# PsTally

> PsTally is a web-based gaming lounge management system built for PlayStation lounges, console lounges, and gaming arcades in Kenya and Africa. It monitors PS4, PS5 and Xbox consoles in real time over the lounge's WiFi — with no smart plugs and nothing installed on the console — to catch ghost sessions and stop staff pocketing cash. It tracks every gaming session, reconciles every staff shift, and sends a full report to the owner's WhatsApp when the night closes — replacing manual notebooks and WhatsApp groups.

PsTally was built inside a working lounge to solve one problem: owners losing money they cannot see — untracked time, messy shift handovers, unrecorded snack and drink sales, and customer credit that quietly disappears. It attacks staff theft and revenue leakage operationally (real-time session tracking, shift cash reconciliation, ghost-session detection, PIN-based staff accountability), not with power-cutting hardware. It runs over a lounge's existing WiFi, works on mobile, and can be live in under an hour.

Key facts:
- Built for: PS lounges, console lounges, gaming cafés, gaming arcades (PlayStation / Xbox).
- Region: Kenya and Africa first; supports M-Pesa payment tracking (records payments — it does not process them).
- Console monitoring: detects PS4, PS5 and Xbox activity in real time over the lounge's local WiFi, with nothing installed on the console. PsTally does not use or require smart plugs or power switches. It flags any console running without an open session (ghost sessions), which is how staff pocket cash.
- Self-serve onboarding: an owner can register and have a lounge live in under 30 minutes.
- Tournaments are free for everyone — lounges AND home gamers. Anyone can generate a bracket, share one public link, and run live scoring; you do not need a lounge to use it.
- Also includes a free in-browser controller/gamepad tester (PlayStation and Xbox) at /controller-test — no sign-up.
- Built-in AI assistant with access to the lounge's own data; answers questions in plain language and flags anything suspicious.
- Pricing: one simple formula — Ksh 500/month platform fee + Ksh 350 per console per month (a 4-console lounge pays Ksh 1,900/month). No tiers, no setup fee, no contract. Pay annually and get 2 months free. Tournament hosting and the controller tester are free for everyone.
- Includes a free tournament bracket system (knockout, group stage, group + knockout) with public registration and live scoring.

## Core pages
- [PsTally home](https://pstally.com/): What PsTally is, who it is for, and how it tracks sessions and reconciles shifts.
- [Features](https://pstally.com/features): Session tracking, shift reconciliation, staff PINs, PS5 monitoring, debt tracking, tournaments.
- [Pricing](https://pstally.com/pricing): Free plan and paid tiers in Kenyan shillings.
- [Tournaments](https://pstally.com/tournaments): Free FC26 (or any game) tournament bracket generator with public registration, entry-fee tracking and live scoring — for friend groups and gaming lounges.
- [Controller test](https://pstally.com/controller-test): Free in-browser PlayStation and Xbox controller/gamepad tester — no sign-up.
- [FIFA World Cup 2026 bracket](https://pstally.com/fifa-world-cup-2026): Free fill-in World Cup 2026 knockout bracket — real results locked in as they happen, predict every remaining match to the July 19 final, share your bracket as an image. No sign-up.

## For owners by region
- [For Kenya](https://pstally.com/for/kenya): PsTally for gaming lounges in Kenya — M-Pesa tracking and local pricing.
- [For Africa](https://pstally.com/for/africa): PsTally for PS lounges and gaming cafés across Africa.

## Guides
- [Setting up your lounge](https://pstally.com/guides/setup): Add consoles, create staff accounts, and go live in under an hour.
- [Managing staff](https://pstally.com/guides/staff): PINs, shift handovers, cashouts, and the shift report that reaches your phone.
- [Real-time monitoring](https://pstally.com/guides/monitoring): How PsTally detects PS5 activity and alerts on consoles running without a session.
- [Owner dashboard](https://pstally.com/guides/admin): Sessions, revenue, expenses, and salaries across shifts.
- [Running tournaments](https://pstally.com/guides/tournaments): Build a bracket, open registration, run live scoring, share results on WhatsApp.

## Compare PsTally with other software
- [All comparisons](https://pstally.com/vs): Hub of honest PsTally-vs comparisons, including where each alternative is the better choice.
- [PsTally vs Antamedia](https://pstally.com/vs/antamedia): Antamedia is Windows PC-cafe software that controls consoles with smart plugs; PsTally monitors PS4/PS5/Xbox over WiFi with no hardware, plus M-Pesa and WhatsApp.
- [PsTally vs Senet](https://pstally.com/vs/senet): Senet is a Western esports-arena platform using smart PDUs; PsTally is built for African console lounges — WiFi monitoring, no hardware, M-Pesa, shillings.
- [PsTally vs iCafeCloud](https://pstally.com/vs/icafecloud): iCafeCloud is PC-cafe software with consoles as an add-on; PsTally is console-first for PS4/PS5/Xbox lounges.
- [PsTally vs ggLeap](https://pstally.com/vs/ggleap): ggLeap is cloud software for PC esports centers that needs a client on each PC; consoles can't run it. PsTally is console-first.
- [PsTally vs Smartlaunch](https://pstally.com/vs/smartlaunch): Smartlaunch is Windows PC gaming-center software; PsTally is built for PS4/PS5/Xbox lounges with no server or hardware.
- [PsTally vs Spacebring](https://pstally.com/vs/spacebring): Spacebring is general venue/game-center management; PsTally is purpose-built for per-console session tracking.
- [PsTally vs Clover](https://pstally.com/vs/clover): Clover is a general retail/restaurant POS with no concept of a console session; PsTally is a session-based POS for gaming time.

## Glossary (definitions)
- [Ghost session](https://pstally.com/glossary/ghost-session): A session played but never logged — the most common way a gaming lounge leaks revenue.
- [Shift reconciliation](https://pstally.com/glossary/shift-reconciliation): Matching what a staff shift collected against what was expected, so gaps surface at close.
- [PS lounge](https://pstally.com/glossary/ps-lounge): A business where customers pay to play on consoles (PS4/PS5/Xbox), billed per game or per hour.
- [Gaming lounge POS](https://pstally.com/glossary/gaming-lounge-pos): A session-based point-of-sale that bills gaming time rather than scanning products.
- [Opening float](https://pstally.com/glossary/opening-float): The starting till cash for giving change, recorded so it can be accounted for at reconciliation.

## Insights and field notes
- [How to Run a Gaming Lounge in Kenya: The Complete Guide](https://pstally.com/insights/how-to-run-gaming-lounge-kenya): Setup costs, pricing, staff, M-Pesa billing, and the tools that stop hidden losses.
- [Best Gaming Lounge Management Software (2026)](https://pstally.com/insights/best-gaming-lounge-management-software): Most lounge software is built for PC cafés — what to look for if you run a console lounge.
- [How to Prevent Staff Theft in a Gaming Arcade](https://pstally.com/insights/how-to-prevent-staff-theft-gaming-lounge): Where the money leaks when the till never adds up, and how to stop it.
- [Ghost Sessions: How Kenyan Lounges Lose Revenue](https://pstally.com/insights/ghost-sessions-gaming-lounge-kenya): Sessions that run without being logged — how to detect and prevent them.
- [Shift Reconciliation: A Step-by-Step Guide](https://pstally.com/insights/gaming-lounge-shift-reconciliation-guide): Opening float, session tracking, cashouts, closing float — a reconciliation that catches the gap.
- [Why Your Lounge Is Busy But You Have No Money](https://pstally.com/insights/gaming-lounge-busy-but-no-money): Stations full, nothing at month-end — where the money goes and how to count shillings per console.
- [Is a Gaming Lounge Profitable in Kenya? The Real Numbers](https://pstally.com/insights/is-a-gaming-lounge-profitable-in-kenya): What a PS5 earns a day, what it costs to run, and payback time.
- [PS5 Session Tracking Without Installing Anything](https://pstally.com/insights/ps5-session-tracking-gaming-lounge): How lounges bill a closed PS5 accurately using network detection over WiFi.
- [Do You Need Smart Plugs for a PS5 Lounge?](https://pstally.com/insights/do-you-need-smart-plugs-ps5-lounge): Why power-cutting plugs damage consoles and get bypassed, and the network-based alternative.
- [How to Price Games in Your Gaming Lounge](https://pstally.com/insights/how-to-price-games-gaming-lounge): Per game or per hour, loser-pays pricing for FC26, and tracking both.
- [How to Manage Play Now, Pay Later Credit](https://pstally.com/insights/manage-play-now-pay-later-gaming-lounge): Keeping regulars loyal with credit without losing money to it.
- [Notebook vs Software for a Gaming Lounge](https://pstally.com/insights/notebook-vs-software-gaming-lounge): The honest trade-off between a paper ledger and software for a console lounge.
- [PS5 Game Sharing for Lounges, Explained](https://pstally.com/insights/ps5-game-sharing-for-lounges): Buy a game once, run it on two consoles — how game sharing works and what it saves.

## About
- PsTally is independent software for gaming lounge owners. It is not affiliated with Sony or PlayStation.