How does the average number of PSN users online compare to Steam?

[LilithSlave]

We all know that the Escapist is dominated by you eww eww boogie boogie PC folks.

So I thought this kind of topic might be relevant to all our interests. People talk about how PCs have caught up to and have actually surpassed consoles in popularity right now. Largely because of Steam and how long consoles have had to be out, cheap PC hardware catching up.

I have to be curious about this Steam revolution, then. The average number of users online at Steam on any given time, is, oh, about 3 million. Sometimes it gets to about 4 million, sometimes it dips to around 2 million. But the average I'd say is 3 million.

How does this compare to the PlayStation Network in general? The amount of sales, users online, and so forth? And no, google hasn't done that for me.

 

[Korten12]

Probably a lot more people on Steam at any time for the fact that it's free and it can be run on a Comptuer and a Mac. While PSN requires you to have a ps3/vita.

 

[wintercoat]

If you Google "average number of PSN users online" you get this thread as the first hit...I'm guessing this isn't exactly a hot topic...all I can find is data on the total number of PSN accounts.

 

[LilithSlave]

If you Google "average number of PSN users online" you get this thread as the first hit...

I did it, everyone! I'm an internet celebrity! Oh, I knew this day would finally come.

I would like to thank all the little people I stepped on to get here.

Now all we have to do is solve this problem. Let it be the first and last stop people go to to learn.

Really though, I'm surprised it's not a more researched and thought about topic, considering how much PC versus console arguments rage on. And how many PC gamers claim that the console is on its way out, and dying, and even currently, the PC is more successful than console gaming.

Every aspect of the PC vs. console argument seems controversial. Including how currently successful PC gaming is now, and in comparison to years past. I remember going to Best Buy, curious about computer parts, even though I always buy from Newegg because it is cheaper. The workers there told me that they didn't sell too many computer parts because "computer gaming is an extreme minority". Yet there are millions of people on Steam constantly, and many people are claiming that PC gaming is starting to finally surpassing console gaming in terms of popularity.

Again, clearly this is a controversial area I like to know more about.

 

[dimensional]

Probably a lot more people on Steam at any time for the fact that it's free and it can be run on a Comptuer and a Mac. While PSN requires you to have a ps3/vita.

True in a way but steam does require a computer (as you say) and no not everyone has one and lots of those who do dont use them for games they are purely work machines. If you have a PS3 you (probably)bought it to play games so it obviously wont have the same base but (almost) everyone who has one is using it for the same reason.

Both services are free but I would say PSN has more accounts and steam has more active users simply because one comes free with the console and the other you have to choose to get which you wouldnt do if you werent going to use it.

That being said I do have a steam account I never use because I found it a pain in the arse I bought the boxed copy of a game and I have to install steam to play it? ,so annoying. Then again I hardly ever use PSN either because its games are ridiculously overpriced for the most part same goes for Xbox Gold and those bastards even charge you a subscription fee on top (which is why I no longer use it at all).

 

[ElPatron]

True in a way but steam does require a computer (as you say) and no not everyone has one and lots of those who do dont use them for games they are purely work machines. If you have a PS3 you (probably)bought it to play games so it obviously wont have the same base but (almost) everyone who has one is using it for the same reason.

You contradicted yourself. If you have Steam, you can leave it on even when you are not playing and you can use it for transactions or even to chat with friends, even if you're not on your gaming PC. I don't know anyone who leaves their console on except people who use XBOX Live to chat.

And please, a lot of people have internet at home nowadays and most of them will have computers at home. "Not everyone has one", but not everyone has consoles either.

 

[dimensional]

True in a way but steam does require a computer (as you say) and no not everyone has one and lots of those who do dont use them for games they are purely work machines. If you have a PS3 you (probably)bought it to play games so it obviously wont have the same base but (almost) everyone who has one is using it for the same reason.

You contradicted yourself. If you have Steam, you can leave it on even when you are not playing and you can use it for transactions or even to chat with friends, even if you're not on your gaming PC. I don't know anyone who leaves their console on except people who use XBOX Live to chat.

And please, a lot of people have internet at home nowadays and most of them will have computers at home. "Not everyone has one", but not everyone has consoles either.

Im not sure I get you and it seems you have taken what I said as an attack on steam so ill try and re-clarify what I am saying:-

for both you need internet so thats irrelevant no internet = no steam and no psn

Steam needs a comp lots more people have comps (pc,mac) than PS3

reasons for owning comps could be work (probably the largest majority) leisure and internet but not gaming specifically and thirdly as a games machine. Now a lot of steam games dont need hugely powerful machines but they are games if your not going to use your PC as a games machine there is no point to use steam. Also comps do not come pre-installed with steam (unless I am missing something).

Reasons for owning PS3 to play games (majority) or play blu rays

PSN comes with each PS3 in essence its built in you cant opt out as far as I know you can choose to never use it if you so wish but that dosent matter whereas steam is an opt in you have to choose to use it which takes effort, a small amount yes but effort nonetheless. If you spend effort to get something you are more likely to use it but will probably have less people in the system than a system that gives you no choice i.e psn.

So I was just saying PSN would probably have a bigger installed base while steam would have a smaller number of users but those users would be more active.

 

[ElPatron]

reasons for owning comps could be work (probably the largest majority) leisure and internet but not gaming specifically and thirdly as a games machine.

I use xfire on a PC that can't handle games. Why? For chatting purposes.

I have friends on steam that leave it on the whole day just for the chat.

PSN comes with each PS3 in essence its built in you cant opt out as far as I know

My girlfriend has a PS3 and she doesn't have PSN. I don't know how it works.

you can choose to never use it if you so wish but that dosent matter

Yes it does matter. It will mean that there will be a lower "average of number of X users online" at any given time.

Which is exactly what the OP asked.

 

[Blazing Steel]

My guess is around 2 million users online at once. Now I don't have any hard facts, but a while ago I counted all the people on CODs on PSN, and counted just under a million, then about 500,000 for the Battlefields then I would bet there's around 100,000 on things like assassin's creed and other popular titles, so yea about 2 million probably.

 

[F'Angus]

Well since steam boots up whenever I start my laptop, and I guess a lot of people are the same as me, I reckon that adds to the numbers a bit. But Steam is a beast.

I tend to also sit on my laptop while on the PS3, and since steam is always open that adds to steam's numbers. And just today I logged on to steam on my PS3 while playing Portal 2.

 

[dimensional]

Yes it does matter. It will mean that there will be a lower "average of number of X users online" at any given time.

Which is exactly what the OP asked.

er thats exactly what I just said and Im sure there are people who leave steam on just to chat but most dont most people will probably leave on social networking sites if they just want to chat every so often and technically the ps3 does put me on PSN every time I start it up it logs me in I can turn it off of course but theres no real reason to so average users online at any given time I would say PSN would probably be on top but they are `just` online they dont talk to each other that much etc while steams online would be more involved (active whatever) because of the greater ability for social interaction as its on pc,mac so keyboards for a start are standard fare.

hence my original statement PSN probably has more users steam has fewer users but those users use steam more than the PSN users use PSN in so much as being active i.e chatty feeling part of a community etc.

 

[Tanakh]

My guess is around 2 million users online at once. Now I don't have any hard facts, but a while ago I counted all the people on CODs on PSN, and counted just under a million, then about 500,000 for the Battlefields then I would bet there's around 100,000 on things like assassin's creed and other popular titles, so yea about 2 million probably.

Educated guess, i like it. Did you counted the ones from BF too, or just estimating?

 

[Blazing Steel]

My guess is around 2 million users online at once. Now I don't have any hard facts, but a while ago I counted all the people on CODs on PSN, and counted just under a million, then about 500,000 for the Battlefields then I would bet there's around 100,000 on things like assassin's creed and other popular titles, so yea about 2 million probably.

Educated guess, i like it. Did you counted the ones from BF too, or just estimating?

Estimated since I couldn't find an exact amount, but I know there's 300,000 - 500,000 on MW3 and then 100,000 - 300,000 on Blops, so between Battlefield 3 and Bad Company 2 there must be around 500,000 give or take. Wish I had a more exact value, but EA seems to keep these kind of numbers underwraps.

OT: I'm guessing Sony hasn't released numbers because it will always be below Steam and probably below Xbox live. No point release numbers which make you look bad.

 

[Aeonknight]

My guess is around 2 million users online at once. Now I don't have any hard facts, but a while ago I counted all the people on CODs on PSN, and counted just under a million, then about 500,000 for the Battlefields then I would bet there's around 100,000 on things like assassin's creed and other popular titles, so yea about 2 million probably.

Educated guess, i like it. Did you counted the ones from BF too, or just estimating?

Estimated since I couldn't find an exact amount, but I know there's 300,000 - 500,000 on MW3 and then 100,000 - 300,000 on Blops, so between Battlefield 3 and Bad Company 2 there must be around 500,000 give or take. Wish I had a more exact value, but EA seems to keep these kind of numbers underwraps.

OT: I'm guessing Sony hasn't released numbers because it will always be below Steam and probably below Xbox live. No point release numbers which make you look bad.

I fail to see how releasing the #'s for 3 games makes the service as a whole look bad.

 

[Blazing Steel]

My guess is around 2 million users online at once. Now I don't have any hard facts, but a while ago I counted all the people on CODs on PSN, and counted just under a million, then about 500,000 for the Battlefields then I would bet there's around 100,000 on things like assassin's creed and other popular titles, so yea about 2 million probably.

Educated guess, i like it. Did you counted the ones from BF too, or just estimating?

Estimated since I couldn't find an exact amount, but I know there's 300,000 - 500,000 on MW3 and then 100,000 - 300,000 on Blops, so between Battlefield 3 and Bad Company 2 there must be around 500,000 give or take. Wish I had a more exact value, but EA seems to keep these kind of numbers underwraps.

OT: I'm guessing Sony hasn't released numbers because it will always be below Steam and probably below Xbox live. No point release numbers which make you look bad.

I fail to see how releasing the #'s for 3 games makes the service as a whole look bad.

Should have been more clear, I ment the adverage number of people using the whole service at a time. As for individual games? Yea, those numbers should be on show, but that not Sony's call.

 

[Tanakh]

Estimated since I couldn't find an exact amount, but I know there's 300,000 - 500,000 on MW3 and then 100,000 - 300,000 on Blops, so between Battlefield 3 and Bad Company 2 there must be around 500,000 give or take. Wish I had a more exact value, but EA seems to keep these kind of numbers underwraps.

OT: I'm guessing Sony hasn't released numbers because it will always be below Steam and probably below Xbox live. No point release numbers which make you look bad.

My guess also, that seems to be the EA school of PR. For example they were eager to give ToR numbers when they had a strong launch, now that they are struggling to keep the current population playing info is scarse.

 

[hashtag]

Well I found that there are 31 million accounts in the USA. I don't know how many are online at once, and I don't know the validity of the accounts. I would estimate that there are at most 5-6 million online at one time. http://www.vg247.com/2011/05/02/japan-doesnt-have-the-most-number-of-psn-accounts/

 

[Spitfire]

Every aspect of the PC vs. console argument seems controversial. Including how currently successful PC gaming is now, and in comparison to years past. I remember going to Best Buy, curious about computer parts, even though I always buy from Newegg because it is cheaper. The workers there told me that they didn't sell too many computer parts because "computer gaming is an extreme minority".

I don't know anything about Best Buy, but to me, that argument sound more like an excuse than anything, as if to say "we don't have the parts in stock, but it's not because we're incompetent, you see, but because there's no demand for it". I might be wrong, though.

In any case, I wouldn't judge the state of PC gaming based on that.

 

[ElPatron]

Im sure there are people who leave steam on just to chat but most dont most people will probably leave on social networking sites if they just want to chat

[citation needed]

Don't forget that facebook friends != gaming friends, and Steam supports groups and clans. Not to mention that Facebook is horrible as a chat and I wouldn't want gaming "friends" to have my personal data.