PS5 Activities feature was created in response to player feedback about single-player games

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A leaked presentation reveals what inspired the PS5 Activities feature

PS5 Activites
(Image credit: Sony)

The PS5 Activities feature was created to address problems players experience with single-player games.

This is according to a new report from Vice by journalist Patrick Klepek, who obtained a confidential internal Sony document that Klepek says was originally part of a two-part presentation back in 2019. The information in the presentation reveals that Sony was inspired to create the Activities feature thanks to player feedback regarding single-player games. Interestingly, Sony's internal data found that "single player is thriving", but players often have trouble fitting a play session into their busy schedules. 

The list of problems players associate with single-player games offers some interesting insight into why Sony created the Activities feature and its functions as part of the PS5 UI. You can see the list down below: 

  • "No idea how long I might need, don't play unless I have 2+ free hours"
  • "Takes a lot of time to scan through long help videos when stuck"
  • "How to engage socially without risk of spoilers"
  • "Forgot what I was doing in this game last time, hard to get back in"

As you can see, the issues mostly relate to fitting a game into a busy schedule and knowing whether or not a certain section of a game requires a big time sink. The Activities feature on the PS5 works in different ways depending on what game you're playing. 

In general terms, Activities display on-screen cards that can hint at something you might have missed in-game, allow you to jump into a particular section of a game from the home screen instantly - be it a quest or side mission - and tell you how long it will take to complete a certain task or section. 

Another feature known as Game Help also acts as a guide for players who get stuck, which addresses the feedback players had about not being able to quickly find a solution. As an example, Demon's Souls has 180 videos that can offer guidance during a play session.

It's interesting to see what influenced Sony's decision to introduce this new feature to its next-gen console.

Still on the lookout for Sony's next-gen console? Keep track of the PS5 price and stock. 

Heather Wald
Heather Wald
Evergreen Editor, Games

Heather Wald is the Evergreen Editor, Games at GamesRadar+. Her writing career began on a student-led magazine at Bath Spa University, where she earned a BA (Hons) in English literature. Heather landed her first role writing about tech and games for Stuff Magazine shortly after graduating with an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University. Now with almost seven years of experience working with GamesRadar+ on the features team, Heather helps to develop, maintain, and expand the evergreen features that exist on the site for games, as well as spearhead the Indie Spotlight series. You'll also see her contribute op-eds, interview-led features, and more. In her spare time, you'll likely find Heather tucking into RPGs and indie games, reading romance novels, and drinking lots of tea.