Cody has been a gamer ever since his family got a Sega Genesis when he was five-years-old. In addition to his love of narrative-focused RPGs and ho... Read more
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
The PlayStation 5 is slated to come out in just a few short months, and Sony is already taunting us with titles like Horizon Forbidden West and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Although we’re all eagerly awaiting the next-gen release, we can still dress up our PS4s in the meantime with one of the best PS4 themes available.
Having a good dynamic theme can give your console’s interface a fresh look. Sure, it’s not a high priority from a strictly utilitarian point of view, but a customized menu creates a unique and personal experience, just like choosing a wallpaper for your phone or computer. The best PS4 dynamic themes can revitalize your interface, making your console feel new again.
So what are the best PS4 themes? You’re about to find out!
Zoom In: The 9 Best PS4 Game Themes
Our list includes both ‘Game’ Themes and ‘Original’ themes. We’ll start with our top pick overall.
1. BioShock: The Collection Theme
The best PS4 theme overall
Developer: 2K | Type: Game / Dynamic | Release: 2017 | File Size: 44 MB | Price: $1.99
Our top pick on the list of the best dynamic themes PS4 has to offer starts with BioShock: The Collection. Although BioShock is an older series originally released on the PS3, the remastered collection caused a resurgence in popularity. BioShock has always been masterful when it comes to setting the stage for their dystopian steampunk/horror-shooters, and their dynamic PS4 theme lives up to the standard.
The background music comes from the series’ infamous, anxiety-inducing violin track, which is both tense and eerily beautiful. The interface uses retro, golden icons that make a satisfying snapping sound as you cycle through them, like flipping a heavy switch in the game.
Most impressive of all is the animation that plays when you swap between the lower and upper menus. The lower menu features an abandoned theater in Rapture, the underwater city. Moving to the upper menu initiates a stinger transition, which pans the camera up through the water, past the lighthouse, and into the sky-bound city of Columbia.
2. Synthwave Night Drive Dynamic Theme
The best dynamic PS4 theme
Developer: Somequest | Type: Original / Dynamic | Release: 2019 | File Size: 22 MB | Price: $2.99
Synthwave Night Drive Dynamic Theme is one of the most popular themes in the PlayStation Store. It has a strong 80s vibe that’s guaranteed to get you pumped, especially if you’re looking for the best PS4 themes with music.
The soundtrack has an upbeat, energetic feel that wouldn’t be out of place in a training montage. The auditory effect for switching between the gold-chrome icons likewise sounds like the swishing of a dubbed karate chop.
The background image is composed of the iconic Miami Sun, with the silhouettes of black palm trees juxtaposed against vibrant oranges and purples. It also features a subtle but evocative animation in the form of a computer-generated grid that represents a road crawling forward.
3. Untitled Goose Game Theme
The best free PS4 theme
Developer: Panic | Type: Game / Dynamic | Release: 2019 | File Size: 20 MB | Price: Free
Most of the good dynamic themes can cost two to four dollars, so finding the best free PS4 themes usually involves picking through a lot of themes without any animation. Luckily, Untitled Goose Game’s dynamic theme is a rare exception!
The theme features the titular goose standing atop a pile of his misappropriated items with the game’s trademark monochromatic blue background. Rather than music, we get some ambient bird sounds like one would expect to hear outside on a nice spring day. The icons make a subtle whoosh sound, like swinging a bat through the open air, as you shuffle through them.
The goose just stands there most of the time, but as you cycle back and forth between the upper and lower menu, you will start to notice that he is holding different items in his mouth: keys, a fork, etc.. Eventually, he simply goes missing until he decides to take a leisurely stroll right in front of the camera.
4. Alien Laser Cat Dynamic Theme
The best original PS4 theme
Developer: Somequest | Type: Original / Dynamic | Release: 2019 | File Size: 21 MB | Price: $2.99
Alien Laser Cat Dynamic Theme’s title probably gives you a pretty good idea of what it’s got in store. It shouldn’t surprise you to discover that our second theme by Somequest also features retro synthwave music, this time with a little funky guitar thrown in for good measure.
The icons are minimalist white and make Space Invader-style blaster noises when you switch between them.
Let’s be real, though — you buy this theme for the giant space cat. Captain Snowpuff (as I have named him) has a luxurious white coat, and his eyes shoot pink laser beams up into the endless void of space. Moving to the upper menu gives you a different angle, this time with Captain Snowpuff shooting his lasers downward.
He is a very good boy and deserves lots of tummy rubs.
5. Transistor Theme
The best PS4 theme with music
Developer: Supergiant Games | Type: Game | Release: 2015 | File Size: 12 MB | Price: $2.99
Supergiant Games made their name with the release of the incredibly popular indie title Bastion. Transistor was their second release, and it has all the things that gave the studio its well-earned gaming cred — amazing music, satisfying gameplay, and an art style that doesn’t shy away from color.
This theme utilizes the game’s stellar soundtrack. which is probably going to be its biggest selling point for a lot of people, It isn’t bad to look at, either. The cyber blueprint background switches between a teal-green and red as you move between the upper and lower menus, offering a minimal but very clean look.
This is the one to get if you want a theme that just looks and sounds good without being overly distracting.
6. 4k Argos Galaxy Dynamic Theme
The best sci-fi PS4 theme
Developer: Smobile | Type: Original / Dynamic | Release: 2017 | File Size: 12 MB | Price: $3.50
The spacescape featured in 4k Argos Galaxy Dynamic Theme is eerily quiet. Debris drifts by as you hover in the orbit of a lush planet, looking out at other worlds. The music is slow and dramatic, with sharp drum beats occasionally breaking through the silence.
The custom, Sci-Fi inspired icons don’t make any noise as you move between them, maybe to illustrate the infamous silence found in the vacuum of space. Fans of Mass Effect, Stellaris and Dead Space will certainly approve of this theme.
7. The Last of Us Part II Ellie Theme
The best PS4 theme from Sony
Developer: Sony | Type: Game / Dynamic | Release: 2018 | File Size: 39 MB | Price: $2.99
If you bought a PS4 for the exclusives, there’s a good chance that Naughty Dog played a role in that decision. Their games are among some of the most popular in the world. The Last of Us Part II just came out last month and it was Sony’s biggest digital launch ever, with 2.8 million sales in June.
The theme features Ellie standing in the woods with her rifle at the ready. Tense music builds in the background. Moving through the white stencil-stylized icons creates a metallic clicking sound reminiscent of the game’s own menu interface.
The background itself doesn’t move, but the camera does, panning subtly to the side as you move to the upper menu. A minor but unique effect of the theme is that it makes the icons slide behind Ellie, giving the background a more three-dimensional feel.
8. Blood Sakura Lake HiQ Dynamic Theme
The best relaxing PS4 theme
Developer: Mass Creation | Type: Original / Dynamic | Release: 2019 | File Size: 23 MB | Price: $2.99
Blood Sakura Lake HiQ Dynamic Theme has a very peaceful aura about it. The background is a beautiful two-tone landscape, featuring a cherry blossom tree with blood red petals drifting into a lake beside a similarly red moon.
This traditional Japanese theme is amplified by the music and sound effects. The music seems to be played on a shamisen, and moving between the white gradient icons sounds like something being struck with a piece of bamboo.This theme will set the mood perfectly for games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or Ghost of Tsushima.
9. Monster Hunter World Dynamic Theme: Nergigante
The best fantasy PS4 theme
Developer: Capcom | Type: Game / Dynamic | Release: 2019 | File Size: 31 MB | Price: $2.99
Fighting an Elder Dragon isn’t for the faint of heart. Using one as your PS4 theme is pretty cool, though. Monster Hunter World’s Nergigante theme features the beast itself standing astride a mountain of pink crystal as he watches you menacingly.
The music is an orchestral melody that is very peaceful, in spite of the hundred-ton monster breathing heavily in the background. The icons have a burnished metal look to them and make a magical ping sound when selected.
Transitioning between menus zooms the camera in close to the Nergigante’s face, putting you considerably closer to those big, yellow fangs.
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What about the fire watch theme?