Over our many years of game playing we’ve learned that while it sounds dull, the UI can make or break a game, and even an entire console system. These days, with consoles being entire lifestyle machines – collecting multiple games digitally, allowing you to meet with friends, browse trophies, and even watch online videos and TV shows – how we interact with them is more important than ever.

PlayStation 5 gives Sony a great opportunity to expand on what worked on PS4, and change the things that could be better. The home screen UI matches the tech in the box, making the most of the crisp sharpness that 4K allows, while also using the extra power to provide a seamless experience.

Mid-game, you can pull up the ‘Control Centre’, which integrates over the top of your running game, giving you access to details on levels, right down to the approximate time you have left, giving you hints to objectives you might have missed, and instantly loading into the stage. Through the Control Centre you can check news, or play with a mate with picture-in-picture or windows side-by-side. Meanwhile, individual game screens have been given more room to breathe on the home menu, and the PlayStation Store’s been moved up into the home bar. But why not have a gander at the UI for yourself?..

Activities can be represented directly on cards for games that support the feature. This means you can instantly load a level from this menu, or see how far through to completion you are (with an average playtime left).

Named the Control Centre, this smart bar can pop up on screen without interrupting your game.

This seamless mixing of windows allows you to hop into regular party groups and share what you’re playing with friends. You can chat while viewing a picture-in-picture display of your friend playing something else while you play your own game, or join them in an online game, which takes only a few seconds to boot up.

These cards give you extra information at a glance, again without interrupting anything. That’s everything from news from publishers you choose to follow to quickly flicking through your recent game capture.

PS Plus players can get help with specific in-game objectives listed on the level’s Activity card. Can’t find a collectible? Some games will show you a short little video specific to that objective to help you out, which you can display side-by-side or picture-in-picture.