Half of PlayStation 5 users bypass rest mode, opting for a complete system shutdown instead. This surprising statistic, revealed by Sony's Cory Gasaway, prompted the development of the PS5's Welcome Hub, a feature designed to create a consistent user experience despite varying preferences.

Gasaway, Sony Interactive Entertainment's VP of game, product, and player experiences, shared this data in an interview with Stephen Totilo, highlighting the 50/50 split between users who power down their consoles versus those using rest mode. This finding, originally reported by IGN, was part of a larger discussion about the design of the 2024-introduced Welcome Hub. The initiative to improve user experience stemmed directly from observing this significant portion of users avoiding the rest mode functionality.

While initially conceived as an eco-friendly power-saving feature (as highlighted pre-launch by Jim Ryan), rest mode's adoption rate is unexpectedly low. The reasons behind this remain unclear, though online discussions suggest some users experience internet connectivity issues while in rest mode, preferring a fully powered-on console for downloads. Others appear to have no such problems.

Regardless of the underlying causes, Gasaway's insights offer valuable context into the design choices behind the PS5's user interface, specifically the Welcome Hub's creation as a response to diverse user behaviors. The Hub, initially tested during a PlayStation hackathon, presents a unified starting point, offering personalized content such as the PS5 Explore page (for US users) or the last played game (for international users). This customizable approach aims to provide a more cohesive experience for all players.