A number of games consoles, like the Xbox and Wii, have already hit the market. And they have gained a good following not to mention an army of game fanatics who are willing to spend the whole day in their room playing their favorite console game. So, I have been wondering when the next big game console will come out? Over the past years, we’ve only seen upgraded versions of the popular game consoles but another hardware that will surpass the popularity of the existing ones is yet to be produced. And although it may take a while before we see it coming, it would not hurt if we list down some of the features that we would want to see on the next big thing in the gaming world.

First feature that I would love to see is the integration of the touch screen feature into the game controllers. This is not far from reality since touch screen smart phones have been a hit since their inception. Therefore, the same is expected with gaming consoles that will come with integrated touch screen controllers. Who would not love touch screen controllers? I, for one, would be anticipating the release of a gaming console equipped with this feature. That is, if console manufacturers decide to include it as a new add-on.

Another feature that I want the next game console to have is maximized system portability. For added convenience, I’d like to see the new game console to be equipped with its own dedicated screen as well as internal battery so that it can be carried around everywhere like a laptop. I think Microsoft will likely welcome this idea to their Xbox systems. Although the original version of Xbox already has inherent portability potentials, it would be best if Microsoft improve more on this area so that users will be able to move their Xbox console around with ease. Since multi-player gaming is quite popular these days, don’t you think it would be nice if your game console will allow you to play wherever you are without the need to hook it up on a tv or monitor. If the console comes with its own built-in screen then you can pack it with you during out-of-town trips or weekend vacations. However, of course, if the new game console will flaunt a laptop-ish design, then manufacturers would have to sacrifice screen size as well as the presence of disc drive which can also be a turn off to hardcore gamers.

Storage format is also a feature that I would like enhanced or upgraded for the next game console. If they are creative enough, they can even introduce a new storage format, aside from the widely used flash memory and the increasingly popular blu-ray discs. I would love to see micro-SD handling more than 16GB of storage, which can surely happen in the year to come.

Next generation console games will definitely present high-tech and more advanced features that will move console gaming to a new level.