In the past, I’ve talked about what I want to see from the next generation of consoles. Though there are many aspects to cover when examining the details, rumors and hopes, my favorite by far is the possibilities of the next controllers. This is because controllers are everything for a console; they are what you constantly handle, and they can make or break the success of the platform.

Right now, my all-time favorite controller is the Xbox 360s. I enjoy the contours, ergonomics and weight of Microsoft’s official controllers more than any other peripheral I’ve ever used, and that’s saying something. To this day, I still attest that the Xbox 360 controller is one of the most durable pieces of hardware made for gamers, and this is because of its supreme build quality. The thing could hit like a brick if thrown, and it takes a lot of gamer rage to make one of them shatter. I have put absolute countless hours into my 360 for the past seven years, and I still have the same two controllers I bought when I got the system. Granted, they’re worn down and not as responsive, but they never broke anywhere and never stopped working.

The reason why I enjoy the Xbox controller more than the PS3’s is something I only realized recently. When trying to figure out how I could have loved the PS2 controller when I was a kid but dislike it so much now, I suddenly realized that the reason was clear: It was because I wasn’t a kid any more. My hands had doubled in size (I’m a tall individual), and I needed a controller that accommodated for that. The tiny, short handles of the Dualshock just don’t do it for me anymore, and that’s why I migrated to Xbox, in addition to the fact that I like the asymmetrical joystick placement of the 360’s pad.

I am excited to get my hands on the PS4’s controller. While I think it looks like hell, it might feel better than the Dualshock that made me leave PlayStation. While I doubt it can beat Microsoft’s next controller, which hasn’t been announced yet (yes, I realize the disconnect in the preceding statement), I think Sony listened to fans and that’s why they kept the beloved design while improving various aspects, like the trigger buttons.

I am curious to see how batteries are handled with the next Xbox. That’s certainly something Sony had an edge on Microsoft with: powering the controllers. I bet what’s to come will have wireless charging with Bluetooth connectivity, but we’ll have to see. One thing Microsoft should take note of is that part of the reason why the 360’s controller is so good is its weight, and that will be lost with the removal of the hefty battery pack. I actually dislike wired controllers for that reason; they simply nailed the feel with the wireless version.

To conclude, I am excited about the future of controllers (except motion ones… Ugh). I can’t wait to try them out for myself.