YOU WON’T BELIEVE What’s New in PS5’s Welcome Hub

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What can you do with the Welcome hub on PS5? In a 2024 system software update for PS5, a major new addition arrived on the console’s home screen. A tile, simply titled Welcome, is the first thing you see when you log into your account, and it’s a great feature that can show you a lot of information about your PS5, friend activity, and more.

In addition, it offers complete customization, allowing you to select which widgets appear and their placement, as well as choosing a background. Here’s an overview of what this Welcome hub is capable of:

1. Customizable layout: Choose which widgets are displayed and where they’re positioned.
2. Background selection: Pick the background that best suits your preferences.

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Let’s delve into the features of this Welcome hub!

What Is the Welcome Hub on PS5?

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PS5’s Welcome hub replaces the old Explore page, and is the default screen you see when you log into your console. It’s intended to provide you with an at-a-glance overview of your PS5, your recent activity, information about your friends list, Trophies, and more. Additionally, it houses news about the games you follow as well as updates from PlayStation, such as info about new PS Store deals, upcoming events, and so on.

What Are All the Widgets in Welcome Hub on PS5?

At the top of the Welcome hub is a range of widgets, each one showing you useful information about your console, social activity, and more. Let’s go through each of them and what they can do.

Trophies

The Trophies widget provides a summary of all the trophies you have collected. It shows you the number of each type of trophy you’ve earned, along with your current trophy level and the progress you’ve made towards the next level.

Battery Level

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This gadget displays the present battery level of your currently-used PlayStation 5 controller. Should you expand the gadget, it will show the battery levels of several controllers if needed.

Storage Summary

If you want to be aware of how much storage you’re using on your PS5’s SSD or external HDD, this widget provides that information. It shows you colour-coded meters pertaining to games and apps, media gallery, save data, and other. You can swap between console storage and external storage with L1 and R1.

News

This widget gives you a brief look at recent news from the games you follow, PS Store, and more. Use the shoulder buttons to cycle through a handful of news stories.

PlayStation Store

This widget simply represents the PS Store, showcasing a particular game that may be of interest to you. Using L1 and R1 will cycle through a few featured titles, and clicking the widget will take you to the PS Store proper.

New to PlayStation Plus

In a similar vein, this gadget highlights PS Plus, displaying some of its latest offerings from the subscription package.

Accessibility

Utilize this tool to navigate through several accessibility features, including display and audio settings, screen reading services, subtitles, and additional options. Selecting one of these functions within the tool will direct you to a comprehensive settings page dedicated to that specific feature.

Media Gallery

This widget simply lets you view your most recent screenshots and video clips. If you enter the widget, you can view these full screen, go to the full Media Gallery app, and set screenshots as a background for the Welcome hub.

Wishlist

The Wishlist widget shows the games you currently have in your PS Store wishlist. You can use the shoulder buttons to cycle through your wishlisted titles, and each one will show you the game’s current price.

Online Friends

The widget indicates which of your friends are currently active and what games they’re engaged with. By clicking the widget, you can access a detailed view of your friends list.

Friend Activity

If you want to see what your friends have been up to lately, this widget will show you. It displays a few recent activities from your friends, such as games they’ve played or Trophies they’ve earned.

Messages

In simpler terms, the “Messages” feature displays the most recent communications you’ve received from other gamers. If you want to view several messages within a specific chat, you can expand the widget. By clicking on the widget, you will open the entire conversation.

How Do You Edit Widgets in Welcome Hub on PS5?

You can edit the widgets in the Welcome screen, changing their size and position, and even if they appear at all.

While in the Welcome hub, you can press Triangle, then select Edit Widgets, or simply press R3. Either way, you’ll be taken to a new screen where you can customise your widgets. Here you can:

  • Toggle each widget on and off
  • Press Square on the highlighted widget to move its position
  • Press L1 to decrease the size of the widget
  • Press R1 to increase the size of the widget

1. If you prefer not to spend too much time adjusting widget settings, you can select from a variety of pre-set options instead.

2. To do this, press the ‘Triangle’ button on your device.
3. After pressing the Triangle button, choose ‘Change Preset.’
4. You will now see three pre-set widgets, along with your own customized one.

  • Highlights: A broad overview combining social features and console information.
  • Social: Focuses on PS5’s social aspects, like your friends’ activity, who’s online, and messages.
  • Solo: Focuses on your information, like Trophies, controller charge, and console storage.
  • Your Preset: Your current widget selection.

As a gamer, I’d say: “Down below, you’ve got the Big Layout option. Flip it on, and poof! All my widgets expand to their maximum size. Makes sifting through them a breeze!

How Do You Change the Background in Welcome Hub on PS5?

One convenient aspect of the Welcome hub is switching up its backdrop. To modify it, simply click on the Triangle button, followed by choosing “Change Background”.

You’ll be taken to a new screen where you have various options to choose from.

  • From PlayStation presents you with a range of original artwork, all loosely themed around PlayStation and the face button symbols. Most are static images, but a handful are animated.
  • From Games is sparsely populated right now, but gives you options to represent your favourite PS5 games, such as Astro Bot.
  • Media Gallery opens up the screenshots you’ve taken and allows you to choose one of your snaps as the background.

What Else Is There to Do in Welcome Hub on PS5?

While the most interesting part of the Welcome page is its range of widgets, there is a little more to see. There are two feeds below the widgets that present you with yet more information, focusing on games you may be interested in.

  • Your News is a feed populated with updates on the games you’ve chosen to follow. You’ll see updates about new content, events, and more depending on which titles you’re following.
  • From PlayStation gives you updates, well, from PlayStation. It shows you things like PS Store sales, promotions for certain games, and more.
  • Events is a specialised feed that will show upcoming in-game events, tournaments, livestreams, and so on based on the games you follow.

So, that sums up the main points about the latest Welcome Hub on PS5. Which widgets do you like best? Are you making regular use of this new feature? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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2025-03-17 15:10