PlayStation 5 users are starting to see some UI changes, thanks to a new system update. Despite the release of numerous new PS5 models and editions over the years, one thing that's remained relatively static is the console's home screen.
That's about to change in PS5's April update; according to FSTGang on Reddit, an updated home screen UI is gradually rolling out to certain players (via PlayStation Lifestyle). The update, which adds multiple tabs to the default home screen, is currently available to select players only.
Above, you can see a screenshot of the current standard PS5 home screen. You may have to squint to see the difference: where the original home screen has just two tabs at the top, Games and Media, the new one has five, which appear to be PS Plus, PlayStation Store, your current game, your game library, and a media tab.
These new tabs use icons instead of text for ease of navigation. According to FSTGang, you can still switch between them using L1 and R1. It's hard to tell, but I think the game icons have also been downsized slightly, which makes the key art for the game you're currently focused on stand out.
Fans have responded pretty positively to the changes, which appear to make certain functions of the home menu more intuitive. With the current UI, scrolling all the way to the end of your recently played list just to get to your full game library can be annoying, and navigating to the PS Plus screen to claim your free monthly games takes too many steps.
The new UI fixes this pretty handily by giving you access to both menus with the press of a button (or two). Others, however, hoped for a little more from a UI update: the reintroduction of home screen themes, which were standard on PS3, and became really intricate and distinct on PS4.
PS5 players did get a modicum of customizability in an update last August, but this update only allowed them to change the backdrop of a single menu on the home screen. Since this new UI is a lot closer to the PS4's, many players are hoping it will pave the way for a full reintroduction of themes in the near future.
Unfortunately, most of us will have to wait a bit longer before we can update to this new UI. It's only available as part of the PlayStation Beta Program, which allows users to test out new features on PlayStation consoles, the PlayStation App, and the official PlayStation website. If response from beta testers is positive, though, the new UI will likely be rolled out universally before long.
If you're interested in participating, you can join the Beta Program via PlayStation's website, but there's no guarantee you'll get selected for this home screen or any future betas. Still, if it does come through, you may get some interesting opportunities to test out new games and features for the PlayStation 5 before they go live.
