We’ve had the PlayStation 5 for some time now. The headlines around quick load times and the lovely DualSense controller haptics and triggers are well known. Less talked about are the Activity Cards available on the system. For our family this is becoming a big driver in whether we play a game on Xbox or PlayStation.
The PlayStation 5 Activity cards have been a complete game-changer. Not only do they offer a standardised and simple way to get into games, but on many titles they provide contextual hints and tips. Here’s how they’ve made a real difference to our gaming.
Start Games Quicker
Being able to use an Activity Card to jump straight into a mode of a game means we don’t have to wait for the main menu to load. When we have just a short amount of time to get into some gaming, this has been appreciated. It’s also a nice way to standardise how to get started in these games. Popup the Activity Card for the mode and you’re away.
Time Advice on Missions
As you progress through a game, missions and side-quest cards are added to your deck on the PlayStation 5 operating system. Being able to see which quests and activities there are to do on a game is a big help for families. Games like Sackboy: A Big Adventure provide great cards for this, along with advice about how long each activity will take.
This not only aids discovery of new things to do in game (which as a family we often miss), but this guidance of how long it will take is a huge help when we are fitting in some play before a meal time or going out.
Help Videos
This is the biggest thing for us. You can pull up tips and hints for things you may have missed in a game. Games like A Plague Tale offer tips for items and collectables you missed.
You can pull up the card and see a short video of how to complete this aspect of the game. If you need this advice while you are playing you can pin the video to the left or right of the screen to view it as you play.
Which PS5 Support Activity Cards?
While all PlayStation 5 games support Activity Cards in some way, they don’t all do it to the same depth. (Also, you do need PlayStation Plus to access the videos and tips cards.) Most games offer a way to quickly jump into a mode, but the following offer PS5 Activity Card tips, hints and videos:
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Astro’s Playroom
- Bugsnax
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- Hitman 3
- A Plague Tale: Innocence
- The Pathless
- Crash Bandicoot
- Control
- Demon’s Souls
- Ratchet And Clank: Rift Apart
- Maquette
- Deathloop
- Oddworld Soulstorm
