The Xbox Series X is a great console, but there are some PS5 features that I really miss when I upload Microsoft’s small tower of power. Some will be small, I will admit, and it will end up being nice to have. Others, however, feel almost essential – and will only enhance the Xbox Series X experience as a whole.
Of course, I never want both boxes to be homogeneous – not only would this choking innovation, but it would also make owning two consoles practically useless – but as a contestant delivering a feature that works so well that you immediately see that it is gone then a business should also consider implementing it.
It may seem lazy to steal ideas from a competitor, but this type of exercise takes place all the time – whether during a console generation or thereafter. Microsoft quickly added a headphone jack to its Xbox One controller after the feature was so well received on the PS4’s DualShock 4 road, and the Xbox Wireless Controller for Series X and Series S now includes a share button.
Of course, the Xbox Series X has some great features, such as Quick Resume, and I’m focusing on the Xbox Series X features I’ll want to see on PS5 in a sequel. But for now, here are five PS5 features I wish on Xbox Series X.
1. Adjustable triggers
Perhaps the most surprising success story about the PS5 is the DualSense controller’s customizable triggers. I’m totally in love with them, to the point where I’re leaning towards buying third-party games on PS5 over Xbox Series X just to bird how it was used.
When Sony first announced how the DualSense triggers would change resistance to mimic the feel of pulling a pull cord back on a bow, or repeating the recoil when firing a gun, I was initially skeptical . But once I experienced it for myself in games like Astro’s Playroom, still my personal next generation highlight, it became clear that adaptable triggers were a revelation rather than a gimmick.
Although I still prefer the Xbox Series X controller – in part because of its asymmetrical analog layout and superior trigger shape, the fact that Sony’s way comes alive and adds an extra dimension to the game really makes me long for Microsoft see console.
Microsoft is clearly aware of the positive feedback that the DualSense controller is also receiving from gamers. In a recent survey of the Xbox Series X, owners were asked if they would like to see similar features on the Xbox controller, to which I wholeheartedly replied yes. Although I would be surprised if Microsoft were to do such a drastic review of its gamepad soon, stranger things happened.
2. Universal system settings for games
This is strange now, especially since the Xbox 360 used to have basically the same feature. With PS5, you can choose from a number of standard system settings that are universally applied to games. This includes defaulting the performance or resolution mode in games that support it; your preferred degree of difficulty; whether you want to reverse the controls; and if you want subtitles to switch on or off.
The amount of time it saves over the course of a console generation cannot be underestimated. I will always choose the performance mode above the resolution, so knowing that all the PS5 games I play are automatically default is just sensible. I no longer have to go looking in a menu, and for those who play upside down, it’s a blessing.
As I mentioned above, Xbox 360 used to have a similar setting, so why can it not be brought back to Xbox Series X? Fingers crossed Microsoft remembers why it was so good in the first place.
3. Mute the TV when using a header
I can not underestimate how much I miss this stupid simple PS5 feature when I play on Xbox Series X. I’ve actually been looking for it since Sony released it on PS4.
When you plug a headset into the DualSense controller, the PS5 recognizes it and turns off the TV automatically. This is even done if you connect a wireless headphone. It seems like you’re ever playing a game with the TV sound still shooting in the background, which honestly happens to be more than I want to admit.
If you pair headphones in the controller, nothing happens on Xbox Series X. The TV is not muted automatically, which means you have to pick up your remote and turn off your TV volume manually. This is an extra, unnecessary step I have to take over and over, and I can not stress how happy I would be if Xbox were to copy this seemingly basic feature of PS5. Let it happen, Microsoft.
4. Haptic feedback
While I’m not as desperate to see haptic feedback as the adaptations, it’s clear that haptics are the future. The subtle effects that developers can create are far superior to the older rotary motors found in the Xbox Series X road, and it’s hard to see Microsoft sticking to the traditional rumble in the future.
Even Nintendo has opted for haptic feedback about Nintendo Switch, as both the Joy-Con and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller include it. However, the implementation is pretty overwhelming compared to the way it is implemented in DualSense, but it is still able to provide amazing moments, such as how it can simulate the sensation of moving balls inside the controller when you 1-2 -Switch play.
Again, I doubt Microsoft will add haptic feedback anytime soon, but I would be surprised if it is not included with the next Xbox controller.
Now that Xbox Series X supports dynamic backgrounds (finally!), It’s time for Microsoft to give the user experience a little more life and personality. Why not add music when you’re on the dashboard? The PS4 has been using it to great effect during the last generation, as numerous custom themes included classic tracks that really helped take things to the next level.
To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the PS5’s gloomy home screen music, but it’s denied by the fact that any game you move around plays its own individual music track, which is really a nice touch. On Xbox Series X, however, you will only hear the dull sound that occurs when you scroll through the menus. As vague as it may sound, it makes the Xbox Series X UI feel rather soulless in comparison.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could buy a dynamic Halo theme that played ‘A Walk in the Woods’ when scrolling through the menus or adjusting your settings? I would personally like that and hope that Microsoft considers adding the home screen music option in the future.