Sony has unveiled the official user interface for the upcoming PlayStation 5, majorly overhauling menus that have remained pretty much the same since the start of the PS3 era.
A twelve-minute video walkthrough of the user interface shows a menu system designed for native 4K HDR where available and centered on the player. The PlayStation Store has also been directly integrated into the overall software which should allow for faster browsing and purchases.
Much of the menu is available in picture-in-picture mode so it can be accessed and used without leaving a game to do things from manage party chats to organise downloads. The new Control Center aims to offer immediate access to “almost everything you need from the system” at a single press of the PlayStation button without leaving your game.
One big deal here are ‘Activity Cards’. These cards link out to specific levels or gameplay modes within a game and so with these you get a quick estimate of how much time it’ll likely take you to finish your current level/chapter, list objectives you have yet to accomplish and objects yet to collect, and jump directly into levels or challenges you want to play.
In addition some games and objectives will also include official ‘Game Help’ for PlayStation Plus subscribers – offering helpful videos and hints for a specific objective directly within the game, and support a picture-in-picture mode or split-screen view to help players see the hints side by side. There’s also voice dictation through the DualSense controller.
The reveal comes a few months after rival Microsoft unveiled the Xbox Series X UX back in August. Both consoles boast a quick resume feature that allows for swapping between games in the space of around 5-7 seconds from the looks of it. Both consoles arrive in stores in the second week of November.
