Sony and Microsoft have started talking about their next-generation hardware, and while some features are already known -- backwards compatibility, 8K resolution support, solid-state drives for shorter load times -- both companies have plenty of details left to reveal.
Those features may make for nice marketing bullet points, but what do gamers think is important? GamesIndustry.biz contributed a series of questions to ISFE and Ipsos MORI's GameTrack consumer survey regarding the public perception of features for the next generation of consoles, which were given to a representative sample of 8,000 gamers aged 11 to 64 across the UK, Germany, Spain and France and Italy.
"Better graphics" are widely agreed to be important in the European markets, with 68% of all surveyed gamers considering it important. Among console gamers only, this figure moves up to 78%.
"'Virtual reality compatibility' and 'handheld mode available' were most commonly deemed less important"
The only other feature to get anywhere close to that level of consensus from participants was "shorter load times when playing digital games." 63% of all surveyed gamers considered that an important factor, and 71% of console gamers.
Despite the emphasis on visuals, "8K resolution graphics" weren't considered as important as many other features. 40% of all surveyed gamers considered 8K support important for next-gen consoles. That number ticked up to 49% when looking at just the console gamers, but in both groups it performed less well than "motion controls," "backwards compatibility," and "ability to play physical games."

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