Sony is working on something revolutionary: rewind games at any time and to any point – simply at the push of a button.
What could new controllers receive? Sony presents a potential new button on the DualSense controllers in a patent. You can think of it as a rewind button or a very granular chapter selection, similar to common video players (via patentscope). You should be able to self-select virtually any previously experienced moment again.
By the way, the PlayStation 5 Pro was released on November 7, 2024. We have summarized everything important for you in an article.
Time travel at the push of a button
How should I imagine this in practice? We can’t be completely sure based on the description yet, but it looks like the following process:
- You press the brand-new button on your DualSense controller, where exactly it will be located is currently unclear.
- Then, a gallery of screenshots appears, offering you moments to which you can return.
- These may have been created by you using a button press or automatically.
- By selecting, you can return directly to where you left off, just like loading a save game, and continue playing from there.
How exactly does this differ from a save game? This rewind system seems to be more free of restrictions according to the description. This means that an ongoing battle likely wouldn’t prevent you from creating a bookmark. In practice, it could feel similar to the now often used rewind function in racing games. According to current information, the feature should work in all single-player modes.
When will this new feature be released? Maybe never. Not every patent is implemented, but Sony is definitely working behind the scenes on potential new features for the PlayStation 5 or its successor, like this one. Meanwhile, a company is naturally driven to some extent by profit motives in such patent applications, to protect ideas and stay ahead of the competition.
So far, another patent from last year has also failed to become a reality – even though no new controller would be needed for this. In another document available on Patentscope, Sony describes the concept of starting a game out of video material. In an article with our colleagues at GameStar, you can read how this would approximately work.
We have already reported on a less revolutionary, but still quite interesting new feature that has already been implemented. Your PlayStation can now connect you with other players in a previously unknown way: “Share Link”: Two words for a new PS5 feature that turns complete strangers into teammates in your favorite titles on Sony’s console.
