While the Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5) is now officially one year from launch, information about the console is still relatively scarce, with only rumours and hearsay about the console floating about online. However, a recently discovered patent suggests that Sony is working on a feature that would transform any single-player title into a multiplayer one.
The patent was reportedly filed with the US Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) back sometime in 2018 and discovered by Dutch site LetsGoDigital. The patent filed references a “bifurcation of shared controls and passing controls in a video game”. In another description, Sony elaborates about the concept of multiple people being able to control the actions and movement of a single character. Shared across the board with other players.
To get into the specifics of it, the idea would suggest that multiple people could take the lead on specific actions of a player character; one could control their movements, while other players can be relegated to handle simple button presses, handling the aiming, and pulling the trigger wherever required.
As pointed out by Hot Hardware, the concept seems less ingenious and fun and more of a hassle. To that end, why Sony would even file a patent for such an idea is currently lost to us. If anything, it would make more sense for the brand to take a page out of the PlayStation move controller and provide it with more up-to-date enhancements.
As with all patents, there’s the likelihood that this particular Sony patent will never manifest into a full-functioning feature. Therefore, it’s best to take it with a healthy dose of scepticism.
(Source: LetsGoDigital via Hot Hardware)
