The debut of the next generation consoles of Microsoft products e Sony is almost upon us, with the launch set for the next one respectively 10 and 19 2020 November. As the two debut dates approach, companies have shown us the new Dashboards of PlayStation 5 e Xbox Series X / S, thus providing us with the means to analyze and compare the new User Experiences proposed by the giants of the videogame sector. Design, customization, integration with social networks and immediacy of use, here are the pros and cons of the game interface of each console.
Design
Let's start our analysis by examining the graphic style adopted by the two consoles, which unlike the past videogame generations, tend to look alike more and more. The initial dashboard represents the central focus of our gaming experience (and not only), therefore it must meet the intuitiveness and convenience of the available functions. Sony has decided to redesign the PlayStation 5 Dashboard from scratch, trying to make your User Experience less essential and old style. The PS4 interface (although it was very similar to that of PS3) was already designed to offer the best possible experience, in terms of ease of use and customization, thanks to the presence of a classic horizontal scrolling menu that immediately attracted the audience. attention of the players. As we could appreciate from the recent preview of the new PS5 User Experience, the arrangement of the icons has remained virtually unchanged, moving slightly up a left, in order to give greater prominence to the information relating to the qualifications available and the various activities carried out or to be carried out.
THEXbox Series X | S UI tends to re-propose a design in line with the previous Xbox One, with a rather rigid structure, but at the same simple, which will hardly create confusion in the players and indeed, most likely will make them feel immediately at home, all in order to make the transition from one console to another as "traumatic" ”Possible. It would seem that Microsoft - just as happened with the new Xbox Wireless Controller - wanted to refine and refine the already excellent game interface, making everything more homogeneous and pleasing to the eye.
Organization
The PlayStation 5 UI sorts the titles and various media content into separate areas, designed to make experiences fun, engaging and time-consuming. The new Control Center offers instant access to everything the player needs, with a simple press of the PlayStation button on the controller Dualense, all without ever actually leaving the game. Other really interesting features are the Activities, cards designed not only to highlight key elements of the titles, but also to allow the user to replay unfinished levels or receive suggestions to overcome certain sections of the game. Additionally, some of these Activity tabs may be displayed on screen in mode Picture-in-Picture, without ever having to leave the game.
As previously mentioned, the Xbox Series X | S has several elements in common with the previous console, but this does not necessarily represent a limit, since the user interface is not only well organized and very intuitive, but introduces a very interesting feature: the Quick resume. The new functionality of the next-gen console made in Microsoft allows players to instantly switch between open titles, even after turning off the console. At the moment we do not know exactly how the Redmond house has managed to achieve all this, but we are sure that the new SSDs implemented will work hard to guarantee users imperceptible loading screens.
Community
Friends and the community will continue to play an essential role in the new PlayStation 5 User Experience. Navigating the interface, switching between games, accessing online games and interactions with parties happen quickly, thanks to the redesign of the console and network software components, which will guarantee a next-gen experience under every aspect. In the short preview, which you can conveniently retrieve at the following link, Sony has shown some new and interesting details on how players can easily connect with their friends, simply by using the Activity tabs. The high-performance SSD implemented by the Japanese company will allow not only to interact with the chat of the Parties while we are playing, thanks to the use of the microphone present in the DualSense, but also to observe the game session of one of its members in mode Picture-in-Picture. Fortunately, everything will happen without having to take your eyes off your Dashboard.
Obviously, even Xbox Series X / S put the community at the center of its ecosystem, although this element is less intuitive than the console of the Japanese giant. From the appropriate tab it will not only be possible to see the screenshots shared by our friends, as well as what are the trends of the moment, but we will also be able to accept invitations to groups, access shortcuts for respond quickly to messages and, most importantly, always stay connected without further wasting time.
Customization
We don't know much about how Sony will improve the customization of the PlayStation 5 Dashboard, but from what we've seen so far, slightly revised the console start menu. The player will no longer be greeted by the classic blue background, but by an animated screen (at first glance more comfortable) characterized by a gray-golden color. At the moment it is not clear even if PS5 - along the lines of the previous consoles - can be customized through the simple use of themes available on the renewed PlayStation Store.
Element that stands out in the new user experience of Xbox Series X | S is definitely customization of the game interface and various elements that aim to make our console unique. According to the recent press release available on the official Microsoft website, we will be able to modify and customize the profile from all the devices in our possession (smartphone, PC, and so on). We will not be able to change only the theme of the device, but also the titles, fonts and various color combinations.
Waiting to find out more details on the next-gen consoles of the Redmond house and the Japanese giant, and maybe some features hidden in the respective game interfaces, we remind you that Xbox Series X and Series S will debut the next 10st November priced at € 499,99 and € 299,99, while PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition will be available for purchase starting from November 19 2020, respectively for 499,99 € e 399,99 €.
