PlayStation 5 future update could include godsend feature for single-player games

Could PlayStation be about to enter its redemption arc after months of disinterest and annoyance from fans? If the future update that’s just been patented is anything to go by, this godsend feature could change the game for single-player games.

Unless a game already has the feature built-in, either because it’s part of the base game or because you’ve downloaded a mod, it’s not easy to replay specific scenes. Take the scene in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 when we finally meet Venom – you might want to return to that cinematic cutscene without having to replay the game. Yes, there’s always YouTube, but it isn’t the same.

Revisit Kraven's brutality in Marvel's Spider-Man 2!

Sony’s latest patent could be set to change this. Titled ‘Content Streaming With Gameplay Launch’, the patent intends to utilise what it refers to as “trigger points” to create a chapter-esque format that DVDs have. “Each trigger point may be associated with a set of game data specific to a gameplay scene within an interactive title” reads the patent, then continues “gameplay may be launched by the user device based on the identified set of game data associated with the selected trigger point.”

Honestly, it’s nice to see the PS5 getting a feature update that isn’t based on one Xbox has been using for years. Sometimes brands will copy one another, other times, they will innovate ahead of the competition; maybe Sony will be able to restore its former crown with such a cold patent as the one suggested.

PS5 patent

Think of the update as a highlight reel, one you’re in control of. It’s a bold feature if Sony can make it work. Although its patent details the intention, the specifics of getting it to work are left out. What is more, just because a patent has been filed doesn’t mean it’ll definitely be rolled out; much like Valve’s intended NSFW hidden game feature, it’s a possibility, not a guarantee.

It’s unlikely such a move will save PS Plus from the slating it’s been getting from its users, but that doesn’t mean this type of feature couldn’t score PlayStation some sweet profits after a less-than-ideal financial dip of 29 per cent.