In minecraft ps4 edition, I cannot pause, even when multiplayer for that world is turned off. I don't know why this feature was removed, why the UI for the start screen was changed so much, or why it seems like the minecraft store is being peddled to me on every loadscreen, where it used to be helpful tips.
Thank you for your report!
However, this issue has been closed as a Working as Intended, per MCPE-28037
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