Xbox Series X|S consoles may have a smaller userbase compared to the total number of players using Valve’s PC gaming platform Steam or Sony’s PlayStation 5 (PS5), but according to a new report, there is one statistic Microsoft’s gaming brand holds a strong lead in.
That metric is the total number of games that fans play in a month, with data from the entertainment research firm Ampere Analytics showing that in August, Xbox users played an average of 5.7 titles, while Steam users played 4.5 and PS5 players engaged with 3.7.
Ampere went on to note that on average, Steam users play one game fewer than Xbox ones do, with PlayStation fans lagging further behind with two fewer games played. The company says these averages have been consistent since it began tracking this metric in August 2022, meaning this has been the case for three years.
To the surprise of absolutely no one, the reason this is thought to be the case is the prominence and popularity of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service in which subscribers get access to a library of hundreds of games in exchange for a monthly fee. Since its introduction in 2017, Game Pass has grown enormously, with the achievement of reaching 34 million members in early 2024 being its latest milestone.
Even though that number includes subscribers to the Xbox Game Pass Core tier that was essentially just a replacement for Xbox Live Gold payments for access to online play, it’s nevertheless undeniable that Game Pass is widely used around the globe. And with over 500 games on offer at any given time, it’s clear that the program is enabling fans to play more games than they’d be able to, otherwise.
With that said, Ampere also highlights that on average, Xbox players are spending less total time in-game than Steam or PS5 ones do. Last month, for example, PS5 users spent 12.7 playing games and Steam ones spent 11.9 hours in-game, but Xbox fans only recorded 7.7 hours. That’s a major difference of roughly four-to-five hours, which is quite surprising.
With that said, Ampere also highlights that on average, Xbox players are spending less total time in-game than Steam or PS5 ones do. Last month, for example, PS5 users spent 12.7 playing games and Steam ones spent 11.9 hours in-game, but Xbox fans only recorded 7.7 hours.
Notably, this metric has proven to be swayed significantly by Call of Duty releases — a franchise that Microsoft now owns and includes on Game Pass after its acquisition of Activision Blizzard for Xbox in 2023. Last year, average Xbox playtime jumped 20% to 10.4 hours in November after the launch of Black Ops 6, then slowly tapered off over time. A similar spike is expected from the upcoming release of Black Ops 7 on November 14.
In August, 42% of Xbox playtime was spent in games available on Game Pass. When Call of Duty games come out in the fall, however, this number surges to over 50%, highlighting the strong impact the fan-favorite FPS franchise has. However, it also shows that outside of those release windows, most in-game time is spent on titles that aren’t in Game Pass (though not by much).
Ultimately, the major takeaway from this data is that Xbox users play a greater number of games than Steam and PS5 ones do, but spend considerably less time in-game total. This highlights the strongest benefits of Game Pass, which are that it allows its members to affordably try out a great number of games even if they have limited time.
All in all, I find it pretty interesting to get a look at metrics like these, especially at a time when debates about the viability of Game Pass rage on ad infinitum. Based on the information available publicly, all signs point to the business being profitable, in the end — and I’m glad for it. Amid increasing costs of living and price hikes on hardware due to tariffs, I sincerely hope the best deal in gaming isn’t going anywhere.
The best tier of the service is the $19.99/month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which gives you access to it on Xbox consoles and Windows (through the Xbox PC app), along with Xbox Cloud Gaming on a wide range of different devices. You can get a month of it for only $11.59 at Loaded (formerly CDKeys), which is a phenomenal deal.
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