Sony testing public player counts on PS5, Steam Charts-style
Public player counts could help you dodge dead lobbies and measure multiplayer health before you download
Sony is testing a public player count system on PS5, similar to Steam's concurrent player charts, according to GamesRadar+. The feature surfaced in beta firmware for select regions this week.
The system displays active users per game in real time. It's unclear if Sony will show total concurrent players across all platforms or PS5-only numbers. The beta build spotted by GamesRadar+ showed counts for Fortnite, Call of Duty, and EA Sports FC, but the sample size was limited.
This matters for multiplayer health checks. You'll know if a game's lobbies are alive before downloading 100GB. It also means we'll finally see hard numbers on PlayStation exclusives — and cross-platform juggernauts like GTA 6 when it ships.
One catch: Sony could gate the feature behind PlayStation Plus or restrict it to certain publishers. Steam makes this data public by default. If Sony locks it to subscribers, it's half a feature.
Check your current rig's performance before the next wave of releases hits.