MLB The Show 23 has six times the players on Xbox than first-party PS5 By Kes Eylers-Stephenson, 05 Apr 2023 FollowtopicsMLB The Show 23Sony Interactive EntertainmentChartPlayStation 4PlayStation 5PlayStation PlusKes Eylers-Stephenson MLB The Show 23 has six times the players on Xbox through Game Pass than PS5 or PS4, despite the formerly exclusive baseball-sim being a PlayStation Studios game.You might be stepping up to the plate for those MLB The Show 23 trophies right now on PS5 or PS4, but it looks like you'll be outmatched on the field by six times the number of players on Xbox Series X and Series S than PlayStation.Chart compiled using gameplay data from over 3 million active PlayStation accounts and over 2.4 million Xbox accounts. Chart information is copyright GameInsights.MLB The Show 23's numbers are down on PS5 compared to XboxGame Pass deal pays dividends with a massive player baseLet's break down the data. MLB The Show 23 has been out for a week on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch — so we are taking the player count from seven days. On all PlayStation consoles with our sample of 3 million players, MLB The Show 23 charted in 41st on our PlayStation Chart of the most popular games, linked above. On the Xbox Chart with a sample of 2.4 million players, the baseball simulation charted in 13th, outperforming the likes of Halo Infinite, Hogwarts Legacy, and Madden NFL 23.When we adjust the data for the total sample size difference, MLB The Show 23 was played by 6.8 times more players on Xbox consoles compared to both PS5 and PS4. Though it's worth noting our PlayStation sample might be slightly skewed towards the European market, the sheer quantitive value of that sample set is more than enough to make this a valuable comparison. MLB The Show 23 in actionThat leaves us with two questions, why does it matter and why does MLB's debut favour Xbox so heavily? Well, the baseball-sim is the most notable baseball game on the planet and the franchise has been uncontested for years. That makes it incredibly valuable, especially with all of its official MLB licensing, not least because it sells millions of copies every year. Secondly, it's because Studio San Diego of the PlayStation Studios family develops the game, meaning it's technically a Sony first-party title and had been from the PS2 all the way until the final year of the PS4 generation. Indeed, it would have continued to be a PlayStation exclusive until the MLB licensing agreement was put in jeopardy by the sporting organisation that wanted the game on all consoles. To retain the license, Sony had to begin releasing the game on all systems starting with MLB The Show 21.Since MLB The Show 21, every title has been a day one title on Xbox Game Pass while PlayStation fans have had to pay full price for the game (and Nintendo fans too, one supposes). Xbox Game Pass is like a designated hitter for MLB The Show, stepping up to bat for an outfield player and utterly smashing it out of the park with the bases loaded as it supercharges the player count. From being a PlayStation system seller for baseball fans around the globe for 14 years, it seems to have become a bit of a phenomenon on Xbox through Game Pass. That 6.8 times value is no small margin and will result in a tangible profit in some way. More players assumedly means more microtransaction purchases in the custom team mode Diamond Dynasty, meaning more revenue for Sony. Though, how the average microtransaction spend on Xbox compares to the profit of just outright buying the game on PlayStation is anyone's guess.MLB The Show 23's added many features this year, including the Negro Leagues modeOn the other side of the fence, the fact that Sony hasn't offered up MLB The Show 23 on PS Plus Extra is a little surprising, but then Sony's method when it comes to its subscription service has been vastly different to Microsoft's constant stream of first-party day one games. Without doing into that whole non-sequitur, if Sony is keeping MLB The Show 23 off of PS Plus despite lower player counts, it might just be that Sony is content with the revenue it generates from sales of the game and the microtransactions therein. In any case, MLB The Show 23 is dominating on Xbox right now in terms of player count, and that is probably one of the nerdiest oddities for a PlayStation fan used to the exclusivity. Does this intrigue you? Do you think the 6.8 times the players mean little to Sony? Let us know what you think of this information in the comments down below!More MLB The Show 23 stories: Sony's 2023 live service plan has used 55% of PS5 game budget MLB The Show 23 trophies lure you into microtransaction marketplace PlayStation PlusChartPlayStation 5PlayStation 4PlayStation 4 Pro Written by Kes Eylers-StephensonEditor Kes is our resident expert in PlayStation and Sony news. He writes about PS5 exclusives like Horizon, The Last of Us, God of War, and Death Stranding 2 using experience from years of playing PlayStation games. He also covers PS Plus and trophy news, as well as his favorite games — The Witcher 3, Assassin’s Creed, and some indie gems — before an evening swim.