Sony: For the first time, more people are playing PS5 than PS4

It has taken four and half years, but PS5 is now king.

Sony has confirmed that, for the first time, PlayStation 5 now has more monthly active users than its predecessor, PlayStation 4. Previously, both consoles had approximately 49 million users each, but according to the latest data (thanks, VGC), PlayStation 5 has now taken the lead - although exact figures are not available.

In total, PlayStation can now boast 124 million active players per month. This is a significant increase compared to the same report from last year, when there were 97 million active players per month. Furthermore, it has also been noted that those who play on PlayStation 5 are generally more active and spend more on games, accessories and services.

Sony boss Hideaki Nishino said the following during the presentation:

"These players are highly engaged, spending more on content and services than in prior generations. However, the PlayStation 4 remains an important access point for existing players to experience our content and services, and we remain committed to serving them."

Nishino also mentioned the next generation of consoles and referred to PlayStation and its business model as a "multi-faceted platform".

"We now have a large ecosystem of highly engaged players across both the PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation 4 generations, so naturally, therefore, there's a huge interest in our next generation console strategy.

"While we cannot share further details at this stage, the future of the platform is top of mind. We are committed to exploring a new and enhanced way for players to engage with our content and services."

It has taken just over four years - the console was launched in November 2020 - for this shift to take place. The fact that many of Sony's biggest games have continued to be released on PlayStation 4 has probably meant that many players have simply not been in such a hurry to upgrade, and judging by what Nishino said today, PlayStation 4 is likely to continue to thrive for several years to come, and it is clear that Sony's strategy of long-term support for its consoles is something that resonates with consumers.