This year is quickly drawing to a close, and it's been an interesting one for the video game industry. The end of 2020 saw the release of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, but scarcity issues prevented many gamers from purchasing one throughout this past year. HowLongtoBeat.com has compiled a list of the year's most played systems, and those shortages seem to play a role in the narrative. The website (which is owned by IGN) ranks PC in the top spot, with PlayStation 4 at number two, Nintendo Switch at number three, PS5 at number four, and Xbox One at number five.

The full list can be found in the Tweet embedded below.

Most Played Platforms of 2021 pic.twitter.com/6ByvbUt3jX

— HowLongToBeat (@HowLongToBeat) December 19, 2021

The Tweet above is already inspiring heated debate among console enthusiasts, but readers should note that this list is based entirely on information provided by the site's users; Gaming Bible lists that number at 344.9K users, which is a solid number, but readers might want to take the data with a grain of salt. Given install bases, it's not hard to imagine PC, PS4, and Switch making up the top 3, but is the average Switch user more likely or less likely to visit HowLongtoBeat.com than a PlayStation fan? It's hard to say. Also, PlayStation 3 beating out Xbox 360 on the list seems quite plausible, but toppling both Xbox Series X|S and 3DS seems hard to believe.

Of course, it will be interesting to see how next year's list pans out! As of this writing, it's looking like next-gen console shortages will continue into 2022. However, if things start to turn around in the second half of the year, it's entirely possible there could be a big shift towards the next-gen systems. The Xbox Series S saw big gains in the end of 2021 as a possible result of shortages, so it's possible that could continue. Switch could start to slow down in its sixth year on the market, but the system's line-up of exclusives could keep users coming back. It's impossible to predict the future, so we'll just have to wait and see!

Most Retired Games (By Rate) 😅 pic.twitter.com/p4vn2cLn6t

— HowLongToBeat (@HowLongToBeat) December 17, 2021

Most Completed Games of 2021 pic.twitter.com/Kp1LF91aPN

— HowLongToBeat (@HowLongToBeat) December 17, 2021

Posted: Dec 24, 2021 11:29 am
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/most-played-video-game-consoles-switch-xbox-playstation-2021/