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ChatGPT is currently the best chatbot in terms of the accuracy and quality of its responses, which is why it’s our Editors’ Choice winner. It’s also the only chatbot I actually pay for and use outside my professional life. However, as competitors slowly close the performance gap and introduce exciting new features (see Claude’s app maker and Gemini’s Veo 3 video generation model), ChatGPT needs to make some big moves if it wants to stay on top.
According to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, GPT-5 is coming soon. We don’t know much about what to expect beyond the combination of the 4-series and o-series models, but I still have a wish list for GPT-5. If the new model doesn't deliver on at least some of the upgrades I want, such as a bigger context window or a more user-friendly interface, I’m giving my money to the competition. Here's what I need to see.
1. Fewer Hallucinations
All chatbots hallucinate (and will likely continue to do so), but ChatGPT's next-generation model needs to do appreciably better in this regard. Just recently, for example, I used ChatGPT (GPT 4o) to answer some gaming questions: It recommended Rimworld mods that don’t exist, and it explained Soulframe mechanics to me that came straight out of other games entirely. Beyond that, I’ve had bad experiences using ChatGPT to analyze manuals, with it making up quotes that steer me in the totally wrong direction.
Improvement seems possible if the complex reasoning and conversational models do in fact merge with GPT-5. I usually don’t opt for the complex reasoning models because they’re slower, but if OpenAI can incorporate some of that deeper thought (meaning fewer hallucinations) into a faster, more conversational GPT-5, I’m sold.
2. More Accurate Web Searches
ChatGPT is great at searching the web—for a chatbot. That’s an important caveat because all chatbots struggle with certain searches that involve recent information or sources that contradict each other. For example, if I ask ChatGPT what Incarnon weapons are available in Warframe (these change every week on a set rotation), it rarely gives the correct answer. Any improvements here will go a long way toward allowing me to trust its responses in general.
3. A Bigger Context Window
A chatbot’s context window refers to how much data it can process at once, like during a conversation. So, for example, if you want to send ChatGPT a PDF to translate, its context window needs to be big enough to crunch through it. If you use ChatGPT for free, you get an 8K context window. If you pay for ChatGPT Plus ($20 per month), you get a 32K context window. Spending for the Pro plan ($200 per month) gets you a 128K context window.
For comparison, Gemini’s Pro subscription ($20 per month) has a 1M context window, and Claude's Pro subscription ($17 per month, billed annually) has a 200K context window. In short, competitors' options make ChatGPT Plus’s 32K context window look appallingly small. GPT-5 needs to seriously expand ChatGPT’s context window across its tiers just to keep up.
4. Several Substantial Integrations
Gemini works across pretty much every Google app imaginable, while Claude offers a ton of different integrations for everything from Asana to Notion, including some pretty unique local ones for your desktop. Google integrates Gemini directly into Chrome, and Perplexity’s Comet browser similarly gives you an AI assistant you can use on any web page. ChatGPT? Well, it doesn’t do any of that.
(Credit: Google)I want the process of using the GPT-5 model across the various apps and websites I frequent to be a simpler, smoother experience. Currently, if I need help with something in Gmail or want to ask a question about a website I’m on, ChatGPT isn’t my first choice because the competitors are just easier to use.
5. More Features (Or a Hallmark One)
When ChatGPT was the only chatbot around, it didn’t need to stand out: Only its models needed to shine. Now, however, it can't afford to sit still. Claude has an excellent privacy policy, DeepSeek has incredibly affordable API costs, Gemini offers realistic Veo 3 video generation with audio, Grok provides companions, and Perplexity features robust AI web search capabilities.
ChatGPT doesn’t have any of the above. Nor does it have any major and unique features relevant to the average consumer. With GPT-5, I want to be able to do something I can’t do anywhere else, or, at least, I want it to keep up with the competition by introducing some of their features.
6. A Friendlier User Experience
The more chatbots I use, the more ChatGPT’s interface lets me down. Claude, for example, pops out creative writing you generate in a sidebar that maintains formatting across resolutions and screen sizes. It also has a tab where you can access anything Claude generated for you, including poetry, research, and more. Other chatbots have cool design innovations, too.
Although this improvement doesn't need to wait for the GPT-5 reveal, a thoughtful redesign of some of the core interface elements would make a lot of sense to go along with the new model. I wouldn't even be upset if OpenAI tried to replicate successful features from competitors' chatbots.
7. A More Lifelike Voice Chat
ChatGPT’s AI voice chat mode is generally on par with the offerings of other chatbots. However, it just can’t compete with best-in-class AI voice chat functionality, like that from Sesame, which inflects more naturally, matches tone better, and rarely (if ever) distorts. I generally prefer to interact with chatbots via text rather than my voice, but that might change if the experience felt more natural.
GPT-5 Is Exciting, But Keep Your Expectations in Check
The next major model release from OpenAI is to AI as a new PlayStation is to gaming: a major inflection point, even if the product itself isn’t revolutionary. So, while we can all look forward to GPT-5, don’t expect all of the above to come with it at launch. Leaks and rumors out there suggest that GPT-5 won’t be quite as big a leap ahead as GPT-4, either.
In a recent podcast, Altman said GPT-5 is slated for “probably” summer 2025, so we should all know soon enough what the new model is like. Stay tuned for our upcoming coverage.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, PCMag's parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.