Over the weekend, we dimly became aware of a change that had taken place on our PS5 UI. Presumably added in the recent firmware update, it lay dormant, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, not unlike a horrible trapdoor spider. Whereas previously, the information underneath each game tile was mostly sparse regarding updates or expansions, suddenly, we found ourselves inundated with ads, our glorious Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 background replaced with the above YouTube thumbnail-looking monstrosity.
While we were a little slow on the uptick, it seems we were not alone in noticing this change. Sony is now just fine with publishers hawking their wares right out in the open for all to see, it seems; no longer relegated to the decency of the PS Store tab. On X, user alfredobaba chronicled a selection of the ads you can look forward to being served:
MP1st points out that, besides being an eyesore, these additions can also be confusing. Some games will offer news updates instead, even if you opt out of advertisements. In one of the outlet’s examples, hovering over Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition on PS4 throws a full-page preorder ad for LEGO Horizon Adventures on PS5, which seems messy. We haven’t poked around in all the settings for ourselves, but it appears the only way to restore the original game card backgrounds is by entirely disconnecting your console from the internet.