Sony Innovates: New Patent Unveils Tech to Monitor Habits and Reduce Input Strain
Numerous patents submitted by Sony (reported by retail platforms like GameSpot and 80LV), offer valuable insights into the technological trajectory of PlayStation.
One patent filed in June 2024 presents a machine learning-based model aimed at addressing “input lag,” the delay between pressing a button on the controller and the corresponding action on the screen. The model is “designed to issue user commands to a video game at the moment the command properly coincides with what is happening in [the game],” according to the patent.
The summary of the patent emphasizes that input lag is a concern for both system engineers and players, and suggests that machine learning could “influence the video game based on the user command prior to the user completing the action based on its recognition.”
To achieve this, Sony is considering a sensor utilizing a camera that captures the player and their controller, subsequently used to train the machine learning system. This technology appears to specifically target online multiplayer games, where input lag has a significant impact.
Similarly, another patent from June 2023 focuses on machine learning to anticipate user commands “before the input action is finalized, or could be delayed until a later moment when the command is most suitable for execution.”
Another notable patent features a physical attachment allowing players to grip the DualSense controller like a firearm. The attachment’s clear intention is to be “more intuitive” for gamers, as the description indicates that some players “may lack the dexterity/motor skills” to hold a controller conventionally, and aims to “ease or reduce this challenge.”
Sony has previously explored gun-style control schemes with two shooting attachments for the PlayStation Move, which were officially supported by several PlayStation 3 titles.
Filing a patent does not necessarily mean that Sony will bring any of its proposed technologies to market. In the past, Sony filed patents for technologies such as NFTs and local multiplayer for live, in-person events. So far, none of these have materialized, and Sony quickly dismissed speculation that its PlayStation Stars loyalty program was an NFT platform in disguise.
You can also view Sony’s list of published patents here. Among a multitude of topics, the latest ones involve inputs, image enhancement, and the application of machine learning for online multiplayer.
About the Author
Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com
A native of Kansas City, MO, Justin Carter has contributed to various platforms including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 on Gizmodo. Do not ask him about how much gum he’s chewed, as the answer might be more than he is willing to acknowledge.