It is a word that causes frustration for many fans of multiplayer games: Skill-based Matchmaking, or SBMM for short. A patent from Sony, according to players, shows that it could be much, much worse.
What is this patent about? It is a technology that aims to create an “even playing field between players” – across platforms and in real time. Players are to be either buffed or nerfed based on hardware, input methods, and skill level, for example, by reducing speed or reaction times.
The patent was published in April 2025. You can read it again for yourself at patents.google.com.
According to the patent, the technology is primarily intended to balance the technical differences between platforms. PC players in shooters often have an advantage because aiming with a mouse and keyboard can be more precise than with a controller or the touch controls of mobile devices.
However, players suspect something entirely different. They see a new form of matchmaking that is even worse than the already highly controversial SBMM.
What is SBMM?
Skill-based Matchmaking (SBMM) ensures that in multiplayer games, you always encounter players who play at approximately the same skill level as you. While this is meant to create fairer rounds, it also makes every match exhausting.
MeinMMO editor and shooter expert Dariusz, however, believes that SBMM brings another problem – a problem that harms gaming friendships.
SBMM is therefore always a controversial topic, and the new patent at least at first glance sounds like it is much, much worse: Here, in the name of fairness, players from certain platforms are nerfed to create balance.
More fairness or unfair intervention?
What do players say about the new Sony patent? A heated discussion is taking place under a recent post on X.com. While some believe this dynamic balancing helps make cross-platform gaming fairer, others feel it is already too deep an intrusion into the gameplay.
“This concept is so terrible that it makes SBMM look good in comparison,” says X user Rooster. Another user named Fen believes this is “the dystopian version of skill-based matchmaking.”
Many users feel that such interventions in players’ skill and gameplay would dilute real talent and abilities. As Lamp writes in his comment: “Imagine getting nerfed on PC and consoles because a guy from india feels like he’s on a disadvantage while playing pubg on Samsung S7.”
Many comments also suggest that this concept would ruin the purpose of competitive gaming and would not find long-term application. Others point out that it is still unclear how this system would even be implemented.
It remains uncertain how deeply such a system would actually intervene in the game. It is unknown whether Sony has already integrated this system into one of its upcoming games. Since the patent is still relatively new, it is unlikely. It remains to be seen how much this will really impact multiplayer.
The impact matchmaking can have is being impressively demonstrated by ARC Raiders. The game assigns players to different lobbies based on their playstyle, resulting in some delivering hardcore PvE, while others offer peaceful PvE. Whether the latter is really the case was recently tested by a Tarkov expert on Twitch: Tarkov expert plays ARC Raiders for the first time without PvP, tests on Twitch whether everyone in the “PvE lobbies” is really friendly
