INDUSTRY

entertainment

Category

game platforms

products Profiled

PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and related accessories

PlayStation VR 

H-Score

35

ranked 7th of 20 within the entertainment industry

ranked 54th of 76 overall

product descriptions

Sony’s PlayStation is a popular video game console brand developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment with over 100 million monthly PlayStation Network users.(1) PlayStation serves as a gaming system that connects to a TV or monitors, giving players access to video gaming titles and various streaming, music, and video services. Sony has developed several generations of PlayStation, the latest being PlayStation 5, that offer advanced features that enhance the gaming experience. PlayStation also offers an option for virtual reality gaming through its PlayStation VR headset allowing users to experience immersive gaming titles.

product use

PlayStation users have access to a diverse set of gaming titles that include both single and multiplayer options. Users can enjoy multiplayer games online with friends or in person by connecting additional controllers. Upon starting the console, users are brought to their home screen where they can access recently played video games, entertainment apps, and the PlayStation store. Users also have access to or can install a variety of entertainment apps allowing them to enjoy TV, movies, and music.(2) PlayStation also offers users the PlayStation Network to access the PlayStation store, online games, and entertainment apps, and PlayStation Plus, a premium service, to access a wide catalog of games and to online multiplayer games.

who’s affected

Sony’s target audience for PlayStation has long been men aged 17-40(3) but since the release of the PlayStation 5, expansion was seen in women gamers with women representing 41% PlayStation 5 owners.(4) In Building H’s consumer research, 59% of PlayStation and PlayStation VR users were male, 41% were female, and less than 1% identified as other. PlayStation and PlayStation VR users skew somewhat younger than the general population: 27% were between the ages of 18 and 29, 55% between 30 and 49, 13% between 50 and 64, 10% between 50 and 59, and only 5% 65 and older. Among heavy PlayStation and PlayStation VR users (defined as using the console ≥1 hour per day), 61% were male and 39% were female. Twenty-seven (27) percent of heavy PlayStation users were between the ages 18 and 29, 58% between 30 and 49, 10% between 50 and 64, and 4% 65 or older. PlayStation and PlayStation VR users' incomes skewed higher from the general population: 21% made less than $50,000 per year, 43% made between $50,000 and $100,000 per year, 20% made between $100,000 and $150,000 per year, and 17% made at least $150,000 per year.(5)

influence on health-related behaviors

EATING

slight to moderate negative influence

PlayStation, like other video game consoles, can negatively influence eating habits. Playing video games on consoles like PlayStation can decrease users' ability to estimate the amount of food they have consumed and can influence the consumption of unhealthy foods. 

Several studies have documented the overconsumption of food caused by the absence of hunger(6) and impairment to satiety cues(7) following video game playing on consoles like PlayStation – though not specific to PlayStation. Playing video games, which can be a form of distraction while eating, puts gamers at higher risk of overconsuming food.(8) Playing video games on consoles like PlayStation has been linked with greater consumption of sugary foods,(9) fatty foods,(10) and salty foods.(11) Studies have also reported that video gamers eat fewer fruits and vegetables and foods high in fiber.(12,13) In addition, gamers may be likely to consume energy drinks, especially those that are specifically marketed to them, which claim to enhance attention and reaction time.(14)

In Building H’s consumer research, we found that 51% of PlayStation users reported snacking always or almost always (19%) or frequently (32%) while playing. Fifty-one (51) percent of heavy PlayStation users reported snacking always or almost always (18%) or frequently (33%).(15)

Fifty-nine (59) percent of PlayStation VR users reported snacking always or almost always (22%) or frequently (37%) while playing. Fifty-one (51) percent of heavy PlayStation VR users reported snacking always or almost always (25%) or frequently (38%).(16)

PlayStation users did report that these snacks were predominantly healthy: 65% of PlayStation users reported consuming either very healthy (26%) or somewhat healthy (39%) snacks. Heavy PlayStation users consumed both very healthy (25%) and somewhat healthy (38%) snacks in nearly identical proportions.(17)

Seventy-seven (77) percent of PlayStation VR users reported consuming either very healthy (37%) or somewhat healthy (40%) snacks. Heavy PlayStation VR users also consumed both very healthy (38%) and somewhat healthy (41%) snacks in nearly identical proportions.(18)

Our research also found associations between PlayStation use and other eating habits: 52% and 73% of heavy PlayStation and PlayStation VR gamers, respectively, have three (3) or more meals delivered per week compared to 5% of non-gamers. In addition, 55% of heavy PlayStation gamers and 75% of heavy PlayStation VR gamers reported eating three (3) or more fast food meals per week compared to 14% of non-gamers.(19) Note that researchers have found 70% of meals served at fast food restaurants to be of poor nutritional quality.(20)

Lastly, 40% of heavy PlayStation users reported consuming energy drinks while gaming either frequently (27%) or always or almost always (13%). Among heavy PlayStation VR users, 57% reported consuming energy drinks while gaming either frequently (37%) or always or almost always (20%).(21) Research has linked energy drink consumption to metabolic disorder due to their high added sugar content.(22)

PHYSICAL ACTVITY

slight negative influence

Playing video games is largely, if not exclusively, a sedentary activity with 76% of heavy PlayStation users reporting playing while sitting or reclining either always or almost always (45%) or frequently (31%). Seventy-one (71) percent of heavy PlayStation VR users report playing while sitting or reclining either frequently (35%) or always or almost always (36%).(23)

As a popular leisure activity, playing video games limits time available for physical activity. Fifty-six (56) percent of PlayStation users and 52% of PlayStation VR users report playing one (1) hour or more per day. Also, 45% of PlayStation users and 57% of PlayStation VR reported playing five (5) or more hours per week compared to 38% of gamers in general.(24)

In addition, increased gaming predicts less time spent on physical activity due to the limited time available to participate in other activities including outdoor activities or sports.(25) Research has shown a significant association between individuals playing video games for more than seven (7) hours per week and reduced vigorous physical activity.(26) Our own research did not find such an association. Twenty-eight (28) percent of heavy PlayStation users reported engaging in at least two and a half (2½) hours of moderate or vigorous physical activity per week, compared to 27% of non-gamers. Only 12% of heavy PlayStation users reported engaging in less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week, as compared to 36% of non-gamers.(27)

Among heavy PlayStation VR users, 32% reported engaging in at least two and a half (2½) hours of physical activity per week. Only 5% of heavy PlayStation VR users reported getting 30 minutes or less of physical activity per week.(28) 

PlayStation offers users a select number of active video game titles, which have been found to promote physical activity and improve overall physical health among adolescents.(29) Short sessions of these active video games offer users the same level of intensity as light-to-moderate traditional physical activities like walking, skipping, and jogging.(30) While these active video game titles are offered by PlayStation, they require additional equipment including the PlayStation Move Controllers, PlayStation Camera, and PlayStation VR. Active VR gaming can be an alternative to traditional exercise methods to help enhance physical activity. Fully immersive active VR games can elicit moderate to vigorous physical activity in young adults.(31) In Building H consumer research, 38% of heavy PlayStation users reported either frequently (21%) or always/almost always (17%) standing and actively moving while gaming. Fifty-eight (58) percent of heavy PlayStation VR users reported either frequently (31%) or always/almost always (28%) standing and actively moving while gaming.(32)

moderate negative influence

Gaming on consoles like PlayStation is associated with longer onset of sleep, short sleep duration, and poor sleep quality.(33) Recent findings suggest that with each additional hour of gaming per day, bedtime is delayed by 6.9 minutes, wake-up time by 13.8 minutes, and the odds of having poor sleep increased by 31.0%.(34) In addition, it was found that gaming exceeding an hour per day decreases sleep quality with unfavorable sleep resulting from gaming for more than two hours per day.(35)

Recent US survey data indicates that 53.8% of adult gamers reported delaying sleep in order to game and 37.8% got less than five (5) hours of sleep per night.(36) 

Consistent with this information, in Building H consumer research, 66% of heavy PlayStation gamers and 84% of heavy PlayStation VR gamers reported delaying sleep at least two (2) nights per week compared to 46% of all gamers. However, the impact of this behavior did not show in our data on overall sleep: 30% and 19% of heavy PlayStation and PlayStation VR users, respectively, reported getting six (6) or less actual hours of sleep per night, as compared to 38% of non-gamers.(37)

Late-night gaming also leads to exposure to the blue light emitted by the TV screen on which the game is displayed. Blue light enhances alertness and arousal and delays melatonin production – all of which impact sleep-wake cycles.(38)

PlayStation doesn't offer any features that promote better sleep. Parents do have a “playtime” setting where they can limit the overall amount of time played each day.

Finally, consumption of energy drinks has been tied to an increased risk of poor sleep(39) and, as noted above, well over a third of heavy PlayStation users and more than half of heavy PlayStation VR users report consuming energy drinks frequently (or even more often) while they play.

Engaging Socially

neutral to slight positive influence

PlayStation offers users a social platform where users can build social networks and communities. PlayStation provides users with the opportunity to create social connections as players work together and have a shared experience. Multiplayer games, in particular, allow gamers to connect locally through in-person games or globally where they can meet and connect with people they met online. Building H’s consumer research shows that 24% of PlayStation gamers and 16% of PlayStation VR gamers play single-player games always or almost always. Sixteen (16) percent of PlayStation users and seventeen (17) percent of PlayStation VR users play multiplayer games always or almost always (4%, 4%) or mostly (12%, 13%), respectively.(40) Research has shown that video games offer shy, socially anxious, and socially inhibited players the opportunity to strengthen pre-existing friendships built online and generate additional social support.(41)

Online video games offer gamers the opportunity to engage actively with others compared to other on-screen behaviors by allowing gamers to participate in a shared activity with a common goal.(42) A recent study found a correlation between multiplayer online games and a sense of social identity, which corresponded with higher self-esteem and more social competence along with lower levels of loneliness.(43) Another study that focused on men, found that those with more depressive symptoms and less real-life support were roughly 40% more likely to form and maintain social ties with fellow gamers than those reporting more real-life support.(44) Increasingly users play video games to stay connected with friends and family, with 53% of US gamers (not specific to PlayStation) reporting online gaming as a way to spend time with others that they don’t get the chance to see often.(45) Furthermore, 74% of parents report playing video games with their children at least weekly.(46)

In Building H consumer research, 52% of heavy PlayStation users reported being lonely as did 54% of heavy PlayStation VR users, compared to 41% of non-gamers. Yet, PlayStation users appear to engage in more in-person social activity. Sixty-eight (68) percent of heavy PlayStation users and 81% of heavy PlayStation VR users reported having two or more in-person social visits with people from outside of their household per week, as compared to 45% of non-gamers.(47)

The quality of social experience might differ depending on the game being played or the source of communication being utilized. Gamers have identified co-players who are close, trusted, and valued friends with 75% of individuals surveyed reporting making good friends online and 40% of those discussing offline issues online.(48) Even when voice chat is not being used meaningfully social interactions can still occur where users exchange positive social-emotional messages more than task-oriented messages.(49) Even though features offered by developers and gaming platforms provide a source for people to connect and meet new people, toxic behaviors experienced during gameplay can deteriorate from the overall experience. After experiencing these toxic behaviors, gamers might change session length, session frequency, and retention.(50)

In Building H’s consumer research, respondents were asked how playing games had influenced their relationships and social interactions in 13 different ways, including, for example, “meet new people,” “give emotional support to others,” and “feel less excluded.” PlayStation users reported a slight positive effect: on a scale of +3 to -3, the average score was 0.92 with the low being 0.75 and the high being 1.08 across all 13 questions.(51) They gave their highest scores to “interact with people I know” and “feel satisfied with my relationships,” and their lowest to “meeting new people” and “make friends.” Heavy PlayStation users also said that the platform had a positive influence: the average score was 1.06, with the low being 0.91 and the high being 1.2. PlayStation VR users also reported a positive effect, with an average of 1.19 across the 13 questions. Users gave their highest ratings to “feel satisfied with my relationships” and “meet my desired levels of socializing” and their lowest scores to “meet new people” and “make friends.” Similarly, for heavy PlayStation VR users the average score was 1.29, with a high of 1.35 and a low of 0.96.(52) 

PlayStation encourages social play through its online services. PlayStation Network is a free service where users can add friends, use various messaging features, and access online gaming, streaming, and entertainment services. PlayStation also offers users PlayStation Plus, a three-tier membership option that is required to play online multiplayer games, and offers several perks like monthly free games. As of March 2023, PlayStation Network had 108 million active users while PlayStation Plus had 47.3 million active users. PlayStation users also have access to their profiles and messages through the PlayStation app.

Getting Outdoors

neutral to slight negative influence

Gaming consoles are stationary devices and therefore are not intended for outdoor use. On the other hand, virtual reality devices are portable and more likely to be used outdoors by gamers. In Building H’s consumer research, 37% of heavy PlayStation users reported gaming outdoors frequently (26%) and always or almost always (11%) compared to 30% reporting rarely or never. Among heavy PlayStation VR users, 58% reported playing outdoors frequently (37%) and always or almost always (21%) compared to 9% reporting rarely or never. In addition, Building H consumer research revealed 66% of heavy PlayStation users and 71% of heavy PlayStation VR users reported being outdoors for an hour or more per day in summer, as compared to 51% of non-gamers.(53)

Return to 2024 Building H Index

1. J. Clement. PlayStation Network MAU 2023. Statista. November 10, 2023.

2. PS4 entertainment | Stream TV, movies and music from your PS4 console. PlayStation website, accessed November 14, 2023.

3. Aditya Shastri. Complete Marketing Strategy of Playstation. The Digital School. September 19, 2022.

4. Christopher Dring. PlayStation targets over 50% of the games console market with PS5. GamesIndustry.biz. May 27, 2021.

5. Evan Cook. Measuring the Product Environment: How do Video Games on Health Behaviors? Building H on Medium. April 23, 2024.

6. Mario Siervo et al. Acute effects of video-game playing versus television viewing on stress markers and food intake in overweight and obese young men: A randomised controlled trial. Appetite. Volume 120, Issue 1 (January 2018), pp. 100-108.

7. Jean-Phillippe Chaput et al. Video game playing increases food intake in adolescents: a randomized crossover study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Volume 93, Issue 6 (June 2011), pp. 1196-1203.

8. Rose Oldham-Cooper et al. Playing a computer game during lunch affects fullness, memory for lunch, and later snack intake. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Volume 93, Issue 2 (2011), pp. 308-313.

9. Mario Siervo et al. Acute effects of violent video-game playing on blood pressure and appetite perception in normal-weight young men: a randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Volume 67, Issue 12 (2013), pp. 1322-1324.

10. Dustin Moore and Jesse Stabile Morrell. Do dietary patterns differ with video game usage in college men? Journal of American College Health. Published online Aug 23, 2022.

11. Siervo et al. (2018).

12. Mario Siervo et al. Frequent video-game playing in young males is associated with central adiposity and high-sugar, low-fibre dietary consumption. Eating and Weight Disorders. Volume 19, Issue 4 (2014), pp. 515-520.

13. Siervo et al (2018).

14. Dana Roscoe et al. Fueling the Games”: Energy Drink Consumption, Marketing, and the Associated Perceptions and Behaviors in Video Gaming. Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports. Volume1, Issue 1 (2021), pp. 1-9.

15. Cook (2024).

16. Ibid.

17. Ibid.

18. Ibid.

19. Ibid.

20. Junxiu Liu et al. Quality of Meals Consumed by US Adults at Full-Service and Fast-Food Restaurants, 2003–2016: Persistent Low Quality and Widening Disparities. The Journal of Nutrition. Volume 150, Issue 4 (April 2020), pp. 873–883.

21. Cook (2024).

22. Laila Al-Shaar et al. Health Effects and Public Health Concerns of Energy Drink Consumption in the United States: A Mini-Review. Frontiers in Public Health. Volume 5, Article 225 (2017).

23. Cook (2024).

24. Ibid.

25. Beate Hygen et al. Longitudinal relations between gaming, physical activity, and athletic self-esteem. Computers in Human Behavior. Volume 132 (July 2022).

26. Mario Siervo et al. Frequent video-game playing in young males is associated with central adiposity and high-sugar, low-fibre dietary consumption. Eating and Weight Disorders. Volume 19 (May 2014), pp. 515-520.

27. Cook (2024).

28. Ibid.

29. Wanda Williams and Cynthia Ayres. Can Active Video Games Improve Physical Activity in Adolescents? A Review of RCT. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.  Volume 17, Issue 2 (January 2020), p. 669.

30. Ibid.

31. Caio Sousa et al. Active video games in fully immersive virtual reality elicit moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and improve cognitive performance in sedentary college students. Journal of Sport and Health Science. Volume 11, Issue 2 (March 2022), pp. 164-171.

32. Evan Cook (2024).

33. Joaquim Kristensen et al. Problematic Gaming and Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry. Volume 12 (2021).

34. Chadley Kemp et al. Sleep in Habitual Adult Video Gamers: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Neuroscience. Volume 15 (2021).

35. Ibid.

36. Lauren Gravitz. How Gamers Actually Sleep. Sleep Foundation website. November 18, 2022.

37. Cook (2024).

38. Kristensen et al. (2021).

39. Al-Shaar et al. (2017).

40. Cook (2024).

41. Rachel Kowert and Linda K. Kaye. Video Games Are Not Socially Isolating, in C. Ferguson (ed) Video Game Influences on Aggression, Cognition, and Attention (2018), pp. 185–195.

42. Stephen Gossett. The Real Social Benefits of Video Games. Built In. January 23, 2023.

43. Kowert and Kaye (2018).

44. Tyler Prochnow et al. Online Gaming Network Communication Dynamics, Depressive Symptoms, and Social Support: A Longitudinal Network Analysis. Sociological Focus. Volume 56, Issue 3 (2023).

45. Entertainment Software Association. 2021 Essential Facts About the Video Game Industry. 2021.

46. Ibid.

47. Cook (2024).

48. Kowert and Kaye (2018).

49. Andrew Fishman. Video Games Are Social Spaces: How Video Games Help People Connect. Response for Teens website, accessed November 14, 2023.

50. Otto Soderlund. Voice Chat is Popular with Gamers - It's also the Top Source of Toxic Behavior. Speechly. March 8, 2023.

51. Using an adaptation of the Retrospective Assessment for Connection Impact (RACI) scale developed by Matthew Smith.

52. Cook (2024).

53. Ibid.