Why Do Consoles Make You Pay for Multiplayer?
In the world of gaming, online multiplayer was once a free feature exclusive to PC gamers. That is, until console gaming introduced its own version. The question on many gaming enthusiasts’ minds is simple: Why do console gamers have to pay a fee to play online while PC gamers don’t?
In this article, we’ll delve into the world of console gaming’s subscription-based online multiplayer culture, exploring the reasons why consoles make you pay to play with others online while PCs don’t.
Reason 1: Network Maintenance Costs
One obvious reason consoles charge for multiplayer is to cover the hefty costs of maintaining their own network infrastructure. It costs money to keep multiple servers running 24/7, 365, handling thousands of concurrent gaming sessions, and ensuring zero-downtime experiences.
The costs of maintaining gaming servers are substantial, according to Sony’s own 2020 report, each server costs around ₤500,000 () to set up and can support up to 6000 players. You can imagine the number when scaling this up to maintain hundreds of servers for multi-player games.
Servers Need Maintenance
| Activity | Cost |
|---|---|
| Server Setup | +500,000 |
| Ongoing Maintenance | ? ( unknown) |
| Peak Hour Support | extra? ( unknown) |
- Is the icon of sin the Doom Slayer’s son?
- Can you date anyone in Hogwarts Legacy?
- What is the best sword in Shadow of the Colossus?
- Is 32GB RAM overkill for video editing?
- Do video games cause aggression in children?
- Is embit a good loomian?
- What do you need for dragon armor in Hypixel?
- Am I asexual if I like fictional characters?