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, VP 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, focusing on the design philosophy behind the PS5's Welcome Hub, introduced in 2024.

The Welcome Hub, born from a PlayStation hackathon, aimed to create a unified user experience despite varied preferences, including the significant portion of users foregoing rest mode. Gasaway noted a 50/50 split in US users seeing either the PS5 Explore page or their last played game upon booting, demonstrating the Hub's adaptive nature. This customizable interface serves as a common starting point, aiming for a more cohesive experience across all PS5 consoles.

While no single reason explains the rest mode avoidance, user forum discussions suggest potential contributing factors. Some players report internet connectivity issues linked to rest mode, leading them to keep their consoles fully powered on for downloads. Others seem to experience no such problems and utilize the feature as intended. Regardless of the underlying causes, Gasaway's insights offer valuable context into the PS5's user interface design process. The 50% figure underscores the importance of catering to diverse user behaviors in console development.