Esports has traditionally been dominated by PC titles, but could that be set to change?
Is there a more recognizable name in gaming than ‘PlayStation’? We all remember the days of sitting on our beds or in our living rooms, Gameboy in hand, with our parents bemoaning us for spending too much time on PlayStation. But, generational ignorance aside, Sony’s PlayStation has become the de facto face of gaming.
However, despite dominating the console market, PlayStation has never quite managed to make the sorts of forays into the world of competitive Esports as much as its PC counterparts. But could that be about to change? Join us as we look at the state of play for PlayStation Esports and what the future might hold for it!
What Is Esports?
Before going into the future of PlayStation Esports, it might be worth sparing a few words to explain what exactly ‘Esports’ means. ‘Esports’ is an umbrella term used to describe playing video games competitively at various events and tournaments worldwide. Players can make a career by playing esports titles professionally, and the industry has become big business over the past decade.
As of 2023, the Esports industry is worth approximately $1.72 billion and is expected to rise to $5.48 billion by the decade’s end. In North America alone, Esports is worth $243 million, making it the second-largest market behind Asia. Over 500 million people watched some form of competitive video gaming last year, and that figure is also set to rise in the coming years due to greater recognition and more accessibility.
Esports has found an interesting niche in the entertainment world. With reaction times, depth of strategies, and communication skills akin to those of real-world sports stars, there’s no doubting the validity of Esports pros as masters of their crafts. The production value of events such as the FNCS and The International makes for quite the spectacle.
PlayStation’s Biggest Esports Games
Most of the established esports titles in the industry are currently played on PC. League of Legends, Dota 2, and CS: GO have all been played diligently for over a decade now and, unlike much of the PlayStation library, are all free-to-play.
The free-to-play model is one that the majority of the Esports industry has now adopted. Out of all the Esports titles available to play on a PlayStation, it’s no surprise that Fortnite and Rocket League (free to play) are the most popular and established.
Elsewhere in the PlayStation Universe, FIFA, Madden, Rainbow Six Siege, Call of Duty, SMITE, Tekken, Overwatch, and Street Fighter all boast their competitive scenes of varying sizes.
A Word On Streaming
Esports is one potential avenue of making money from playing video games, but it certainly isn’t the only option for PlayStation users. Through online streaming platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, or, more recently, Kick, players can broadcast their games for the whole world to watch and interact with. One look at the most popular Twitch categories shows Grand Theft Auto V, Minecraft, and Dead by Daylight, with tens of thousands of viewers at a time.
These games might not have much of an established Esports presence. Still, they showcase the possibility of PlayStation users taking advantage of the growing popularity of streaming that has arisen, at least in part, thanks to competitive video gaming.
The Future Of Esports On PlayStation
Fundamentally, PlayStation Esports will continue to grow as the professional gaming and wider video game industry expand. Titles that were previously exclusive on other platforms or required in-game purchases, such as Fortnite or Rocket League, are now available on PlayStation for free, providing a significant boost to PlayStation Esports.
Despite no longer being a PS4 staple, the professional Call of Duty League (CDL) still requires players to use league-sanctioned controllers. While it isn’t nearly as large as League of Legends or CS: GO, for example, it is an established force in the industry that will likely remain so for many years.
The impending launch of EA’s new EA Sports franchise also promises plenty of shake-ups in how the company organizes its professional scene. EA has spoken at length about its vision of helping nurture its competitive circuits.
Now that it is free of partnerships with governing bodies such as FIFA, could we see an expanded and more accessible pro sports simulator scene on PlayStation? Either way, the future of PlayStation in both the Esports and wider gaming community still looks to be going strong for the years ahead!
