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One of the most basic user interface features in the system is the PlayStation 5’s game time counter. But, they are exciting fans and make Nintendo Switch owners jealous.
Beyond just playing games, many console owners love to share their stats. From the number of games in its library to their trophy or achievement level, part of the fun of the hobby is comparing those numbers.
Another key stat that gamers are interested in is in-game play time, and that number is surprisingly difficult to find in many ecosystems. It was woefully absent on the PS4 hardware level, with gamers having to rely on game-specific game clocks and Sony’s annual round-ups for rough estimates. Finally, the PS5 solves this problem with a built-in playtime counter, much to the delight of PlayStation fans … and to the chagrin of Nintendo Switch fans.
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The missing switch user interface
One of the best parts of being a Nintendo fan with a Wii U was how weirdly robust, albeit slow, that system’s user interface was. This included the Daily Log, which tracked game time down to the minute across games and even in the calendar. It was a wonderfully granular look at this data. However, the Nintendo Switch has done away with this completely, replacing it with an arbitrary system that rounds playtime to the nearest five hours. Unless there are tedious workarounds like setting up parental controls, there isn’t a good hardware-level solution to tracking playtime. Even though fans are asking for more UI features, Nintendo doesn’t seem to care.
The Switch’s weakness in the UI, overall, is even more noticeable compared to the next generation, the PlayStation 5 in particular. While this is in part a function of Nintendo’s effort, it is also emblematic of the care taken in crafting the PS5’s home menu. While some gamers have speculated that Sony’s reluctance to show the UI means it is insufficient, it is not. The State of Play presentation that finally revealed the user interface showed just how feature-rich it is. While it can be a bit over-designed from an aesthetic standpoint, it has a lot to offer.
Improve quality of life
From game aid to activities and maps, there are plenty of cool software that will enhance the system’s games through its user interface. But, the ubiquity and usefulness of the game time counter at the hardware level is hard to beat. Many other features will force developers to deliberately schedule the integration, making it unlikely that cross-platform games will really benefit from them.
On the other hand, this game clock is a fantastic feature that all games will integrate from its hardware level. This is really vital information for many gamers, and the PS5 provides this data transparently to the user. Reviews and early covers even showed that this clock works retroactively, using latent data from Sony’s side to let the player know how much time they’ve spent in PS4 titles.
This is a cool feature that empowers the player in a basic way. But, the functionality is surprisingly rare, depending on the ecosystem. Incorporating this into the PS5 is emblematic of the overall quality of life-focused design of the PS5 home menu. It sets a new standard, which makes other devices, especially the Switch, seemingly lacking in comparison. All the little things the next generation does well make Nintendo look even further behind. It’s unclear whether this death by a thousand cuts will hurt the Switch’s meteoric trajectory – but it’s evident that Nintendo has a ways to go in hopes of staying competitive with the next generation.
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