Sony is testing a new PS5 feature that shows how many people are actively playing games each week. For the first time, PlayStation users can see real player numbers directly on their console’s home screen.
Sony Interactive Entertainment is testing a new social feature for the PS5 that lets users view the weekly active player count for the top 10 games. The widget shows which games are being played the most by players in your region. Selecting “Top 10” shows the current week’s most popular games. Selecting “Trending Now” displays the games that are surging in popularity.
If you have been selected to test the feature, you will see a pop-up that reads: Available for a limited time. The Community Activity (Beta) widget shows which games are being played the most by players in your country. Select [Top 10] to see this week’s most popular games. Select [Trending Now] to show which games and modes are surging in popularity right now.
The widget lives inside the PS5 Welcome Hub and is currently limited to beta program participants. There is no confirmed timeline for when this update will roll out to all PS5 consoles, but multiple beta insiders report receiving the latest update with the Player Count Widget.
The widget has two modes, each showing different data. The second ranking is a trending list based on big jumps in player activity week-to-week. It does not show total weekly players for these games, but it does break out other metrics like the percentage jump in total playtime.
The Trending Now widget prioritizes games that experience large increases in player numbers over a short period. This applies particularly to indie titles growing through viral effects or streamers, games after major content updates or DLC releases, and older titles getting a boost through sales or pop culture.
This makes the Trending tab useful for spotting games that just received a big patch or a wave of attention online, even if they are not in the overall top 10.
