PS5 Users Frustrated with New Game-Specific Ads in UI

The latest PS5 firmware update has reportedly added advertisements to the console's user interface, leading to significant backlash from users who are unhappy about having ads interrupt their gaming experience.

Following the PS4's cluttered and awkward interface, the PS5's sleek and straightforward design was a refreshing change at its launch in 2020. Players appreciated the user-friendly home screen, likening it to the PS3's XMB menus. Sony has continued to update the PS5 to enhance its functionality and add new features. However, fans remain disappointed by the lack of custom themes, and a recent update to the interface has added to their frustration.

A few weeks ago, the most recent PS5 system software update was released, and players have begun to see that it introduces ads into the interface. When hovering over a game icon on the home screen, the background now shows an ad related to that game instead of displaying artwork. For instance, hovering over the GTA 5 tile shows an image about a new GTA Online mode, with a link to a webpage for more details.

PS5 Game-Specific Ads, Users Encounter Issues

The theory is that the PS5's firmware pulls the latest news for each game and uses its main menu tile as an info hub. However, this isn't working well; for example, Gran Turismo 7’s tile shows outdated info about Update 1.49, which was released in July, instead of the new update coming this week. An even bigger issue is with Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which only displays a "coming soon" ad for the 2023 movie Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Fascinatingly, some game tiles, like Astro Bot, still show their original artwork, suggesting that Sony might be testing ads for certain games on the server-side. Following the recent controversy with McDonald's ads on Xbox, players are wary of where these "features" might lead. While the current PS5 ads only show game-related info, there's concern they could eventually become more intrusive. Hopefully, Sony will listen to the backlash and rethink this approach.