Half of PS5 owners bypass rest mode, opting for a full system shutdown instead, according to Sony. This surprising statistic, revealed by Cory Gasaway, VP of game, product, and player experiences at SIE, during an interview with Stephen Totilo, highlights a significant user preference divergence. The revelation emerged within a broader discussion about the design philosophy behind the PS5's Welcome Hub, introduced in 2024.
The Welcome Hub, born from a PlayStation hackathon, aimed to create a unified user experience despite varying player habits. Gasaway noted a 50/50 split in US users between viewing the PS5 Explore page and their last played game upon boot-up, underscoring the need for a flexible, customizable home screen.
While the reasons behind rest mode avoidance remain varied, some users report internet connectivity issues when using the feature, preferring a fully powered-on console for downloads. Others experience no such problems and utilize rest mode without issue. This split preference, however, played a key role in shaping the PS5's user interface design. The data underscores the importance of considering diverse user behaviors when developing console features and overall user experience.
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The statistic challenges the assumption that energy-saving features like rest mode are universally adopted. It also sheds light on the design considerations behind features like the Welcome Hub, emphasizing the need for a flexible and customizable interface to accommodate diverse user preferences and potential technical issues. The 50/50 split serves as a compelling case study in user behavior and its impact on console design.
