Gamers Choose Rest Mode Over Shutdowns on PS5

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, notably the significant number of users foregoing the energy-saving rest mode. Gasaway noted a 50/50 split between users powering down completely versus utilizing rest mode. The Welcome Hub's design, featuring a customizable interface and a dynamic home screen (showing the PS5 Explore page for US users and the last played game for international users), aimed to provide a consistent starting point across the user base.

While no single definitive reason explains this rest mode avoidance, user forum discussions suggest potential contributing factors. Some players report internet connectivity issues associated with rest mode, leading them to keep their consoles fully powered on for downloads. Others appear to have no such problems and utilize the feature without issue. Regardless of the underlying reasons, Gasaway's comments offer valuable insight into the user-centric design considerations shaping the PS5's user interface. The data underscores the importance of accommodating diverse user behaviors in console design.