Sony seems to be playing with the idea of a PlayStation controller that comes with a dedicated “rewind” button, as per a recently published patent. The patent spotted by Tech4Gamers is for gameplay rewind technology that would activate when the user pressed "a universal button on a controller during live gameplay."
The button will activate a mode where players can see several image frames of the live gameplay that they can then scroll through. Selecting one will allow the player to review their gameplay from that point.
As per the patent images, the button could be located where the “Share” button on the controller is currently. Another image shows an on-screen interface button similar to those on a TV remote, with images indicating Play, Pause, Next, Previous, Fast Forward, and Rewind. Moreover, there’s also a “Return” button.
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How Will This New Feature Come In Handy For Users
The patent description suggests that this feature would come in handy in a number of ways, such as reminding a player of important quest information they might have missed, or how to reach a location they have been before that they cannot recall how to access.
It also describes that a player might bookmark certain sections of gameplay they may want to revisit later, with the rewind button enabling them to quickly revisit these saved moments. The patent also talks about the challenges:
"Accessing recent gameplay while the player is playing a video game is difficult, and requires hacking an existing service to view the portion of the gameplay of interest," the patent explains.
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When Will the Feature Go Into Development Phase
"For instance, the player may have to specifically instruct the gaming system to create a file including portions of gameplay for purposes of sharing with other players. The player may have to exit the gameplay in order to create the sharing file. When the sharing file is completed, the player can then access the portion of the gameplay of interest for viewing."
While this patent is certainly interesting, it doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to see a rewinding controller in the coming days. Gaming firms often patent tech they are working on, some of which makes it to market, and some do not. In the last few years, Sony has patented adaptive game difficulty systems, an interactive AR-based trophy system, auto-play and slow mode features, NFT, and blockchain tech.