Bandwidth management is usually a feature that you’d expect to be available on consoles. But according to a PlayStation patent, this may soon change.
The patent, filed with the USPTO, describes the ability to allow a PlayStation console players to manually allocate their internet bandwitdh for downloads and for online gaming. In typical patent fashion, the language is extremely convoluted, but the gist of it is giving you control of your bandwidth the way you would via a router’s QoS feature.
In addition to the dynamic adjusting of bandwidth based on application priority, you can also set the exact amount of bandwidth to allocate for a particular app or game, and a separate amount for downloads in general. It’s definitely a nice feature to have, as it gives you more control. If you know what you’re doing, you can still have as smooth an online gaming experience as your internet connection allows, without actually having to pause your downloads.
As with all patents, there’s no telling when or if this will actually be implemented. The patent itself mentions now obsolete devices like the PS3 and PSP, even if only as examples. Chances are, if this ever makes it onto actual consoles, it would be the PS5, and maybe the PS4, that will benefit.
(Source: USPTO via GamesRadar+)
