PlayStation Reveals How Many Gamers Turn Off Their PS5 Compared to Putting It in Rest Mode

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, where Gasaway discussed the design philosophy behind the PS5's Welcome Hub, introduced in 2024.

The Welcome Hub, a product of a PlayStation hackathon, aimed to create a unified user experience despite varying preferences, including the significant number of users foregoing rest mode. While rest mode is designed for energy efficiency and convenient background downloads, Gasaway's data reveals a 50/50 split between users who power down completely and those who utilize rest mode.

This even split prompted the development of the Welcome Hub's personalized approach. US users, for example, predominantly see the PS5 Explore page upon startup, while users outside the US see their most recently played game. This customizable interface aims to provide a consistent yet tailored starting point.

Reasons for avoiding rest mode are varied and anecdotal. Some users report internet connectivity issues when rest mode is enabled, preferring to leave the console fully powered on for downloads. Others simply prefer the complete shutdown. Regardless of the reason, Gasaway's findings offer valuable insights into the user experience considerations that shaped the PS5's UI design. The data underscores the importance of considering diverse user behaviors when developing console features and interfaces.

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