PS5 Rest Mode vs. Shutdown: Gamer Habits Revealed

Summary

• Half of all PlayStation 5 users bypass rest mode, preferring to shut down their console completely.
• The Welcome Hub was designed to create a more unified user experience despite varied preferences.
• Reasons for avoiding rest mode are diverse and not fully understood.

In a recent interview with Stephen Totilo, Cory Gasaway revealed a surprising statistic: 50% of PlayStation 5 users forgo the console's rest mode feature. Rest mode, a staple of modern consoles, allows users to maintain certain functionalities—like downloads—while consuming less energy than a fully powered-on system. The PlayStation 5's rest mode is designed to facilitate convenient downloads and resume gameplay sessions seamlessly.

Rest mode has long been a key element of the PlayStation experience. Jim Ryan, prior to the PS5's launch, highlighted Sony's commitment to environmental responsibility, and rest mode plays a part in achieving this goal by reducing energy consumption compared to previous generations. Despite this, a significant portion of users choose not to utilize it.

As reported by IGN, Cory Gasaway, Sony Interactive Entertainment's Vice President of Game, Product, and Player Experiences, confirmed the even split between users who shut down versus those who use rest mode in an interview with Game File. This data was part of a larger discussion with Totilo about the design of the PS5's Welcome Hub, introduced in 2024.

50% of PS5 Players Don't Use Rest Mode

The Welcome Hub, developed by a small team during a PlayStation hackathon, directly addresses the fact that half of PS5 users don't use rest mode. Gasaway explained that 50% of US users see the PS5 Explore page upon startup, while users outside the US see their most recently played game. The Welcome Hub aims to provide a more consistent and user-friendly starting point on the PS5, featuring a customizable interface.

The reasons behind users' choices regarding rest mode remain varied. While the feature primarily serves to save energy and manage downloads/updates, some PS5 users report internet connectivity issues when rest mode is enabled, preferring to keep their consoles fully on for downloads. Others appear to have no such problems and utilize the feature without issue. Gasaway's insights offer valuable context into the considerations behind the PS5's user interface design.