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the PS5 standby mode, or PS5 rest mode, is a sort-of-turned-off-but-not-really state that effectively puts the console to sleep without actually deactivating it. In this rest mode, the PS5 is capable of all sorts of special background features, at the cost of still drawing some power from your wall outlet (after all, it’s still running at a reduced capacity). Because of this, you can use the PS5 standby mode to take the pain out of a lot of tasks by getting rest mode to take care of it while you’re away. You’ll never have to worry about charging a pad, for example, if you know what you’re doing. Ditto for downloads. With that in mind, here are all the benefits of opting for PS5 Rest Mode over turning it off entirely.
1. Keep your controller charged
One of the great benefits of remembering to plug your pad back in before you left your PS5 drift off to sleep is that in rest mode, your PS5 will still supply power to your USB ports.
You can adjust the length of time that the USB ports remain powered for in:
Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode
The options are ‘Always’, ‘Three Hours’, or ‘Off’. Three hours will be plenty to keep your pad topped up, but if you want to make sure it’s always fully charged when you come back to it, opt for the Always option.
2. Updating games behind the scenes
One of the things that has always driven me up the wall with modern gaming is that there’s usually always a patch to download before you can play anything. However, like the PS4 before it, the PS5 can automatically download and install game updates and other content while it’s in rest mode. That means you should always be able to jump straight into your games the moment you turn your PS5 on as it’s been beavering away in the background. Of course, having top tier Wi-Fi 6 connectivity will also help.
3. Uploading saves to the cloud
If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, there’s another benefit of opting for PS5 standby mode – cloud saves. Whilst in rest mode, your PS5 will diligently upload any new save files to your PSN Cloud Storage (for both PS4 and PS5 games I might add), meaning you’re safe if anything should happen to your locally-stored save or – heaven’s forbid – your shiny new PS5. It’s another feature that’s carried forward from the PS4, but always good to know it’s there.
4. Install games remotely
Enhance your gaming experiences on PS4 and PS5 with the newly redesigned PlayStation App: https://t.co/PkutMmuGSV pic.twitter.com/uXTH1G07yWOctober 28, 2020
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If you are opting to always leave your new console in PS5 rest mode, make sure to head into the settings to ensure ‘Enable Turning On PS5 from Network’ is switched on. You’ll find it in the following menu:
Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode > Enable Turning On PS5 from Network
That way, if you get a digital game code or buy something from the PlayStation Store via the App, your PS5 still start downloading it straight away while in rest mode. Hopefully, that’ll mean it’s ready to start playing the moment you’re reunited with your PS5.
5. Keep your PS5 game suspended
Of course, a lot of the benefits of PS5 rest mode are just gaming housekeeping, but there’s also a tangible perk to keeping your console only half-asleep: keeping your game suspended. While the PS5 doesn’t quite have the Quick Resume functionality of the Xbox Series X, it can keep your game suspended in rest mode, allowing you to jump straight back in where you left off when you boot up your PS5.
6. Play PS5 games remotely
If you were so inclined, you can also access your PS5 remotely, via the conveniently named feature PS5 Remote Play.
“We’re updating PS4’s Remote Play feature,” says Sony. “Now, in addition to being able to access your PS4 from a PC or a mobile device, your PS4 can access other consoles via Remote Play too, right on your TV. This includes the ability to connect to your PS5 and stream a PS5 game to your PS4 so you can play it there.”
So go on, give your PS4 a little more shelf-life with the PS5 Remote Play feature.
7. Ultimately save some power
Now of course, leaving your PS5 in standby mode is going to consume more energy than turning it off entirely, but it’s way more energy-efficient than the PS4 ever was.
“I am also very pleased to announce the next-generation PlayStation console will include the possibility to suspend gameplay with much lower power consumption than PS4 (which we estimate can be achieved at around 0.5 W),” explained Sony Entertainment CEO, Jim Ryan in a PlayStation Blog post (opens in new tab) at the end of 2019. “If just one million users enable this feature, it would save equivalent to the average electricity use of 1,000 US homes.”
According to a report (opens in new tab) published by the National Resources Defense Council back in 2014, the PS4 and Xbox One both draw massive amounts of power in standby — the PS4, 8.5 watts, and the Xbox One 15.7.
The PS5 drawing 0.5W of power compared to the PS5’s 8.5W is certainly quite the energy saving.
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