Data shows Xbox fans play more games than Steam or PS5 users — here’s why (and why I’m not surprised)

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Okay, so the Xbox Series X|S might not have as many players as Steam on PC or the PlayStation 5, but a new report shows there’s one area where Xbox is totally winning! It’s great to see they’re still leading the pack in something, even if overall numbers are lower.

This metric measures how many different games players engage with each month. According to data from Ampere Analytics, Xbox players averaged 5.7 games in August, compared to 4.5 for Steam users and 3.7 for PlayStation 5 players.

Ampere found that Steam players typically play one fewer game than Xbox players, and PlayStation players play two fewer. These averages have remained consistent since August 2022, showing this pattern has continued for about three years.

It’s no surprise that Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass is a major factor. This service lets subscribers play a huge library of games for a monthly fee, and it’s become incredibly popular since launching in 2017. As of early 2024, Game Pass has over 34 million members.

As an analyst, I’ve been tracking Xbox Game Pass closely, and the subscriber numbers are definitely impressive. While that figure *does* include those on the Core tier – which replaced Xbox Live Gold – it’s clear Game Pass has a huge global reach. What really stands out to me is the sheer value: with over 500 games available, it’s enabling players to experience a much wider range of titles than they would typically be able to afford or access.

Interestingly, Ampere’s data shows that Xbox players generally spend less time playing games each month compared to those on Steam and PlayStation 5. Last month, PS5 users averaged 12.7 hours of gameplay, while Steam players logged 11.9 hours. Xbox players, however, only averaged 7.7 hours – a difference of about four to five hours, which is a significant gap.

Ampere’s data also shows that Xbox players generally spend less time playing games compared to those on Steam and PlayStation 5. Last month, PS5 players averaged 12.7 hours of gameplay, while Steam players played for 11.9 hours. Xbox players, however, averaged only 7.7 hours.

I’ve noticed a clear pattern with Xbox playtime numbers. Whenever a new Call of Duty game comes out, playtime jumps noticeably. This is especially interesting now that Microsoft owns the Call of Duty franchise and includes it with Game Pass. Last year, after Black Ops 6 launched in November, average playtime went up by 20%, reaching 10.4 hours. It gradually decreased after that, but we’re anticipating a similar increase with the upcoming release of Black Ops 7 on November 14th.

Last August, Game Pass games accounted for 42% of all time spent playing on Xbox. When new Call of Duty titles are released each fall, that number jumps to over 50%, demonstrating the franchise’s huge popularity. Interestingly, outside of those peak release times, players spend slightly more time playing games *not* included with Game Pass.

The data shows that Xbox players try out more games compared to those on Steam and PlayStation 5. However, they generally spend less total time actually playing those games. This really demonstrates the value of Xbox Game Pass – it lets people enjoy a wide variety of games, even if they don’t have a lot of free time, at a reasonable price.

It’s really encouraging to see positive numbers for Game Pass, especially with all the recent discussions about its future. The publicly available data suggests it’s a profitable service, which is great news. Considering rising costs for both games and consoles, I hope Game Pass continues to offer a fantastic value for gamers.

For the best experience, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $19.99 per month and lets you play on Xbox consoles, Windows PCs (using the Xbox app), and stream games to many different devices with Xbox Cloud Gaming. Right now, you can get a month for just $11.59 at Loaded (formerly CDKeys), which is a great price.

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2025-09-24 02:40