PS5: 4 Ups & 4 Downs After 4 Months

2. Activity Cards Do Meaningfully Change How You Game

Before the PS5, I didn't care about actively chasing Trophies. Blame it on how it felt like Sony chasing the Achievement boom of the late 2000s, or how the PS4 always forced a server-sync when you wanted to check progress per game. With the PS5 though, trophy tracking and "Activity Cards" are front and centre, every time you hit the PS button.

The latter is the name given to every feature that CAN pop up on a card, from letting you boot straight into a multiplayer match to resuming an offline challenge you couldn't nail the week before. Trophy completion is also right here, showing that maybe you just need to use a specific weapon three more times for another Bronze, so why not.

Integrated properly, these start to transform the way you approach a library of games.

Hopping between single player Spidey and multiplayer Mortal Kombat using the Cards is a breeze, and Astro letting you know a friend has beaten your time trial feels genuinely encouraging. Developers like Remedy include step by step help for Control's tougher challenges, and you can double tap the PS button to change songs on Spotify or revisit your most recent card, too.

There's a ways to go making sure people know just how much accessibility is available at their fingertips, but we're definitely getting there.