7. 2K Resolution Gaming
The age of 1080p TV displays may still be on-going, but if 2K and 4K resolution displays being introduced prove anything, it’s that games will eventually have to step up beyond Full HD. Even a lot of PC GPUs and displays are starting to incorporate 2K resolutions into their infrastructure.
So whether it’s through upscaling or games built from the ground-up to support 2K resolutions (for starters), there isn’t a better or more logical step in the graphics revolution cycle. However, it could affect the overall pricing and manufacturing of the device. Maybe built in for the sake of future compliance but it’s hard to know exactly when we’ll see it manifest until the market for Ultra HD displays pans out.
Likelihood: Slightly below average
6. Get Rid of Playstation Home
At one point, the introduction of a social network by way of digital avatars where you could represent your profile by way of stylized cribs and merchandise – not to mention living out a whole other existence online with bowling alleys and arcade machines – seemed really rad. Heck, it still is and novels like Ready Player One are a tantamount to the sheer potential such networks have. But Playstation Home has become little more than a waste of resources, with very few users and even less of a reason to go social what with Facebook and Twitter integration. It’s time to put it to sleep.
Likelihood: Average
5. Cross Game Chat
This has been so high up on users’ wish lists for so long that it’s just sad. Long story short, it’s time that Sony just introduced Cross Game Chat with whatever revamp of Playstation Network that the PS4 will be getting. If nothing else, it won’t be derided for not having a feature that a competitor’s previous generation does.
Likelihood: High
4. Indie Gaming Voting Process
This is a bandwagon that Sony really needs to get on before it’s too late: Why not have the equivalent of Steam Greenlight for consoles? After all, when one of your biggest potential threats is worried most about the openness that future platforms will have and hence wants to bring their own box into the picture, why not beat them to the punch?
Go even further and put the filtering process into the hands of gamers, with the winning titles moving directly on to the Playstation Store. Given Sony’s track record with offbeat titles and different experiences, it doesn’t seem entirely ludicrous. But given how harsh indie game development can be for consoles, this seems like a long way off in comparison to PCs.
Likelihood: Low
