Key things
- A new Sony patent hints at a new feature that would allow gamers to connect their phone to a PlayStation controller or console using a wired connection.
- The phone would be used as a second screen that could give the player live in-game advice based on their performance.
- It is unclear when or if this feature will be released.
According to a recently filed patent, Sony may be planning to leave it at that PlayStation gamers use their phones as a second screen. Sony is constantly looking for new ways to improve the player experience on PlayStation consoles, with past patent filings mentioning new difficulty systems that adapt to a player's game performance or the ability to replay certain sections after completing them in the primary run.
Many of these Sony patents relate to PlayStation controllers, such as the supposed spherical option that could be used in VR titles such as Horizon: Call of the Mountain or new technology that can change the temperature of the controller to better simulate the gaming environment. Others suggest that Sony might want to add a button that would allow players to rewind the game or bookmark a specific section to play, and software that would pin the game's controls to the screen to make them easier for the player to remember. Now, Sony's latest patent suggests that the PlayStation could be getting a feature quite familiar to Nintendo fans: a second screen.
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Earlier this month, Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. filed a patent for a new PlayStation feature that would allow gamers to connect their phone to a PlayStation controller or console using a wired connection, complete with illustrations of the concept in action. The phone would be used as a second screen to give the player live in-game advice based on how they are doing, with some of the examples used being information on an enemy's weak point or inputting commands for useful actions such as dodging and special attacks.
Sony's patent suggests the phone is used as a second screen
As with any other patent, there is no guarantee that Sony's planned controller/phone connection will be exploited. That being said, it's already possible to connect the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller to an Android phone or iPhone and play titles streamed to the device via PS Remote Play. It serves as a cost-effective replacement for the PlayStation Portal controller, using an LED screen to allow gamers to stream games from their PS5 library over Wi-Fi.
If Sony implements its latest patent to allow gamers to use their phones as a second screen for PlayStation games, it could open the door to other gaming features that don't offer hints during a particularly difficult section. Like the old Nintendo DS or Wii U handhelds, which are no longer in production, this secondary screen could be used for touchscreen-based controls, which can give players an immersive experience. Only time will tell if any of this comes to pass, especially with the persistent rumors claiming it Sony is working on the brand new PlayStation handheld system.
Sony
- Date of establishment
- May 7, 1946
- Headquarters
- Minato City, Tokyo, Japan
