We are less than a month out from the release of the PlayStation 5 and while we have known for a bit what the console looks like, we have yet to see what its user experience looks like. That changed on Thursday, with PlayStation releasing a new video that shows off the PlayStation 5’s user experience including its home screen, in-game overlay and more.
The new home screen is visually uncluttered, with a single row of icons at the very top of the screen for games, media and more. Each game on the PlayStation 5’s home menu has its own hub, which can be accessed by scrolling down. Videos, stories about the game, DLC and more can be quickly found through this hub.
The Explore icon acts as a newsstand, compiling news from the games you follow and PlayStation itself. The PlayStation Store has been integrated into the PlayStation 5, and is no longer accessed a standalone app. It can be found directly on the home screen and acts similarly to other icons on the home menu.
The PlayStation 5 offers a new “control center” overlay while games are launched. This control center is accessed through pressing the PlayStation button on the Dualsense and provides, “immediate access to almost everything you need from the system, without leaving the game.”
Checking out which of your friends are online, the status of downloads, controller and power management and other various settings can be accessed from the control center. Above the various options of the control center are a series of cards, which act as customized options tailored to both the player and games.
For instance, one card in the demo had news about games that the demoist had chosen to follow and another provided quick access to screenshots from the game. One card showed that two of the demoist’s friends were playing a different game, and they were able to quickly launch that game to join them.
Other cards are generated by the current game being played—in this case, Sackboy: A Big Adventure—and give information such as level progress, required key objectives and a personalized remaining playtime estimate. The player can also use these cards to quickly access the levels and select areas within the levels themselves.
In addition, PlayStation Plus members will be able to take advantage of the card system to not only see missed objectives, but to receive hints and tutorials on how to reach these objectives directly from the PlayStation 5 control center. These hints can be put in a side-by-side view, picture-in-picture mode or in fullscreen to the player’s preference and can be pinned directly to the control center menu.
The PlayStation 5’s voice chat feature can be accessed directly from notifications inviting the player to a call. The Dualsense controller’s integrated microphone allows the player to immediately begin talking to their friend or friends once connected.
Players will also be able to share screens while connected with friends in voice chat. Shared screens are part of the card system, meaning that they can be put in various viewing modes that allow the player to both watch their friend’s stream and play a game themselves.
The dedicated share button will allow players to take pictures and videos with up to 4k resolution. Photos are immediately optimized by the PlayStation 5 and can be sent to external storage, social media accounts and PlayStation parties now as well. If a screenshot sent to a party contains potential spoilers for another member, the PlayStation 5 will censor the image and alert the receiving member.
Check out the full video below:
Nicolas Perez is an editorial intern at Paste and opinion co-editor for New University. He’s rambling on Twitter @Nic_Perez__.