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[onQ123]

Excluding platforms where games are no longer being developed for but I believe PS1 or NDS had the largest actively supported user-base while games were still being developed for them , PS1 had a game release close to the launch of PS3 which is when PS2 hit 100 million so PS1 basically had a 200 million user-base when the last game was released. NDS final game was released in 2014 but I'm not sure how many 3DS units were sold at that time but I'm guessing the user-base was around 200 million for NDS also at that time.



Switch user-base is 152 million + over 5 million Switch 2 sold already ( & counting ) so 157 million

PlayStation 4 is at 117 million + PS5 77 million ( and counting) so 194 million for PS4's user base

I'm not sure how many PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers who own PlayStation Portals that are able to purchase PS4 software but I'm sure the number isn't big enough to move the needle but this would count as PS4's extended user-base.

Xbox numbers are no longer public but the estimates put Xbox One at 58 million & Xbox Series around 30 million so between 88 - 92 million for Xbox One plus whatever number of Gamepass Ultimate subscribers with XBPC app who could purchase a Xbox One game.

The count stops when the support ends.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

PlayStation, only becosue of the Third Party Support

XboxPC is not and will never be a thing.... it's just Steam.

 

[jshackles]

PSP?

EDIT: oh, Portal? Are we calling the Portal the PSP now?

 

[onQ123]

PlayStation, only becosue of the Third Party Support

XboxPC is not and will never be a thing.... it's just Steam.

Doesn't matter how we feel about it if you can buy a Xbox One game & play it via the XBPC app it extends Xbox One's user-base.

 

[onQ123]

PSP?

EDIT: oh, Portal? Are we calling the Portal the PSP now?

That's the only way it would fit in the thread title. Lol

I just call it PlayStation Portal

Edit: I also believe that the ability to play purchased games with a PS+ Premium subscription will go beyond just Portal owners after the beta .

 

[diffusionx]

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Doesn't matter how we feel about it if you can buy a Xbox One game & play it via the XBPC app it extends Xbox One's user-base.

Wait...are you talking about like a unified storefront? Can you buy any game on the SW and play it on the SW2? I don't think you can buy any PS4 game and play it on PS5

 

[Three]

By third party devs? Playstation definitely, though I don't know what you mean by XBPC app and subscribers here.

Also, you can't tally up userbase like that. some previous gen owners move on to become new gen owners, you're double counting them.

 

[Robb]

I assume PlayStation given they rely and push more heavily for 3rd party support.

 

[Dacvak]

Dreamcast is gonna make a comeback, you just wait.

 

[onQ123]

Wait...are you talking about like a unified storefront? Can you buy any game on the SW and play it on the SW2? I don't think you can buy any PS4 game and play it on PS5

I mean when a dev makes a PS4 game today the potential user-base is 194 million .

I know there is overlap but it has always been overlap in the numbers because some people own more than one of the same console or it stops working & they rebuy the console.


Every game doesn't need a PS5 port so you have games being released on PS4 to be playable across PS4 and PS5 with just one version like the Capcom fighting collections.

 

[Insanemaelstrom]

Majority of the people who will buy the rumoured playstation portable would be ones who already have a ps4 of ps5.

Same with Xbox pc.

So I guess switch + switch 2 has the highest chance of being the largest

 

[Jinzo Prime]

Why does it matter? Just play the games you want to play!

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

so you have games being released on PS4 to be playable across PS4 and PS5 with just one version like the Capcom fighting collections.

But no the other way around. So, effectively, we are talking about different storefronts. But regardless, Xbox (as a storefront/platform) will never be in the same orbit as Play Station´s, Nintendo´s or steam´s....is not even in the conversation.

 

[jshackles]

Real answer is Steam, and has been since around the time the PS4 launched

If you're talking hardware, then buying a Steam Deck gives you access to a larger library than the rest of the big three combined. A few months ago, Steam hit 19,000 games either with the "verified" or "playable" status on Deck, of the about 126,000 games on Steam.

We Now Have Over 19,000 Steam Deck Verified/Playable Games on Steam - Steam Deck HQ

A new milestone has been hit! We now officially have over 19,000 Steam Deck Verified or Playable games to download from Steam.

steamdeckhq.com

 

[March Climber]

OP this is assuming that future consoles keep backwards compatibility right? Because Xbox is dangerously close to making yet another cutoff point depending on what they do with the next box.

One day I hope someone makes the perfect meme image for someone coming into a conversation just to announce to everyone how much they don't care about said conversation.

The 'I don't like thing' meme isn't straightforward and powerful enough to convey the oddity of such an action.

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

Steam doesn't count...they have nothing without holding the industry at gun point and gouging PC user base.

 

[crackajack]

why not also add PS3 and Vita? I can still buy games there...

No idea what this topic is trying to do, HW sales of devices that mostly are bought in sequence by many people, mean nothing. I own a PS4 and a PS5, but while I might use both, I won't count as two like actual two separate PS4 only and PS5 only users should.
MAU might be a weird number as well, but that's certainly more interesting for platforms, because it tells them where people are active - duh, no shit sherlock - probably buying software or at least pay for MP subscriptions.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

PlayStation

People will still be playing on PS4 and it'll be getting indie games after PS6 launches.

I expect Switch 2 to be a big success too

 

[PlayStaytion]

It's based on the sum of hours played on these ecosystems. Xbox definitely is the right answer.

 

[Hudo]

Probably Playstation. Third-party support is their main strategy and main selling point. Always has been.

 

[Topher]

Doesn't matter how we feel about it if you can buy a Xbox One game & play it via the XBPC app it extends Xbox One's user-base.

Are you talking about streaming? If so, folks can play PS4 and PS5 games on PC via remote play so PlayStation should count PC as its "user-base", right?

 

[onQ123]

Are you talking about streaming? If so, folks can play PS4 and PS5 games on PC via remote play so PlayStation should count PC as its "user-base", right?

As far as I know you can only play the games you purchased on PS4 , PS5 & ( Portal via Cloud streaming with a subscription to PlayStation+ Premium)

 

[Topher]

As far as I know you can only play the games you purchased on PS4 , PS5 & ( Portal via Remote Play or Cloud streaming)

And?

 

[onQ123]

And?

Meaning a game could actually be sold to a PlayStation Portal Owner without a PS4 or PS5 & he/she can play the game that they purchased.

 

[Topher]

Meaning a game could actually be sold to a PlayStation Portal Owner without a PS4 or PS5 & he/she can play the game that they purchased.

I thought PlayStation Portal could only play games that are on PS+ without a PS5.

 

[REDRZA MWS]

PlayStation

 

[Heisenberg007]

What is XBOX PC?

Do you mean Microsoft Store or Steam? Because that's 2 completely different platforms.

 

[StereoVsn]

The real answer is PC, and if single storefront it would be Steam.

Otherwise if we are talking about addressable audience, right now probably PS ecosystem with PS4/PS5. IMO, there is no point in counting Portal since it's only a streaming device and doesn't even cloud stream your own games I think.

In a few years Switch should overtake PS ecosystem with S2 sales.

So right now PC > PS > Switch >>>>> Xbox

 

[Cakeboxer]

Steam/PC>PS=Switch>Xbox

 

[Arsic]

Honestly without knowing real time gamepass numbers we can't even assess Xbox on the pc platform.

I could see certain titles getting the highest players trying it on gamepass pc, but then falling off. Whereas the others it's a straight up $60-$80 buy in on an unknown quantity. So it has more capability than folks on here admit.

 

[REDRZA MWS]

Steam/PC>PS=Switch>Xbox

That I agree with. Their install base trumps both Sony and Nintendo. If they could make one powerful home console, and fully support PC, WHILE selling tons on PlayStation now and Nintendo.

Reason I chose Sony was I simply misread and assumed you meant consoles.

 

[Madserb2023]

I think if you just look at consoles then I guess you could be looking at 200 million units between the Switch 1 and 2 in a couple of years. Obviously if you count Microsoft platforms, including Windows then that.

 

[Horseganador]

On Playstation consoles by far.