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Playstation 5 UI impressions and suggestions for improvements
- Thread starter jman1954goat
- Start date
Thinking about it some more I wish when you open the command center, the home button or switcher button was highlighted first instead of the cards. Also instead of having to tap X to open each option, they should automatically pop up the menu when you move over the icons.
Also to the guy that said using the switcher to shut down games is better and faster than PS4's way, what the hell are you smoking?
Also to the guy that said using the switcher to shut down games is better and faster than PS4's way, what the hell are you smoking?
if you're refering to me - i never said it was faster. I said i don't know why it needed to be so easily accessible. (and i still believe that quitting from Switcher is accessible enough - it's just located differently)
I think that - just like on mobile - 'quitting an app (or game, respecitvely)' should be the exception, not the rule.
Like, why do you wanna quit a game? To start a new one? No need to do it manually, then; the console will quit the game when you boot up another one anyways.
If you wanna step away from the console and take a break from playing on your console for a while - you don't need to quit the game manually either.
Like, why quit a game nowadays, for real? It doesn't slow down your console or the PSN store, like it did on the PS4.
And in the cases where you do wanna quit it, it's literally ... 3(?) taps away instead of like ... 2?
But i did pose the question whether - given how most people's electronics use is within some kind of mobile OS, the fact that "force quitting" an app happens within the app switcher (like it does on Android and iOS), isn't the more natural place to look for, instead of it being inside the context menu of the app icon. Which is - again - familiar but not necessarily the more intuitive place to look for, given the operating systems that this generation of gamers has grown up using.
Yes, I'm talking about you. The reason I shut down my game is because the various bugs it has, which don't resolve until I completely close the game. (AC Valhalla) Also, because the UI is snappy now doesn't mean it'll always be that way. Also you're comparing two UI's designed around different interactions. A phone is touch based and the PS5 is controller based and closing an app through the app switcher on a phone is faster than the PS5. With my Android, it's a tap of the switcher button and a swipe to the right on the app. On the PS5 I have to hit down, then right, then X, go to the app, hit options, go to close. On PS4, it was hold down PS button go up one, close App.
Hell they should change holding down the PS button on PS5 to opening the Switcher. That would be far more useful for switching between games and faster. Also it would be closer to idea of being simliar to an app switcher on a phone.
I very much believe that what we have right now isn't the Switcher's "final form".
Like, right now it's nothing more than a glorified 'recently used' list. I do feel like Sony wanted to get some kind of multi-app resume ready for release but couldn't, so right now we're stuck with what feels like kind of a placeholder. Like, i don't think anyone's going to go through their "app switcher" to figure out which game to play next. It's not like the 'recently played games' aren't also the ones with the most prominent placement on the main Dashboard.
Hell, Double Tap to enter the (then more feature rich) app Switcher (which should allow you to also force quit your game) would be the perfect solution to this, as double clicking was how you invoked the app switcher on iOS (and some Android launchers) when these devices weren't as gesture based as they are now.
Whilst there are obvious aspect where both UIs can be improved, I do think we've been a little spoiled of late.
Like, both of these are infinitely better than the OS that the likes of PS3 and XB1 launched with.
Like, both of these are infinitely better than the OS that the likes of PS3 and XB1 launched with.
The PS3 XMB was a great UI concept. It might still be the best PlayStation one in my opinion.
It was really good by the end, it wasn't so good at launch.
Remember the original web browser store and no in game access to the XMB for about 2 years? Nightmare.
Edit: found a video
As a concept I still think it's the best one.
They added quite a lot of good stuff to it, and early on, but even the launch version was solid. In-game XMB sucked even when it did finally arrive (it was slower than a wet week), and the PlayStation Store continued to suck even after redesigns, but the XMB UI concept was (and still is) solid in my book.
Yeah I agree as a core concept I really loved the XMB, it somehow screamed pure class and the original boot-sound still gives me chills to this day!
This will be a unpopular opinion but I would love if Polyphony would design a System-UI for Sony one day, I know Gran Turismo always is said to have usability issues but I never had a problem with their menus and they ooze elegance and style.
In some aspects its really nice and simplified in some goodways, but in others its jumbled and bizarrely obtuse.
I admittedly had to do a google to figure out how to power down/sleep the console the first time. That wasn't intuitive at all coming from ps4. Granted, once you know what to do (quick press of the playstation button and then find the little menu on the bottom), its very easy, but you'd think that function would be more accessible. (there I was doing long presses of the PlayStation button getting me nowhere).
My biggest beef right now- I can't believe there seems to be no way to access what the current deals are in the Playstation store (all you can really seem to do is view one big global list of games by console, view a generic best sellers list, or do an individual search, but theres no way to see the current Black Friday sale for instance right on the PS5, which is messed up.
I admittedly had to do a google to figure out how to power down/sleep the console the first time. That wasn't intuitive at all coming from ps4. Granted, once you know what to do (quick press of the playstation button and then find the little menu on the bottom), its very easy, but you'd think that function would be more accessible. (there I was doing long presses of the PlayStation button getting me nowhere).
My biggest beef right now- I can't believe there seems to be no way to access what the current deals are in the Playstation store (all you can really seem to do is view one big global list of games by console, view a generic best sellers list, or do an individual search, but theres no way to see the current Black Friday sale for instance right on the PS5, which is messed up.
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The more I use it, the more I've gotten used to it. It's quick and easy for some things, while the requirement to use the quick menu for others (rather than having them on the home screen) is bizarre. Regardless, like the PS4, the OS is in its infancy and will undoubtedly be improved upon in the future. Biggest wishes:
Deals page on store
Better trophy screen (it feels unnecessarily big? It was perfect on PS4)
HDR toggle in quick menu would be nice
Deals page on store
Better trophy screen (it feels unnecessarily big? It was perfect on PS4)
HDR toggle in quick menu would be nice
Had a cloud save for AC Odyssey - loaded up the game from the external HDD and it did not pull the save. Had a cloud save of Metro Exodus from when I had that game on my external HDD so I wanted to know how it looked on PSNow, streamed it - it pulled the cloud save for that. Why PSNow has the ability to pull cloud saves but not the PS5 is beyond me. Unless I am doing it wrong. That is my main UI gripe. That and I deleted Metro Exodus from my external HDD but the Icon for it stayed behind, not the artwork but just the tab with a generic icon - could not delete that. Just some jank I guess.
So I have been playing my PS5 for a few days now. After reviewing the console, I find the UI/menu/OS as the weakest part of PS5.
If there is a thread like this on ERA please just link it. I didnt find anything specific for UI via search engine nor google, just some threads about the overall experience/wishlist for future updates. But I think UI deserves its own thread.
Lets see what needs to be changed, fixed or upgraded according to you. Please, stick with the UI. Lets not discuss other problems in here.
- trophies needs to go back to PS4 horizontal slide
- easier/quicker way to chat/friends/trophies
- PS5 should download and install ps5 versions of the game by default
- bigger game cards?
- more apps showing up in the switcher. Whats the point of maximum 2 games lol?
- i doubt they are going to change the press/hold ps button to go to menu/power settings but please, can i move through games, media, settings and everyrhing on top bar with R1/L1? I think you can move like this just between games and media.
- let us organize our library. Delete or hide unplayable games and let us actually use search engine in library. I have over 430 games on my profile and it sucks looking for them manually everytime I want to install them (also include search engine everywhere possible, like when transferring save files)
- folders?
- i want to check update availablity via options when I click start/options on the game icon. I might be wrong but you can do it just when you are in game hub for specific game? Maybe you can do it in library too, havent tried that one.
- ps5 themes down the line
- friends news feed
- quick resume (matt was told its coming down the line sooo)
- let me know that I actually have something in my cart (its missing something to graphically let you know you put something in your cart while its not yet bought)
- store is surprisingly barebones, we need categories, interesting groups of games (like ps essentials, indie spotlight etc). And of course, add deals section jesus christ
Btw, I was installing Dreams from disc and I let the two dlca install as well. It wa music and art of dreams i think? So when to game actually installed, I started it and instead of dreams PS5 launched art of dreams, which is like digital artwork of some sorts? I had to manually search for actual Dreams game in my library.
If there is a thread like this on ERA please just link it. I didnt find anything specific for UI via search engine nor google, just some threads about the overall experience/wishlist for future updates. But I think UI deserves its own thread.
Lets see what needs to be changed, fixed or upgraded according to you. Please, stick with the UI. Lets not discuss other problems in here.
- trophies needs to go back to PS4 horizontal slide
- easier/quicker way to chat/friends/trophies
- PS5 should download and install ps5 versions of the game by default
- bigger game cards?
- more apps showing up in the switcher. Whats the point of maximum 2 games lol?
- i doubt they are going to change the press/hold ps button to go to menu/power settings but please, can i move through games, media, settings and everyrhing on top bar with R1/L1? I think you can move like this just between games and media.
- let us organize our library. Delete or hide unplayable games and let us actually use search engine in library. I have over 430 games on my profile and it sucks looking for them manually everytime I want to install them (also include search engine everywhere possible, like when transferring save files)
- folders?
- i want to check update availablity via options when I click start/options on the game icon. I might be wrong but you can do it just when you are in game hub for specific game? Maybe you can do it in library too, havent tried that one.
- ps5 themes down the line
- friends news feed
- quick resume (matt was told its coming down the line sooo)
- let me know that I actually have something in my cart (its missing something to graphically let you know you put something in your cart while its not yet bought)
- store is surprisingly barebones, we need categories, interesting groups of games (like ps essentials, indie spotlight etc). And of course, add deals section jesus christ
Btw, I was installing Dreams from disc and I let the two dlca install as well. It wa music and art of dreams i think? So when to game actually installed, I started it and instead of dreams PS5 launched art of dreams, which is like digital artwork of some sorts? I had to manually search for actual Dreams game in my library.
Playstation 5 UI impressions and suggestions for improvements
interested what every one thinks of the new Ui now that we have a chance to get out own hands in it. so far I'm most impressed by how the store is on the menu itself instead of an app. UI is way better than Launch Ps4 unsure how I stack it against PS3
www.resetera.com
Bigger game icons is a big one. There's a LOT of empty space that doesn't make sense for me. Give me folders and make it so when I go to more games, it doesn't default to a list of everything my account has and instead show me installed first.
Also, please give themes. I miss my PS4 themes dearly at this rate. Not a fan of the current UI.
Also, please give themes. I miss my PS4 themes dearly at this rate. Not a fan of the current UI.
Is there actually a way to find add-ons in the store yet? Every once and a while, I'll browse new add-ons on PS5 to see what came out and to look for freebies, but it looks like that's not even possible yet? The store seems SO simplified that these sections don't even exist, or if they do, I haven't found it yet without having to click on every individual game title.
I'd love to delete titles from my media/games library which is (basically) a glorified DL history.
Yeah I really don't have many issues with the UI but this is by far the biggest one. Like I just want to know why someone thought this was a good idea.
I'd settle for just being able to power the system down from the dashboard. Why is it easier to power down from within a game???
Aggregating different versions of one game only adds to the confusion. Sometimes they aren't even the same game (Ace Combat 7 and Ace Combat 5) and they end up under the same icon. Also some of these versions aren't available to download from the library and only from the web store. Right now game groups and the library as they are are a clusterfuck.
An option to always display SDR content in SDR. Basically match the source in terms of dynamic range, like they patched the Apple TV 4K to do.
My top requests would be:
Folders - this seems like the biggie and is a big step back from the PS4 OS. My games library is a mess. Leading on from that...
Let me set and save filters for the game library - My Library tab is full of every digital game (cool), PS+ title (cool), disc game (eeeh, that's a lot of games that I've rented and don't have access to the disc now), alphas/betas (not cool) and every PS Now game I've ever played (not cool. That's a lot of games I've booted for literal minutes and I'm not a PS Now subscriber any more so they're useless to me now).
I can filter out PS Now games and disc games but that filter doesn't save meaning that every time I go back to the library, boom, there's hundreds of game tiles of games that I don't actually own. As a prior PS Now subscriber for a year who played a lot of games on the service, this is nightmarish.
Store needs a deals section again - I don't know why you would remove this.
Friends feed - my PS5 feels very "offline" and not very social at the moment. I used to like seeing which friends had earned rare trophies recently etc when I turned on my PS4. I don't think I've even seen where my friends list is on the PS5 UI, never mind seeing any activity from my friends. It's been massively de-emphasised.
Folders - this seems like the biggie and is a big step back from the PS4 OS. My games library is a mess. Leading on from that...
Let me set and save filters for the game library - My Library tab is full of every digital game (cool), PS+ title (cool), disc game (eeeh, that's a lot of games that I've rented and don't have access to the disc now), alphas/betas (not cool) and every PS Now game I've ever played (not cool. That's a lot of games I've booted for literal minutes and I'm not a PS Now subscriber any more so they're useless to me now).
I can filter out PS Now games and disc games but that filter doesn't save meaning that every time I go back to the library, boom, there's hundreds of game tiles of games that I don't actually own. As a prior PS Now subscriber for a year who played a lot of games on the service, this is nightmarish.
Store needs a deals section again - I don't know why you would remove this.
Friends feed - my PS5 feels very "offline" and not very social at the moment. I used to like seeing which friends had earned rare trophies recently etc when I turned on my PS4. I don't think I've even seen where my friends list is on the PS5 UI, never mind seeing any activity from my friends. It's been massively de-emphasised.
Playstation 5 UI impressions and suggestions for improvements
interested what every one thinks of the new Ui now that we have a chance to get out own hands in it. so far I'm most impressed by how the store is on the menu itself instead of an app. UI is way better than Launch Ps4 unsure how I stack it against PS3
I really dont know why Era search engine has so many problems with actually finding threads. Same for google, you cant find any threads on era when googling -_-
We need NVME support. I can't really enjoy the system with 4-5 games installed and not even the ability to move data to cold storage.
-Complete quick menu redesign.
-Lesser focus on activity cards on the quick menu. They don't need to take up such a massive part of the screen, especially when only a small portion of games use them well.
-Power button should be faster to access.
-Trophies and capture gallery should be more accessible, and on the quick menu.
-Switcher should get some actual useful functionality, like quick resuming games.
-Double tap PS button to go back to where you last were was fantastic on PS4. Now it seems to show you the first activity listed on the activity cards of the game you're playing. Just send us back to the game. Feels so much better, especially because the current way doesn't always let you resume that game, but rather starts you back to whatever activity card you ended up on.
-More social elements. PS4 has activity feed and communities. PS5 has neither. It feels like a very solitary console.
-VRR support
-120hz toggle in the settings
-1440p output support
-PS5 cold storage support
-Lesser focus on activity cards on the quick menu. They don't need to take up such a massive part of the screen, especially when only a small portion of games use them well.
-Power button should be faster to access.
-Trophies and capture gallery should be more accessible, and on the quick menu.
-Switcher should get some actual useful functionality, like quick resuming games.
-Double tap PS button to go back to where you last were was fantastic on PS4. Now it seems to show you the first activity listed on the activity cards of the game you're playing. Just send us back to the game. Feels so much better, especially because the current way doesn't always let you resume that game, but rather starts you back to whatever activity card you ended up on.
-More social elements. PS4 has activity feed and communities. PS5 has neither. It feels like a very solitary console.
-VRR support
-120hz toggle in the settings
-1440p output support
-PS5 cold storage support
There needs to be a setting where hdr only comes on if it is supported by a game. Stop forcing all content into a hdr container for things that are just sdr.
Yeah that would be good.
I remember when I first got Apple TV 4k and the dash was forced into hdr. I put it to sdr and it looked better and then set it to match the frame rate and range where it automatically switched to what the content was.
So it was a bit like the ps4 pro in that aspect I guess.
Yeah that would be good.
I remember when I first got Apple TV 4k and the dash was forced into hdr. I put it to sdr and it looked better and then set it to match the frame rate and range where it automatically switched to what the content was.
So it was a bit like the ps4 pro in that aspect I guess.
I'd like HDR and 3D Audio settings in the quick menu, and for the menu to remember what setting I was on last rather than defaulting to the first card. I'd also like the library to remember my sort settings.
I don't really get why...
It's so annoying hav....
They should perhap...
Because right now i....
That is even though....
I don't really get why Sony decided to make the trophy boxes so small that they almost always cut off descriptions
It's so annoying having to click on each box just to see even the shortest of trophy descriptions
They should perhaps make the full description show up simply when hovering over if they want to keep the current design
Because right now it's actively making me not want to look at trophies.
That is even though me getting the Platinum for Astro's Playroom re-ignited my interest in collecting them
Vrr is coming in a later update. They said that if the demand will be high, they will add 1440p too.
I don't outright want the PS4 UI back, but some major works needs done on it. All those quick menu functions should be at the top of the home screen, and the quick menu should be completely redesigned to be more intuitive and well laid out.
Folders? Meh. Not that same old 2.0 update that is bringing us FOLDERS. What a terrible, boring thing. No, what we want this time with firmware 2.0 is featuring Astro Says, where Astro appears and read and analyze your pulse or heartbeat with the power of haptic feedback of DS5 and suggest based on that data what games you were most likely to play. Astro Says play Spyro 4, download the demo here
I think power button just needs to be moved. Right now I have to hit left once and I get to it. But I guess even if it's next to home it's similar. In function.
The faster we get a vertical trophy list the better. Also would really like it if the quick menu from holding the PlayStation button returns.
I've brought it up in the OT but I would love, even if nothing more, for the ability to see what the Other storage on my system is. It's at 170 gigs right now, seems to go up and down randomly, and nothing I've tried (from deleting all my PS4 games to disabling trophy recordings to clearing any pending downloads) gets it below 100 gigs. I'm baffled.
You get used to it. Overall I like the UI more. Some other comments list some things that should be added but for whats there at its core you can switch between apps/games quickly, access voice chats/game invitiations without leaving screens (Now a pop up versus go to screen to hit yes).
Biggest thing I notice I stumble is hitting the PS button. PS4 you go to the home screen, now it pulls up a bar that you can acess home or other tabs so I end up hitting home multiple times and it brings up and drops down that bar until I realize.