Interesting because I have the exact opposite experience. Granted my experience is probably extremely more limited than yours. My experience stems from talking my friends and family into playing. I've personally been playing the game since 2e, attempted 3e/PF (I didn't like it, neither did my players but it wasnt horrible), attempted again with 4e (my players absolutely bounced off it, couldn't get into it and building characters was a chore on its own), and once again with 5e. With 5e it stuck, they love it enough to keep playing it. Touching on experience again, I don't play with random people because my area doesn't have a game shop. I feel like I'm not seeing the whole picture of what is and isn't popular within 5e. In my circle extra options are largely ignored.