PlayStation Uncovers PS5 Shutdown Statistics

Half of PlayStation 5 users bypass rest mode, opting for a complete system shutdown instead. This surprising statistic, revealed by Sony's Cory Gasaway, prompted the development of the PS5's Welcome Hub, a feature designed to create a more unified user experience despite varied preferences.

Gasaway, Sony Interactive Entertainment's VP of game, product, and player experiences, shared with Stephen Totilo that a 50/50 split exists among PS5 users regarding rest mode usage. This finding, highlighted by IGN and Game File, emerged during a discussion about the 2024-introduced Welcome Hub. The Hub's design directly addresses this preference divergence, offering a consistent starting point regardless of whether a user employs rest mode. Initially intended to boost energy efficiency, as Jim Ryan emphasized pre-launch, rest mode's adoption rate reveals a significant portion of users prefer alternative approaches.

The Welcome Hub, born from a PlayStation hackathon, caters to this split. For US-based users, it defaults to the PS5 Explore page; internationally, it displays the last played game. This customizable interface aims to provide a more cohesive experience across all PS5 consoles.

Why the aversion to rest mode? No single reason dominates. While rest mode is designed for energy saving and background downloads/updates, some users report internet connectivity issues, leading them to keep the console fully powered on for downloads. Others experience no such problems and utilize rest mode without issue. Regardless of the reason, Gasaway's insights shed light on the design considerations behind the PS5's user interface.

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