Sony’s recent showcase of the PS5’s upcoming launch library, along with presenting future releases, got fans and members of the press pumped. That said, the presentation was not without folly. There are still many aspects about the console itself that remain a mystery.
Rather than predict what it can do or detail what is already known, this list will go through ten features that it should have at launch. Backwards Compatibility, as the title suggests, is one of them. Even though it is known that the PS5 can play PS4 games, there are questions to how that feature works. So, let’s get to that and the other nine right now.
10 Backwards Compatibility
As of right now the PS5 has been confirmed to play PS4 games. Sony has been vague about details though. Will every game work? If so how does one play them? That is to say can the PS5 use downloads and or can it support discs? For that matter what else is backwards compatible from the PlayStation library? It would be great if this was able to play every console again.
9 Save States
One of the big reasons emulation is so popular is because it allows gamers to experience titles that are no longer available to play. On top of that most programs or machines that support emulation have added features like being able to rewind time, or use save states.
A save state allows players to literally save at any point and load at the snap of a finger. Since the PS5 has a SSD, this could be possible for backwards compatibility at least.
8 Control The Demos
One of the big promises at the very first PS4 event back in February 2013 was that PSN would have a demo for every game available. That became far from the truth as the years went on. To make up for that, the PS5 should have this feature even if it means having to stream the game. Giving players a free hour on any game, for example, would be great.
7 Remote Play
This is basically like the Switch’s functionality, but a bit sloppier. It first started between the PS3 and PSP, got better between the PS4 and PS Vita, and now even PCs can steam games from the console. It’s great if someone wants to use the TV and or if someone wants to multitask. Hopefully this feature is both kept on the PS5 along with being tinkered with to make it better.
6 PlayStation Now/PlayStation Plus Combo
This is a bit confusing, but let’s give it a shot. Currently, PS Plus can be bought for $10 a month, or bundled for $60 a year, which saves gamers half the price. That’s a great deal on its own. The same is true for PS Now. Buying both services costs $120 without any outside deals. How about an even $100? That may make gamers tempted to get on the stream train.
5 Activity Log
One of the biggest pet peeves gamers can have is when a game doesn’t give them an account of their playtime. This is across all consoles. Because this feature is random from developers, Nintendo added a way to check play time with an activity log starting with the Wii. It’s not completely accurate but it’s better than nothing. The PS4 kind of has that, but players must have Sony email them on a weekly basis for updates. It’s not as convenient as a set program.
4 Customizable UI
The User Interface on the PS4 is okay. It’s certainly much better than the Xbox One’s which has never picked a lane since 2013. That said the PS4 has added features along the way like by adding folders but it also feels a bit cluttered. The PS3’s XrossMediaBar, or even the bubble system on the PS Vita, were better UIs. Being able to customize the PS5’s UI would go a long way to ease player tensions.
3 The Media Box
Gamers can play stuff like movies off of a USB inserted into the PS4. However, unlike the PS3, users can not store media on the system.
Having to use a USB to watch things on the stick itself is not completely inconvenient, but that’s not to say people didn’t miss having a media hub on their systems. The PS5 should be able to store media is the point. Not everyone can stream Netflix.
2 Mod Support
The one thing PCs have always had an advantage of over consoles is that most games support mods. The Xbox One tinkered with a few games that supported mods, like Fallout 4, but it was never a big feature that went anywhere on the PS4, or really the Xbox One for that matter. Is this upcoming generation the one where mods can finally come to consoles? Please add this functionality to the PS5 Sony.
1 Help Optimize Update Sizes
Another small detail that should get hammered out between Sony and developers is update sizes. Not everyone has good internet without data caps. Why should gamers have to download 50 GB patches for games like Call of Duty? That’s like the size of the game. However they do it, the size of updates needs to be in more convenient packages. It is ridiculous right now.