The release of Sony's newest system has fans ready to try new or upgraded games, but the PlayStation 5's current most popular game may not be as accurate as players might think. The new console hasn't been out long enough for many games to release, but with titles such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War already out, it would make sense that one of these popular titles would be the star for the PS5. However, this has not been the case thanks to an unfair advantage that one game has over the others.
Currently, Astro's Playroom holds the spot for most popular game by a large margin. This doesn't mean that the game itself is catching the attention of PS5 fans, however. The game is pre-installed on the new console at purchase, and is used to show the numerous new functions of the DualSense controller. The game allows players to explore the controller's abilities and test the new pressure sensitive triggers and touchpad through a guided tutorial. Because it is part of the actual demo for the controller, most players do open the pre-installed game to give the test run a try, and this has heavily skewed the results for the most popular game currently on the PS5.
According to the data provided by NewZoo, Astro's Playroom holds the position of #1 game by a steep 52.6%, with Spider-Man: Miles Morales trailing behind at 37.8%. However, these numbers for Astro's Playroom don't show gamer interest so much as that players have opened the game and looked around, since it was already pre-installed on the PS5 console and part of a setup tutorial. For games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, players have to actually purchase the game to open it and have it show up in statistics, making the stats much more accurate in showing invested interest. Astro's Playroom enjoys the number one position simply because it is easily available and is tied to a part of the system's setup.
PS5's "Most Popular" Game Is Pre-Installed & Free
Another reason so many gamers might be killing some time with Astro's Playroom revolves around download speeds. The PS5 has shown extremely slow load times, leaving players with hours to burn while they wait to start the games that they purchased. Gamers could walk away and leave the console to download, but might prefer exploring the available options on the console to pass the time. Because of this, it is likely players are opening Astro's Playroom because it is already there and allows them to explore their new console while they wait to jump into a Spider-Man suit or join a team on Black Ops.
With slow download speeds and pre-installation at its advantage, Astro's Playroom has an unfair curve to it's perceived 'popularity', acting more as a way to pass time or a tutorial for controllers, than to be playable as a favorite game. Because the data provided doesn't take into consideration that the game is available to all Sony fans immediately, the numbers will likely remained heavily skewed in the game's direction, instead of allowing other titles like Spider-Man: Miles Morales to take the rightful place in the number one seat. The PlayStation 5 has many wonderful games to offer, and while they may take time to download, it is clear one of the biggest reasons Astro's Playroom is popular because it is convenient as a time killer while players wait to slip into the games they have waited months to play.