Following the recent announcement that Sony is working on next-gen hardware, it got our brains buzzing with ideas. What features would players as a whole be clamoring to see in a next generation PlayStation? Don’t worry Sony, you can take these ideas for free!
Features the Next Generation PlayStation Needs to Have
Backward Compatibility
Ever since it was recently uncovered by Gearnuke that Sony’s registered a new patent for “remastering by emulation,” many fans have been excited at the prospect of the PS5 delivering a comprehensive way of playing all those classic titles.
By the sounds of the patent, the technology would allow “original software (to be) played on the higher resolution display, with asset (such as texture) calls being intercepted, identified, and the data structure entered to retrieve the remastered asset having a matching identifier.” It sounds very technical, but it essentially sounds as though the next generation PlayStation would roll classic remasters into backward compatibility. Something we’ve seen with the likes of Destroy All Humans on the PS4 right now. Though, potentially on a smaller, less impressive scale. But who knows?
Whether this would stand as a separate system to PlayStation Now which could be used for PS3 and PS4 backward compatible titles remains to be seen.
Regardless, following nearly five years with the PS4’s sorry excuse for backward compatibility while Microsoft shows them how it’s done on Xbox One, the PS5, or whatever the next generation PlayStation is called needs to finally nail this down. Sony’s reluctance to backward compatibility finally needs to come to an end.
Features the Next Generation PlayStation Needs to Have
Native 4K… Maybe 60FPS?
A bit of an obvious one, but a feature that fans will be dying to see all the same. Currently, the standard PS4 and the supercharged PS4 Pro are no slouches in the visuals department. Games like The Last of Us Remastered, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Spider-Man all look absolutely breathtaking, especially in 4K HDR.
However, with the PS4 Pro having only released a couple of years ago now, chances are many players would want to see a substantial boost in the horsepower of the next generation PlayStation if they were to consider shelling out for the new system. Especially to ensure it isn’t completely trounced by Microsoft’s next generation system.
Currently, the Xbox One X is able to run some games at a native 4K resolution, while the PS4 Pro largely runs titles at a checkerboard, upscaled 4K resolution. The difference isn’t huge for the most part, but developers have already called out for things like more memory in the next generation PlayStation and Xbox to allow for more impressive and immersive visuals. Not to mention, additional memory can never be a bad thing for cutting download times and texture pop-in.
If the next generation PlayStation is going to stand out from its predecessor, it needs to comfortably be able to run games at a native 4K resolution. Perhaps even targeting 60 frames per second. That’d be a big ask on large, demanding games, but it certainly feels like the next logical performance targets for next-generation consoles to be aiming for.
Features the Next Generation PlayStation Needs to Have
Additional Cloud Power
While it won’t be Cloud Strife enhancing your gaming experience on the next generation PlayStation, John Kodera is a big advocate of streaming, having overseen the launch of PlayStation Now, PlayStation Vue and both PlayStation Music and Video respectively. With Kodera now at the helm of Sony, it wouldn’t come as a massive surprise to see the next generation PlayStation look to embrace the power of the cloud even further.
Perhaps rather than powering an additional media streaming service, the technology could now be used to provide additional computational power to soup up the visuals or framerate. It wouldn’t be like the rumored Xbox Scarlett which apparently requires a constant connection to the cloud, but could simply be a monthly subscription to enhance your gaming experience. Much like purchasing a PS4 Pro did for standard PS4 titles.
Considering subscription-based services tend to have a much higher profit margin over hardware, too, it seems like a wise business decision from Sony’s point of view.
Features the Next Generation PlayStation Needs to Have
UHD Blu-Ray Player
At this point, our home consoles are far more than something we shove a disc in and start playing our games of choice. They’re multimedia hubs, complete with video and audio streaming services, massive online stores complete with movies and TV shows to rent, and even players for our physical media, too.
When it came to the PS4 Pro, Sony opted to skip the UHD Blu-Ray player, citing user data as showing “a trend on video towards streaming.” Even if this is the case, the absence of a UHD Blu-Ray player for those seeking the absolute finest viewing experience for their movies or TV shows seems odd considering the Pro was supposed to be the company’s headline 4K system.
It was an absence made even more prominent by the inclusion of a UHD Blu-Ray player in both the Xbox One S and Xbox One X. If the next generation PlayStation is going to be a true, 4K console, it cannot continue to overlook some players’ desire to watch true, 4K media on their system, rather than standard, 1080p Blu-Rays.
Features the Next Generation PlayStation Needs to Have
A Digital Trade System
It can no longer be ignored that digital game sales are on the rise. In the UK alone in 2017, digital and online sales rose 13.4% over the previous year, compared to box software’s smaller 3.4% increase. Going digital is just becoming more and more convenient for players.
You can pre-order the game, and have it preload and do all day one updates before the official release date even rocks around. The second the game then goes live, you’re able to dive in. No faffing around going to your local retailer at midnight. No painful installation times for files off the disc. And no massive day one updates the same size as the files on the disc. We’re looking at you, Black Ops 4.
Problem is, if you’re unhappy with the game you buy, or you simply want to pick up another upcoming game, you’re stuck with your digital licenses. You can’t trade in the game and save yourself a few bucks. It’s there forever. For the digital age to well and truly be run into the video games industry, a digital trade system of some sort needs to be introduced.
The next generation PlayStation’s release would make the most sense to introduce the feature. A new library of games and a rumored upgrade to PSN make for the perfect clean slate for this kind of system.
It doesn’t have to be a massive return on our games, even something a little better than the often depressing quote you’re given for trades at GameStop would be enough to make buying digital more viable for most. Here’s hoping.
Features the Next Generation PlayStation Needs to Have
Cross-Play on a Broader Scale
After months of controversy surrounding cross-play, particularly when it came to Fortnite accounts following the release of the battle royale title on Switch, Sony finally announced it was ready to play nice with the other consoles.
Currently, cross-play on PS4 is only available when playing Fortnite. All other multiplayer titles are still limited to just those on the same system. However, with this being a step in the right direction, and the next generation PlayStation likely having some more fierce competition from the Xbox One right from the off this time around, cross-play feels like a necessity.
We envision mass battles between Xbox and PlayStation players. They can finally settle their differences online in the multiplayer lobbies, and let their skills do the talking.
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