PS3 Still Has Millions of Active Users, New Data Reveals

The Enduring Legacy of the PS3

A recent statistic released as part of the massive Insomniac Games breach reveals that the PS3 still has millions of active players, more than fifteen years after its launch. The high-profile ransomware attack against the Spider-Man developer saw a plethora of details about both past and upcoming projects leaked. Early gameplay footage of Insomniac's highly-anticipated Wolverine game leaked out to the public, reportedly even containing an alpha build of the upcoming game. Now, a recently discovered statistic from the breach contains some surprising data about the PS3.

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While the PS3 saw a rocky launch in 2006, following complaints from fans about its price point and lack of compelling games, the console significantly rebounded in its later years. The PS3 featured a plethora of iconic titles throughout its lifespan, ranging from the Uncharted franchise to The Last of Us among others. The PS3 was also notorious for its complex architecture, with many of its most popular games like Metal Gear Solid 4 still only available via the console. Now, more than fifteen years after its launch, the PS3 reportedly still has a dedicated userbase.

As reported by PlayStation Lifestyle, the recent Insomniac Games breach featured some interesting statistics about the PS3's playerbase. The breach revealed that, as of February 2023, the PS3 still reported a monthly active user count of nearly 2 million players. The player counts between December 2022 and February 2023 suggested monthly player counts on PS3 fluctuated between 2.3 million and 1.9 million during the three-month-long period. The number was likely buoyed by the lack of availability of many PS3 games on modern platforms, with several PS3 games only available for streaming through PS Plus Premium.

Comparison with PS4 and PS5

Alongside the PS3's impressive player counts, the data also shared monthly active user counts for both of Sony's newer consoles as well. The PS4 boasted monthly active PSN user counts reaching 71.5 million during the same period, with the Sony platform standing as one of the best-selling consoles of all-time. The PS5 reported a monthly active user count of 37.1 million players by February 2023, according to the leak. The PS5's impressive performance comes despite early supply issues for the console following its 2020 launch.

The PS3's impressive monthly performance comes as many of its games have been made available through PS Plus Premium. The highest tier of Sony's premium subscription service includes a wide library of many of the PS3's most popular games, including the original Demon's Souls and Heavy Rain. Sony has also frequently remastered games like The Last of Us and God of War 3 in order to make them available on its modern platforms. Despite the PS3's age, the console continues to show a passionate and dedicated playerbase nearly two decades later.

The Legacy of PS3 Games

The PS3's impressive monthly performance comes as many of its games have been made available through PS Plus Premium. The highest tier of Sony's premium subscription service includes a wide library of many of the PS3's most popular games, including the original Demon's Souls and Heavy Rain. Sony has also frequently remastered games like The Last of Us and God of War 3 in order to make them available on its modern platforms. Despite the PS3's age, the console continues to show a passionate and dedicated playerbase nearly two decades later.