With only a few weeks to go until the new PS5 hits shelves, Sony has unveiled the new look UI for the console. Visually, the main menu design will be familiar to PS4 players, but the PS5 has a bigger emphasis on providing better UX options in-game.
PS5 UI and UX
The video gives us a glimpse of some of the features we already knew about, like State of Play. Starting a game from rest mode on the PS5 will allow users to jump in where they left off in a game. That’s right, no loading screens.
Players will also be able to access the control centre while in-game which allows them to manage things like controller power, audio, and downloads.
On top of seeing an individual’s screenshot library and related game news, the control centre also offers some brand new features. The Activities menu allows players to see their progress towards achievements in their current game.
The example shown in the video is for Sackboy: A Big Adventure which shows players how far through a level they are and what the estimated completion time is. Pretty handy if you only have a short window of time to play.
There is also a new Hints feature, which definitely does not count as cheating. The hints mode can be activated as picture-in-picture, allowing you to watch video guides while you play. However, Sony did note that these control centre features may not be available for every PS5 game.
Another great feature for those playing with friends is the ability to manage PlayStation party chat without returning to the main menu. The share-play feature has also been further integrated to allow players to watch a friend’s screen while still playing their own game. Taking screenshots and sharing them online or with friends has also been streamlined thanks to the control centre.
Finally, the PlayStation Store has been integrated into the PS5 system instead of existing as a separate app. But possibly the best new feature of all is the keyboard update which has been upgraded with voice dictation through the DualSense controller.
This was only the first look at the PS5’s new UI but Sony teased there are more features to come.