PS5's secret weapon to smoke Xbox Series X slips out

The PS5's UI kicks things up a notch and leaves Xbox Series X in the dust

PS5 Sony PlayStation 5
(Image credit: ConceptCreator)
Shabana Arif
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The PS5 and Xbox Series X are going to battle it out this holiday season, with both consoles employing different strategies to lure players into their ecosystem. With Microsoft, it's promises of backwards compatibility that won't need players to upgrade to the Xbox Series X right away (although it seems to have done a U-turn on that last point).

Meanwhile Sony has nabbed console exclusives, like Horizon Forbidden West and Gran Turismo 7, that should see the PS5's game library rival that of the PS4, and now a newly leaked feature suggests players have got even more to get excited about. 

A preview of WRC 9 was published by Gamereactor that inadvertently revealed details of the new console's feature, but it was quickly taken down so as not to spill the beans presumably, but this is the internet, so of course it was too late. 

The snippet was captured and tweeted out by Gematsu, and references something called 'Activities':

"Also as a free update for those who get WRC 9 on either PS4 or Xbox One, the game will upgrade to the next-gen versions on PS5 or Xbox Series X, and we're looking forward to seeing how performance, graphics, or features such as PS5's Activities feature (an instant deeplink to specific races directly from the console's menu) reveal the future of rally racing."

This sounds very much like the PS5 OS patent spotted in March, described as “a method for launching interactive content” that will drop players straight into the thick of a game's action, and circumvent menu navigation. 

It's Sony's answer to the Xbox Series X's 'transformative' Quick Resume feature aimed at creating a more seamless experience for players, and it sounds like it could be even better that Microsoft's solution.

Will that convince industry legend Gabe Newell to change his opinion on which console is better? Who knows. But it's a game-changing feature that we can't wait to see in action. 

Source: Push Square

Shabana Arif
Shabana Arif

Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.

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