The successors to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are just a year or two away, while the Switch continues to deliver. Yes, we’re all excited to see what Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have in store. This generation made games with outstanding and immersive worlds and enriching experiences that provide great fun whether you’re playing solo or with friends. With this in mind, the next gen promises to do everything better and more.

However, there’s a specific set of features we’d like to get that would drastically change the entire console experience in a positive way. Let’s take a look at some of which.

Backwards compatibility

The first thing we’d like to see is backwards compatibility on both platforms. We’d all want to play and carry over the digital licenses of our PlayStation 4 and Xbox One games’ to their successors. Both consoles have an extensive library of games which means that if you have an extremely huge backlog or playing an MMO, you can carry them over to the new consoles. You’ll also get a better experience due to the improved hardware.

It’s also worth noting that there are still games set to be released on the PS4 and Xbox One. For example, Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us 2 are two notable titles pegged for the PS4. Allowing backwards compatibility on the PS5 means we won’t have to dig up our already vaulted PS4 to play these titles.

60 FPS as a standard

Though a lot of games run at 60 FPS even on a base PS4 and Xbox One, action-packed games like PUBG, The Witcher III, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey run at 30 FPS. Though this isn’t a bad thing, it would honestly have helped if they were pegged at 60 FPS, much like in high-powered gaming PCs. With backwards compatibility being a thing, we hope to finally explore various worlds and relive epic fight scenes in all the glory and perfect of 60 FPS.

Crossplay in all platforms

Microsoft, Nintendo, and PC platforms enjoy crossplay, allowing players on all platforms to play with or against each other. Last year, Sony caved in, enabling it though only on certain games like Fortnite, Rocket League, and Dauntless. We hope that the next generation of consoles will break the barriers and turn the gaming world into a single, all-encompassing space that will let us play together regardless of the platform.

Mouse and keyboard support (especially in strategy games)

Paradox Interactive brought in games like Cities: Skylines, Stellaris, and the Tropico series to consoles. Although they’ve optimised those games well, it would have been great if they had mouse and keyboard support which would make them more seamless to play. Quite frankly, playing these games with a controller isn’t exactly intuitive.

If consoles would encourage developers to put in mouse and keyboard support in the next-gen, we’d have a better time playing those games. It would also open up the possibility of games akin to Command and Conquer and Starcraft be ported to consoles. They could even make and sell their own mouse and keyboard set for extra profit.

In the case of shooters and other games where mouse and keyboard users will have an advantage over controllers, it would be best to implement input-based matchmaking, like how Epic Games does it in Fortnite.

Better VR experiences

Xbox One has yet to make its way to the world of VR, while Sony’s PSVR is decent but is still a work in progress. Sony confirmed that the PS5 will support the PSVR which in turn makes it a must-have add-on today and in the near future. And yes, more VR titles are in the pipeline. Though we’re still far from the Nerve Gear in Sword Art Online, VR worlds, full-fledged VR MMOs, and other immersive experiences are now a possibility. Just imagine exploring recreations of ancient cities, piloting a fighter jet (like in Ace Combat), going through space (which will be a thing in No Man’s Sky VR) in a VR headset.

More remakes

Classic games - those from 10-30 years ago - introduced us to gaming. We’ve had fond memories of exploring Dracula’s castle in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and using Fusion and Lumina in Brave Fencer Musashi. Remaking our old favorites and reimagining them is something developers need to do. After all, they have more freedom and tools available. Just look at Resident Evil 2: Remake. It exceeded expectations and is arguably one of the must-play games of 2019. We hope in the next generation, we’ll get to see more remakes that will give justice and

The battle of exclusives

Xbox One’s exclusives were never on par with Nintendo’s and Sony’s. Sea of Thieves, Gears of War, Forza Horizon 4, and Halo 5 were decent games. However, they weren’t exactly as critically-acclaimed as Sony’s God of War, The Last of Us, and Marvel’s Spider-Man and Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey.

In the next-gen, we’d like to see Microsoft - as well as Nintendo and Sony - step it up a notch and deliver quality exclusive games. Halo: Infinite has already been announced as a launch title for the next Xbox and we hope it’ll live up to the hype.

Rise of subscription services

Finally, subscription services will continue to rise and become a mainstay in the future. PlayStation Plus, PS Now, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Gold, and Nintendo Switch Online will still be around and hopefully improve. Certain publishers, like Square Enix and Ubisoft, may end up making their own subscription services, following EA’s suit (EA Access). Though having a lot of options is always a plus, we can’t help but think that, things will get a little crowded in the next generation.

Overall, gaming’s next generation looks to be promising. We already know a lot of what’s to come, and we’re there will be more surprises in store.

So, what are you looking forward to the most in the next-gen? Which features do you hope to see?