PS5 Rest Mode vs. Shutdown: Gamer Preferences Revealed

Half of PS5 owners skip 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 unified user experience despite varying preferences. The reasons behind this rest mode avoidance remain diverse.

Gasaway, Sony Interactive Entertainment's VP of game, product, and player experiences, confirmed in a Game File interview (reported by Stephen Totilo) that PS5 users are evenly split between using rest mode and completely powering down their consoles. This revelation highlights the importance of catering to diverse user behaviors in console design. The information emerged within a broader discussion about the 2024-introduced PS5 Welcome Hub.

The Welcome Hub, born from a PlayStation hackathon, directly addresses the 50% rest mode abstention rate. Gasaway explained that this feature provides a consistent starting point for PS5 users, offering a customizable interface and a unified experience. For US users, this means the PS5 Explore page, while users elsewhere see their most recently played game.

Why half of PS5 players avoid rest mode remains unclear. While the feature's primary purpose is energy saving and facilitating background downloads and updates, some users report internet connectivity issues in rest mode, leading them to keep their consoles fully powered on for downloads. Others experience no such problems. Regardless, Gasaway's insights offer valuable context regarding PS5 user interface design.

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