Summary
Sonyregularly patents ideas that could innovate the video game industry in a variety of ways, and the company’s latest application introduces a robot with a built-in gaming system. Over the years, sleuths have uncovered all manner of Sony patents, many of which have yet to see the light of day. Others, likeearly iterations of Project Q, which turned out to be the PlayStation Portal handheld device, were first seen in Sony patents years before they were announced.
Given that game and network services areSony’s biggest profit drivers, particularly in recent years, according toStatista, the company understandably has a vested interest in not only keeping up with the competition, but also innovating. Xbox has long spoken about the importance of making gaming as accessible as possible, allowing people to easily play games anywhere. It seems that Sony may be thinking similarly about its long-term PlayStation strategy.
A patent application submitted by Sony Interactive Entertainment in February 2024 discusses a robot utility and interface device, or RUID. It’s intended to serve a similar purpose as Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, but it will expand its utility by interacting with the real world. The RUID will be able to move around, capture images and sound, and analyze data for a variety of use cases. It would also be able to project information on a suitable surface. In a provided example, a user could ask for directions to fix their bike, and the RUID would project instructions onto a wall.
Sony’s Robot Device Has Built-In Video Game Applications
One interesting aspect of the RUID is its potential application in gaming scenarios. The robot would be able to run a video game and, using one or more cameras, ascertain an appropriate surface in the environment to project onto. Furthermore, the RUID could provide real-time assistance to gamers by displaying strategies when requested. This follows a trend in recent Sony patents that aims at tailoring gaming to individuals, such asadapting a game’s difficulty based on player performance, and generally making gaming more accessible.
From the patent description, it seems that the RUID could also be capable of connecting wirelessly to a “plurality” of controllers. This implies that it wouldn’t be limited to using onlyPlayStation controllersto interface with games. In another idea, a game controller would be integrated into the RUID, as a sort of robot arm, that could be detached while playing. And if asked, the robot would even carry the controller to the player.
The patent also mentions, in some imagined versions of the robot, that it could be “configured to be ridden by [a head mounted display] user” whileinteracting with a virtual reality world. It’s unclear if this means a person would actually ride on the robot, but the application explains that the RUID would provide movements that correspond to those happening in the VR game.
PS5
Sony’s PlayStation 5 is part of the ninth console generation and debuted with a launch lineup that included Demon’s Souls and Astro’s Playroom. The console comes with a Blu-ray disc, although a digital-only edition is also available for a cheaper price.
