While we have confirmed the physical design of the PS5 and most of its game library, there are still some big questions: when will it be released? When is the release date? And what will the system interface be like? We finally got a little more information on the last question from Matt McLoughlin, PlayStation's vice president of UX design.

MacLaurin revealed a little tidbit about how the PS5's home screen and menus will work.

The information came from a LinkedIn thread, where MacLaurin took questions from other industry experts and somewhat surprisingly answered most of them. most of MacLaurin's answers were short and cryptic, but his about the PS5 interface comments on the PS5 interface gave us a good idea of what to expect.

A fellow UX designer asked MacLaurin about Sony's UI plans. McLoughlin replied: [It's more subtle than flashy, but none of the pixels are intact.

In other words: we don't know exactly what the PS5 interface will look like, but it won't be a flashier version of the PS4. This is perhaps not the most surprising news, but it does mean that Sony is sticking to the "features over form" interface strategy from the PS3 and PS4.

Another designer asked if MacLaurin could share a screenshot of the OS.

"There's an Easter egg-level revelation in the video," MacLaurin wrote. Indeed, if you look closely at the PS5 conference video, you will see a cascade of lights on a gray screen and a small segment where you are prompted to press the PS button to activate the system. Presumably, this is the PS5 startup screen. The cascade effect was reminiscent of the PS3 interface.

While the PS1 and PS2 had very limited interfaces (basically either "play disc" or "don't play disc"), the PS3 managed disc games, downloadable games, streaming media, online connections, and connections to Sony's portable gaming devices. had to do; the PS4 had to do most of the same, plus remote play and VR interfaces. For this reason, both the PS3 and PS4 rely on scrollable side-by-side menus to display choices clearly and neatly; neither PS3 nor PS4 has a particularly gorgeous interface, but finding games and media is easy.

A single startup screen is no big deal, but as with MacLaurin's comments, there are a few things that can be inferred from it. The interface may not look the same as the PS4, but it will probably maintain the PS4's streamlined and practical approach; with more announcements and showcases planned for the PS5's holiday release, sooner or later we'll get our first official look at that interface. will be available.