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 finding influenced the design of the PS5's Welcome Hub, a feature aimed at unifying the user experience across diverse preferences.
Gasaway's comments, featured in an interview with Stephen Totilo for Game File, indicate a 50/50 split between users who power down their PS5 completely and those who utilize rest mode. This data, initially observed in the US, informed the design of the PS5 Explore page within the Welcome Hub, which is presented to half of US users upon booting up, while other users see their most recently played game. The Welcome Hub, developed during a PlayStation hackathon, aims to provide a consistent and customizable starting point for all PS5 users.
While no single definitive reason explains the avoidance of rest mode, user forum discussions suggest potential contributing factors. Some users report internet connectivity issues when rest mode is enabled, preferring to keep the console fully powered on for downloads. Others experience no such problems and utilize the energy-saving feature without issue. Regardless of the cause, the data underscores the importance of considering diverse user behaviors in console UI design. The Welcome Hub's development directly reflects Sony's efforts to address this disparity and create a more cohesive user experience.
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