Sony has finally shown off the PS5 hardware and debuted the first crop of games, but is yet to showcase the user interface for its next generation console.
However, the company is offering a little insight into what’ll greet gamers before they load up those new titles before the end of 2020.
In somewhat contradictory comments Matt MacLaurin, who is the VP of UX design at PlayStation promises an overhaul, but also calls the new UI an evolution. He said it’s subtle, not flashy but refers to an entirely new visual language.
In a LinkedIn thread (via Reset Era), MacLaurin says it’s a “100 percent overhaul of the PS4 UI and some very different new concepts” while also dubbing the new interface a “very interesting evolution of the OS.”
He adds: “As it’s UI it’s practical first, but it’s a whole new visual language and a complete rearchitecting of the user interface.” He says the interface overhaul is “more subtle than flashy, but no pixel is untouched.”
Related: Will PS5 games work on PS4?
Elsewhere in the thread, MacLaurin promises speed will be of the essence, with Sony measuring UI elements in milliseconds. “Most important is experience goals measured in milliseconds across the entire UI,” he added in the thread.
The startup screen for the PS5 is definitely boasting a new look as we saw during the Future of Gaming event last week. You can see that nifty UI element in the tweet below.
Sony's small PS5 UI teaser there pic.twitter.com/D7m6SrVfCk
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) June 11, 2020
Interestingly, MacLaurin also mentioned the PS5 hardware and promised the device will be customisable in a manner we haven’t seen from a PlayStation console before.
“You will definitely be seeing special editions. This is also customisable in ways previous gens weren’t,” he added.
The Sony PS5 will go on sale towards the end of 2020. There’ll be a model with an Ultra HD Blu-ray drive and the first all-digital edition which dispenses of the optical drive. The price is yet to be announced.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
