Skip to main content

Playstation 3 Most Connected Console, But do Numbers Lie?

A new survey from The Diffusion Group shows that Sony’s Playstation 3 is the most connected of the 3 major consoles, with 78% of all the consoles connected to the internet.  Oddly, that still puts them in third place for number of people online.

Sales figures show that the Playstation 3 has sold over 33 million units worldwide, while Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has sold over 39 million.  Nintendo’s Wii continues to have a huge lead, selling over 69 million- which means that with 54 percent of Wii users online, Nintendo has more online users than Sony has consoles on the market.

New software and third party partnerships have allowed the consoles to be more than just outlets for gaming, and all three companies are taking full advantage of that fact. This week the Nintendo Wii became the latest and the last console to allow Netflix to stream instantly to the console. Xbox Live has released several third party apps including Facebook and Last.fm, while the PS3 has a built in web browser. All three also offer multiple sources of video content and donwloadable games for sale.

This is a trend we will definitely be seeing more of. Just last week it was reported that a staggering 2.5 million online users had purchased the Modern Warfare 2 “Stimulus Package” DLC, bringing in $37.5 million, all purchased online. Expect game developers to stare lovingly at those figures while encouraging developers to consider additional DLCs for upcoming titles.

Editors' Recommendations

Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
Save $15 when you get 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate today
Promotional art for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

 

Subscription services for entertainment have been around for a while, starting with Netflix and expanding to both Amazon Video and Disney Plus, and only recently reaching the gaming world. One of the first in the game for both consoles and PCs was Microsoft with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, offering many great games for a small monthly subscription. Luckily, this 4th of July deal nets you a $30 3-month subscription from CDKeys, whereas it would normally cost $45 if you went through Microsoft. That's $15 you get to save to potentially spend on more games, which is always a win.

Read more
Payday 3 plays great, but that’s not the biggest challenge this shooter faces
Four players fight in Payday 3.

When Payday 3 launches this September, it’ll have been over a decade since the release of its predecessor. A follow-up to one of the most popular games on Steam, Payday 3 looks to update the cooperative heist experience by deepening the interactions players can have before and after the cops arrive with character and weapon customization, as well as a new story. I went hands-on with Payday 3 following its gameplay reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase and found it executed solidly on all those fronts.

PAYDAY 3: Gameplay Trailer

Read more
Xbox Games Showcase can succeed where the PlayStation Showcase struggled
Senua stares ahead wearing war paint.

If there’s one video game presentation happening over the next week that has the most to prove, it’s the Xbox Games Showcase. Despite a strong start to the year with Hi-Fi Rush and a solid Developer Direct showcase, Microsoft’s gaming branch has floundered in recent months because of struggles with its acquisition of Activision Blizzard and the rocky launch of Redfall. With the Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct Double Feature, Microsoft must reconfirm its commitment to gaming and to releasing high-quality first-party exclusives.

That said, Xbox is in an excellent position to do just that because of Sony’s underwhelming May showcase. As the first major gaming presentation of the summer, Sony had the chance to “win” the whole game reveal season early with its PlayStation Showcase. Ultimately, that live stream proved disappointing because of its focus on CGI reveal trailers and live service games.

Read more