In many ways, Xbox is leading the industry with innovative services like Xbox Game Pass and xCloud Game Streaming, but there are some key features other platforms have that Xbox simply doesn't. In this quick video I break down the big PS5 and Steam features I'd love to see make their way to Xbox.
The full next-generation experience.
Xbox Series X is Microsoft's new flagship, as its most powerful console with over 12TF GPU performance and a custom SSD. It boasts up to 4K resolution and 120 FPS, full backward compatibility across four generations, and ray-tracing support.
Experience next-gen gaming for less.
Microsoft serves the next-generation for less with its budget-friendly Xbox Series S. The console packs the same high-performance CPU and SSD technology as Xbox Series X, while scaling back the GPU and removing the disc drive.
Steam Remote Play Together equivalent
The first feature I want to see come to Xbox is an answer to Steam's Remote Play Together. For those of you who don't know what this is, Remote Play Together allows players on steam to seamlessly invite their friends to play local multiplayer games online.
This has opened up plenty of games for my usual group of online friends that we might have normally skipped out on otherwise. With Xbox's focus on cloud-streaming, adding a capability like this should be a no-brainer.
Xbox needs a Remote Play Together equivalent to help expand the appeal of local multiplayer games on the platform, especially those launching into Game Pass. 2020 damaged the widespread appeal of local-only multiplayer games a feature like this could help players safely and conveniently experience them with others.
I'd love to see Xbox innovate and expand upon this feature as well. Maybe introducing a way for remote players to log in with their Xbox live accounts to still have the ability to earn achievements, unlike Steam's service which simply counts them as another local user.
PS5 Screen Share feature for Xbox Parties
Next up is one of my favorite features on PS5 and one I honestly had no idea existed before hooking up my Digital Edition and that's Screen Share within parties. Screen share allows you to share your live game feed with friends in your party so they can watch along in real-time and give tips. This was huge for navigating some of the tricky and confusing areas of Demon's Souls.
It's honestly a bit surprising how well it all works. It's quick, snappy, and has basically no delay for the viewer. You can even minimize the window to watch friends as you play your own game.
I would love to see Xbox offer a feature like this with their current party systems. This unlocks the potential for some increased social dynamics in our games. From what I've experienced of the PS5 so far, this is one big advantage the platform has over Xbox right now.
Revamped Xbox Achievements system
The Achievement system introduced with the Xbox 360 was groundbreaking and added meaningful, rewarding goals to playing games online. Unfortunately, it's lost its luster in recent years as the numbers have inflated without adding any real value. Seeing a game with 4000 potential Gamerscore is pretty overwhelming and now that many of us have Gamerscores in the 100's of thousands - it's time for a refresh.
I'd love for Xbox to revamp the achievement system in a big, innovative way. Or at least in a way that gets it back on par with Playstation. Playstation's Trophy system has Platinums which many players strive for and share with pride. Xbox desperately needs a proper answer to this.
Avatar and unique background unlocks were initially cool ideas to add extra perks to the system, but it feels like, in recent years, Achievements have gotten pretty stale. Here's to hoping once again reinvents online rewards for this generation.
Steam Play-time tracking
Xbox introduced a fun social stat-tracking companion for Achievements for Xbox One games last generation, but now most games either don't support it or don't bother with it. Which is a huge bummer because it was always a fun, social event in my friend group to pull up the stat page of a specific game and compare where we all stand.
Steam natively tracks playtime for all games and hopefully, Xbox can incorporate this feature in addition to re-emphasizing the stats page of the platform as well. Simple features like this are nice references for the games you and your friends play most. Maybe one day I'll finally know how many hours I've put into Sea of Thieves.
What features do you want to see?
Each platform offers a unique suite of services and the current level of competition in the video game industry is exciting to watch. Hopefully, Xbox is looking at what its competitors are doing and has plans to adopt some of these more exciting features.
Are there any other features you want to see make their way to Xbox? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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