We are in all likelihood within 12 months of the release of the PS5, and Sony are dropping tidbits with increasing velocity as the launch year fast approaches.
By now you’ve heard plenty about Ray-tracing and super fast Solid State Drives, but we wanted to explore some of the lesser features we hope to see in the upcoming console. These might not be the things we see in headlines or on the back of the box, but we think they will represent huge quality of life improvements over the PS4.
1. Revamped Playstation Store
The current iteration of the PS Store has devolved into something of a bloated mess. Overloaded with microtransactions, unhelpful search functions and oh so slow load times, it is now near impossible to find something you know about, let alone discover something new.
With all the drum-beating about this specific issue, we hope to see a marked improvement in this area on the PS5. While the SSD should help speed things up in general, we would hope to see some network-side streamlining to help things along.
The potential removal of video previews (who doesn’t
Introduction of a traditional search bar, as opposed to the current scroll wheel option would also be much appreciated. This coupled with filters that put an end to microtransactions and DLC hiding the damn games from view will all add to an infinitely better experience.
These improvements are a must in the increasingly digital based world, oh and passing on some of the cost savings from digital distribution would be well received too!
2. Fast app and game switching
One of the many benefits of the all-new SSD slated for PS5, this feature will be helpful to all those who share a console, or who like to switch between games during a longer session.
The new storage platform should allow for ultra-fast app switching, potentially multiple apps or games in suspension, and hopefully less reloading after extended periods of apps in sleep mode.
Sony have already hinted at the ability to jump directly into certain game missions, or particular modes (i.e. being able to instantly load into multiplayer), and so their hints are a good sign that these features are a strong chance to make their way into the final product.
3. Improved install times
Any Call of Duty fans out there? How about my Read Dead crew? Well, thankfully the SSD should also see a dramatic reduction in the time for installation of games from disc, as well as the infamous “copying data” load screens and patch installs.
Furthermore, we should no longer see the bottlenecking associated with trying to install a game while downloading another piece of content. Hooray!
4. All-new filing system
As with all new consoles, the PS5 will bring with it an all new UI and filing setup. I wasn’t too fond of the Cross Media Bar of the PS3, and while the updated version on the PS4 was markedly better, there is still much room for improvement.
This time around, we should see things like folders from the outset, rather than in a future update (we hope). We are also holding out hope for the ability for pinning folders or games, more depth in scrolling (i.e. multiple rows of icons rather than one large scrolling bar). Lastly, some additional filters by game genre, download date, and a dedicated PS Plus title section would be extremely helpful in navigating our digital libraries, in particular given we are likely to be carrying over our backward compatible titles too.
5. Quieter fans
Certain pockets of the internet are very vocal about the fan noise on the Playstation 4 systems. In particular as we approach the end of the life cycle, many have voiced their criticisms of the “jet engine” like fan noise on the current gen systems.
As such, we hope to see an all new thermal solution that should help alleviate the issue somewhat. Potentially Sony could even opt for a larger casing to ensure the components have additional room to breathe under the load required to push the delicious next-gen graphics!
Hope you enjoyed the content guys, tell us what new features you want to see on PS5 below, and keep an eye out for future news, theories and in the not-too distant future, hands on with the new console!
Before you leave, please visit our friends VGTees over at RedBubble and check out their awesome gaming tshirts, home furnishings and more! Tell them we sent you 🙂
That New Tech Smell 