The PS5 is (probably) less than four months away, and with Sony’s path to release more or less clear, we’re all eagerly awaiting new information about the console. One new rumor indicates we may be getting a look at the PS5 user interface (UI) within the next few weeks. Industry insider Tidux says that Sony will soon issue a PS5 dev kit update that will allow developers to enable “retail mode” on the consoles, essentially allowing them to see how the game will look and interact with the final retail setup of the next-gen console. He expects Sony to show off the PS5 UI before that update happens to get out ahead of any potential leaks stemming from devs having access to retail mode.
PlayStations next dev kit update arrives in a few weeks which will feature ‘retail mode’ so devs can see what the final set up will be. The current system is debug only with PS4 retail mode. Expect that PlayStation will show it off before it goes live to avoid leaks.
— Tidux (@Tidux) July 29, 2020
According to Tidux, the current PS5 dev kits only features debug and PS4 retail mode (which I assume just mimics the PS4’s retail layout in the absence of the PS5 UI). Tidux’s credibility as an insider has been hit and miss before, so take this with a grain of salt, but the timeline does appear to line up with other rumors. One rumor says Sony is planning to hold a PS5 State of Play event on August 6th, which may be when the company plans to show off additional features and details about the next-gen console, potentially including the UI. Sony teased the UI and startup very briefly back during its PS5 Future of Play reveal event. Previous reports have said that the UI is 100% redesigned, being called a “very interesting evolution.”
Sony has released other information about the PS5 to get ahead of potential leaks, including the seemingly random announcement of the DualSense controller earlier this year, not to mention first detailing the PS5 in a Wired interview/feature as far back as April 2019. If developers are indeed getting access to the retail PS5 UI and features soon, then it stands to reason Sony would want to control that conversation by showing it off before developers get full access themselves.
Still, PS5 leaks do keep happening. Most recently photos from what appears to be the production line seem to show a removable and swappable outer PS5 shell, which could change the game for special editions of the console. If Sony does plan on holding a PS5 State of Play on August 6th, expect it to be announced within the week leading up to that Thursday. Sony has also promised that it will announce PS5 preorders ahead of them going live, so prospective buyers shouldn’t anticipate a random drop during one of these shows.
What do you think? Is Tidux onto something here, or is this educated guesswork?
