With the PS5 and Xbox Series X coming out in a few weeks, a new generation of games is expected to take full advantage of true 4K graphics, high frame rates, and fast loading speeds. But I for one am looking forward to playing older games on these consoles.

Both next-generation consoles promise comprehensive backward compatibility: the PS5 will support nearly all PS4 games, while the Xbox Series X and Series S will play three generations of titles dating back to the original Xbox. This is a dramatic change from when the PS4 and Xbox One launched in 2013, effectively forcing us to leave our old game libraries behind (at least for a while).

However, not only will the PS5 and Xbox Series X be able to play current-gen titles, but both consoles will greatly improve the operation of many older games. We have already seen hands-on evidence that the Xbox Series X has nearly doubled the frame rate of games like "SEKIRO" without any special work by the developers, and many of the best games of the past few years will be able to perform better on the new consoles by manually optimized.

As for me, having yet to complete "Ghost of Tsushima," I'm excited to go back in November and enjoy the game at a silky 60 frames per second thanks to the PS5's Game Boost mode... The PS4 version of "Mortal Kombat 11" will be available on PS5 at launch I'm even more excited about the free upgrade and the ability to take advantage of features like dynamic 4K resolution and significantly reduced load times.

Some of my favorite Xbox One games, including "Forza Horizon 4" and "Gears 5," will be optimized for Series X from day one, with the former offering 4K 60fps gameplay and the latter 120fps silky multiplayer.

Exactly one year ago, I was not very enthusiastic about the new consoles coming out.

Part of my excitement stems from the fact that I just built a powerful gaming PC last year and was overwhelmed to see the Steam library and Xbox cross-compatible games running at much higher resolutions and frame rates than before. If the new console can offer the same experience to the millions of PS4 and Xbox One owners, this feature alone would be worth the price of admission.

Of course, backward compatibility on day one is nothing new. Nintendo's constantly evolving Game Boy handheld console supported older generation titles for nearly 20 years, and the PS2 could play most PS1 games. However, backward compatibility was crude at best during the PS3 and Xbox 360 era, and did not exist at the start of the PS4 and Xbox One generations.

Microsoft found a way to retroactively add backward compatibility functionality to the Xbox One in 2015. This approach is central to Microsoft's messaging regarding the Series X, and it is hard not to feel that Sony is focusing on its own efforts regarding the PS5.

Can't wait to play true next-gen games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. I can't wait, but I'm also looking forward to seeing the existing library of PS4 and Xbox One games given new life on next-gen hardware. For the first time in a long time, next-gen consoles will offer new experiences without leaving behind the libraries we've spent years building, and we couldn't be more excited.