Half of PlayStation 5 users bypass rest mode, opting for a complete system shutdown instead, according to Sony. This surprising statistic, revealed by Cory Gasaway, Vice President of Game, Product, and Player Experiences at Sony Interactive Entertainment, highlights a significant user preference divergence. The revelation emerged during an interview with Stephen Totilo, focusing on the design philosophy behind the PS5's 2024 Welcome Hub.
The Welcome Hub, born from a PlayStation hackathon, directly addresses this split user behavior. Its design aims to create a unified user experience, catering to both rest mode users and those who prefer full shutdowns. For US users, the Hub defaults to the PS5 Explore page; internationally, it displays the most recently played game. This customizable interface strives to provide a consistent starting point across all PS5 consoles.
While no single dominant reason explains the rest mode avoidance, user forum discussions suggest potential contributing factors. Some players report internet connectivity issues linked to rest mode, leading them to keep their consoles fully powered on for downloads. Others appear to experience no such problems. Regardless of the cause, Gasaway's insights offer valuable context into the user-centric design considerations behind the PS5's interface. The 50/50 split underscores the importance of accommodating diverse user preferences in console design.
