Call of Dutyand Grand Theft Auto 5 they are all practically destined to sit at the top of the list, that is to GTA 6 relieves and deposes his predecessor.

As nice as it is to have this new feature on the PS5, there is another side to the coin when it comes to player count. Many fans on Reddit and Twitter began to express concern about the visible number of players, believing that the discussion about new and existing games could become toxic because of it. Games like Call of Duty and Battlefield 6 they find themselves caught in cycles of player count wars as their player count fluctuates. This new update for the PlayStation 5 is a step forward in the console's visibility, but some console fans tend to take declining player numbers and a lack of virality for new releases as signs that games are “flopping” or underperforming, even though that may not always be the case.

What's more, when it comes to social features, the PS5 still lacks a lot compared to the PS4. Features like “Communities” and “What's New Feed” are still missing from the console, so it's a bit of an isolated experience compared to the previous console. While players can see what's trending and the top 10 games on PS5, some other community features may still be left on the table. Hopefully, Sony will be able to listen to community feedback soon and implement even more social features on the console before the PS5 successor arrives.