PlayStation (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Lab-based usability research on PlayStation's social, notifications, and messaging features — observing how active players move between console and web, where their expectations break, and what gets in the way of adoption.
What we walked into.
PlayStation wanted to understand how players actually experience its social features — notifications and messaging that span both the console and the web. The open questions: do players understand the relationship between the two, where do their expectations diverge, and what stands in the way of adopting these features?
How we worked.
- Moderated Usability Testing
- Task-based Evaluation
- Cross-device Experience Research
- Gamer Participant Recruiting
- Findings & Recommendations
Naviscent ran one-on-one, task-based usability sessions in-lab with active PS4 players — recruited as engaged gamers who play heavily and socially, across distinct player types. Sessions observed real behavior with notifications and messaging, probed the console-versus-web mental model, and surfaced where the experience met or missed player expectations.
What we delivered.
PlayStation came away with a clear read on how engaged players experience its social features across console and web, where the cross-device model confuses them, and which usability barriers were holding back adoption — direction the product team could take straight into design.
Console or web — do players even know which one they're on, and does it get in their way?
Why teams call Naviscent.
Naviscent is a leading customer-centered design & user experience research consultancy headquartered in Silicon Valley, with presence in New York City, Chicago, and Orlando. Naviscent works globally with Fortune 1000 companies, software & technology companies, and Internet retailers. Through experimental, iterative user experience research, design & development, we deliver results that are proven to delight your customers.
Let's scope yours.
Thirty minutes, no slides, no commitment. We'll recommend the method, scope the work, and quote it in writing.
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