This coming November, it'll have been six years since the release of the PlayStation 4, which means that the next generation of consoles is right around the corner. Rumor has it that the PlayStation 5 will be released at some point in 2020, and some are expecting Sony to make the announcement later this year. Of course, the announcement won't happen at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in June, as the gaming giant has already pulled out of the event.
The common belief is that Sony will hold their own conference later this year where they'll reveal the fifth installment of their console along with its release date. As of this writing, a few features for the PS5 have already been confirmed, but there are still some features that we want that haven't yet been announced.
Updated on August 29th, 2020 by Elise Nelson: The 2020 holiday season is fast approaching, which means the PS5 will finally arrive. For months, Sony kept many details about the next-gen console hush-hush. However, thanks to a two-hours-long reveal event in June, we have a ton of info, including the futuristic (and WiFi router-like...) design — a major change from Sony's previous consoles. We also know some specs and key features, such as backward compatibility and an SSD hard drive. Now, we just have to wait for the price, and hopefully a few other features on our PS5 wishlists.
14 Confirmed - Upgraded Controller
Out with the DualShock, in with the DualSense. The PS5 is coming with a brand new controller, complete with a white and black shell to match the futuristic console. The new controller was revealed back in April 2020. As the new name suggests, the DualSense puts a strong focus on the sense of touch.
Some new features include "refined haptic feedback" for better range of motion, adaptive trigger buttons, a built-in mic, and a "Create" button to replace "Share." The center touchpad will still be there, but now with light bars on the sides.
13 Want - More TV Streaming Apps
Don't get us wrong, there are a ton of streaming services on the PS4 and we're grateful. We have access to the top few like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix, and more. However, it would be greatly appreciated if Sony could iron out a few deals to add even more apps to the list. Many people use their consoles to stream their favorite shows in lieu of cable boxes and such.
A few currently excluded apps from the PS4 include Shudder, Dailymotion, and Showtime.
12 Confirmed - Configurable Installation
Game installation will be a little different on the PS5. Right now, it's all or nothing when downloading a game file — the entire game will be on your console. Many players are painstakingly aware of how much space some games take up; Call of Duty: Modern Warfare takes up about 175GB with DLCs, for example.
The PS5 will combat large file sizes by adding "configurable installation," according to Lead System Architect Mark Cerny. This means that games can be installed in segments, so players can exclude some campaigns or multiplayer features to save space.
11 Confirmed - Will Have Disc Drive
Due to the uptick in digital sales this generation, many have predicted that the PlayStation 5 will not have a disc drive. However, industry analyst Michael Pachter has said that the console will feature a disc drive, simply because they want to maintain a healthy relationship with the storefronts that sell their products.
If Sony decided to no longer support physical copies, then they'd essentially be cutting certain storefronts out of their business, and if that was the case, then there'd really be no reason for these stores to continue on selling Sony's consoles.
10 Want - Bigger Hard Drive
With file sizes for games like Red Dead Redemption 2 being in the neighborhood of 100 GB, it's essential for Sony to have a massive hard drive for their next console upon launch.
Also, while the next generation will still support physical copies, the truth of the matter is that many users prefer to purchase their games digitally, and what's more annoying than having to figure out which game you need to delete in order to make room for your latest digital purchase?
9 Confirmed - Cross-Platform Gaming
Sony has finally unlocked its doors for cross-platform play. The company was known for years to be against cross-platform gaming, despite the fact that competitor Microsoft allowed Xbox and PC to match up, and despite Microsoft's previous efforts to ask for it. Earlier this summer, it was finally confirmed that Sony caved on the issue for the PS5.
Of course, Fornite is one major title said to be available for cross-platform gaming. Other titles include Chivalry II and Destiny II.
8 Confirmed - V-Sync Support
Back in September of last year, a patent filing confirmed that Sony is working on V-Sync support for the PlayStation 5, which will match a game's frame rate to your display's own refresh rate, thus eliminating screen tearing during gameplay and cut-scenes.
While this probably isn't a major selling point for the casual PlayStation user, this feature will help close the gap between consoles and gaming PCs, which might convince Steam users to give the PS5 a try.
7 Want - Slim Model Upon Launch
With each generation, Sony creates half-step consoles and/or slim versions of the current gen's console a few years after its release. But it would be nice to see the company provide a few options upon launch, with some being significantly cheaper than others.
For instance, instead of waiting three or four years to come out with a slim model, which is less powerful with a smaller hard drive, they could release it alongside the main PS5 at a much cheaper price in an attempt to bolster their sales. Of course, it's not like Sony needs help selling consoles, as they have completely owned the current generation.
6 Confirmed - A Digital-Only Model
Although we aren't sure about a slim version on its way, we do know that the PS5 will have a digital-only console, likely at a lower price. The PS5 Digital Edition will exclude the 4K UHD Blu-ray disc drive, which does make the console appear slightly slimmer anyway.
It's important to think carefully before choosing to buy the Digital Edition, since there are some free PS4 to PS5 upgrades that will require the physical discs. However, if you've only ever bought digital titles, this may be a good choice.
5 Confirmed - Faster Start Time For Games
For the next generation of consoles, Sony is trying to find a way to have their games launch instantly, and the company filed a patent back in January of last year which confirms that. The patent suggests that the PlayStation 5 will more than likely feature RAM-intensive loading systems, which can almost instantly load all game assets.
On top of that, the system will begin loading a user's last known save while hovering over its icon, so players will not have to launch the game to begin the loading process.
4 Want - Wireless Charging For Controllers
While PlayStation's controllers have always been fantastic, the DualShock 4 does have its shortcomings, with the biggest of which being that you have to plug it in to charge it. For PlayStation's next generation, it's realistic to think that Sony will make some improvements to their controllers, and it's also realistic to expect that they'll add wireless charging.
Of course, this doesn't mean that you won't have the option to use a wire to charge a controller, but at least it'll give console users the opportunity to go completely wire-free with their controllers upon purchasing a PlayStation 5.
3 Confirmed - Renewed VR Support
Even though VR hasn't been a smashing success for the PlayStation 4, it looks like Sony is going to continue on with the genre heading into the next generation of consoles.
Last year, it was leaked by the renowned SemiAccurate that PSVR "baked in" at the silicon level on the PS5, making it able to play VR content without a need for the breakout box that the current version requires. On top of that, a patent suggests that Sony is working on developing new controllers for the genre, which will be able to detect individual finger movements thanks to a camera system.
2 Confirmed - Backwards Compatibility
One of the biggest flaws with the PlayStation 4 was that there was no backward compatibility. Sure, users could download certain classic games from the past via the PS Store, but the selection was extremely limited. This did help Sony in the long run though, as they were able to sell remastered versions from the previous generation, as a good percentage of its users came over from the Xbox 360, which means that they never got the chance to play any of Sony's exclusives from the console's third generation.
A recent patent by Sony suggests that the company has been working on adding backwards compatibility to the PS5 for the last two years, confirming that the 5th installment of the PlayStation will be able to support games from all of the console's previous generations.
1 Want - More User-Friendly PSN
One of the biggest complaints of the last two PlayStation generations has been centered around the awkward infrastructure of the console's Network, as most console gamers find the Xbox Live Marketplace to be a lot more user-friendly.
The PlayStation Network needs to be drastically improved for the next generation, simply because when you compare it to the aforementioned Xbox Live Marketplace, and especially when you compare it to the Steam Marketplace, it's quite clear that Sony is in third place. With online gaming being as big as it is, making the PlayStation Network more user-friendly should be at the top of Sony's list for the next generation.