PS5 UI is a mess — here’s what needs fixing

PS5 UI is a mess — here'south what needs fixing

PS5 vs Xbox Series X: Which console wins?

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The PS5 is a fantastic gaming machine. Information technology offers future-proof specs, ane of the all-time controllers of all time and an unrivaled slate of exclusives.

I'd even become as far every bit to say it's a pretty expert-looking console, now that I've actually seen information technology in my living room. Sony really did knock this ane out of the park.

Unfortunately, at that place is i surface area where the PS5 stumbles and that'due south its half-baked UI. But earlier we get into the many UI bug, allow's give Sony a piffling bit of credit.

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While Microsoft took the very rubber route with the Xbox Series X by just replicating the UI from the Xbox 1, Sony has at least attempted to create something new. The PS5 UI certainly lifts elements from the PS4'southward UI, but it's by and large fresh and original.

PS5 UI feature main image — (Epitome credit: Sony)

Information technology's just a shame that it's lacking and then many disquisitional features correct out of the gate, as it does occasionally make using the PS5 far more frustrating than it should be. The good news, however, is that a UI tin can be patched, and then this is far from a terminal issue.

Over the coming generation, Sony tin tweak and refine the UI and if that's done correctly, and so the PS5 could genuinely go an all-time neat console. Hopefully, by the fourth dimension the UI is in better shape, buying a PS5 might actually be possible too.

Notwithstanding, right now at least the UI has several holes that badly need plugging. Beneath is a rundown of some of the features that we really hope are patched in presently.

Allow proper icon sorting

PS5 UI feature game bar — (Epitome credit: Sony)

Similar to the PS4, when y'all install a game on your PS5 a corresponding icon appears on your home screen.

It's a peachy mode of displaying a digital library of games, and the functionality has been improved by the PS5's super-speedy SSD. Now hovering over an icon instantly themes your console wallpaper around that game, whereas on PS4 you lot had to click down to practise this.

However, Sony has basically given players no fashion to sort these icons. They are automatically ordered by most recently played. It would be keen to exist able to sort past playtime, or manually select the society ourselves, and that's earlier we fifty-fifty get into the fact there'due south no option to identify them in folders similar you could on PS4.

Furthermore, but nine icons volition exist displayed earlier the remainders fall off-screen into your game library, it would be great if that total could be bumped up slightly.

Basically everything about trophies

PS5 UI feature trophies — (Image credit: Sony)

Trophies are adored by the PlayStation customs, yet the manner the PS5 handles them has not gone down well with ardent trophy hunters.

Firstly actually accessing your bays list is a painful process, involving far more clicks than it should. Secondly, the way that trophies are displayed is merely terrible. Instead of displaying trophies in a vertical list like on the PS4, they are displayed as individual blocks.

The problem with this is you tin can't really read the trophy information without first clicking on the block, which means you tin can't examine a bays list at a glance. Instead, you lot must click through to every single trophy individually.

Not to mention the baffling decision to exclude quick access to your trophies from the control centre menu.

Make switcher actually useful

At offset, gamers idea the Switcher feature of the PS5 UI was Sony'due south answer to quick resume on the Xbox Serial Ten, which lets you lot bandy between v different games/apps without closing whatsoever of them down. It's not.

Click the Switcher button on the control center and you'll encounter the games and apps y'all've about recently used, with a couple more button presses you can bound direct back to them. Sounds useful, but the problem is it closes the game/app you're currently using, it doesn't suspend them like Xbox's quick resume does.

When the competition is offering something so seamless, the Switcher feels dated and actually rather pointless — does anyone actually apply it regularly?

Better Game Library filtering

PS5 UI feature library — (Image credit: Sony)

Outside of the ix games displayed on the home screen, the rest of your gaming collection on PS5 is plant in the game library.

If you also owned a PS4 and regularly bought games digitally, as well as redeemed the PS+ games each calendar month, that'southward a lot of games to wade through. Why Sony hasn't included a search function is a existent head-scratcher, specially as that feature was offered from twenty-four hour period one on PS4.

The issue is exacerbated by the fact that the PS5 game library shows literally everything you've always download on PS4/PS5. That includes uninstalled games, betas/demos, and whatever DLC you've bought as well.

I have the pre-release Alpha for the first Destiny taking upwardly space in my library amid other useless items, and they tin can't be removed or subconscious like on PS4 — some other puzzling feature that has been nixed.

Every game should support Activities

PS5 UI feature activity cards — (Epitome credit: Sony)

Okay so this ane isn't strictly on Sony, just the PS5 UI is basically built effectually Activeness cards, and lots of games already don't support them.

The concept is nifty in theory, press the PlayStation button while playing a game and you'll become a selection of cards (called Activities by Sony) that requite you lot hints or allow you lot to jump directly into different modes within whatever game you're playing.

While Sony's first-party games all support the characteristic, a lot of third-party games already don't and as the generation progresses it'south likely to become a problem that only gets worse.

Information technology would exist corking to see Sony actually make a push to get every game on the arrangement supporting this slap-up feature. Hopefully, Activity cards don't end upwardly becoming unfulfilled potential like the PS4'south touchpad.

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Rory is a Deals Editor at Tom's Guide based in the Britain. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on deals, gaming and streaming. When he's not scouring retailers for PS5 restock or writing hot takes on the latest gaming hardware and streaming shows, he can be institute attention music festivals and beingness thoroughly disappointed by his terrible football squad.