Sony has an idea for a gameplay rewind button, but it's not what everybody thinks

In a nutshell: A caller patent filing shows Sony is considering a dedicated "gameplay rewind" fastener for early PlayStation controllers. Several outlets are reporting that nan fastener would activity for illustration a "save state" characteristic seen successful immoderate emulators that would let players to rewind their crippled to replay erstwhile they screw up. We don't deliberation that's nan case.

Tom's Hardware notes that nan characteristic would activity likewise to immoderate Nintendo Switch Online games that let you to rewind your gameplay to a definite constituent and fundamentally commencement that conception over. For example, if while playing Mario Bros, you make a misstep and are astir to die, you tin backmost up to effort to debar nan hazard. The article besides points retired really this characteristic has been supported natively successful games for illustration Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.

However, we looked into nan patent titled "Game Play Rewind pinch User Triggered Bookmarks," and it appears that Tom's and others person nan incorrect impression. It's really a strategy that lets players rewind buffered video of their erstwhile gameplay and position it while still playing nan game. The PlayStation 4 and 5 already person a partial implementation of this feature.

As you are playing a crippled connected a PS4 and PS5, video of your gameplay is stored successful a 15-minute rolling buffer. At immoderate point, you tin clasp down nan Share fastener and propulsion up nan action to view, save, and stock up to nan past 15 minutes of your gameplay. However, each this has to hap extracurricular of your game.

According to nan patent archive we reviewed, it sounds for illustration Sony wants to alteration nan functionality of nan existent Share fastener to destruct nan request to time off your crippled to position gameplay video. The archive describes a button, positioned precisely wherever nan stock fastener presently resides (above), that allows nan subordinate to rewind a video of their gameplay and watch it while they are playing their game.

Diagram of nan Rewind surface overlay providing playback controls.
Return goes backmost to nan astir caller bookmark.

Here's really Sony frames it verbatim:

During unrecorded crippled play of a video game, a subordinate whitethorn wish to reappraisal precocious played portions nan crippled play. For example, nan subordinate whitethorn person been fixed immoderate important accusation to execute a quest, specified arsenic erstwhile a non-player characteristic (NPC) provides specifications connected capturing an entity (e.g. weapon) pinch further instructions to bring that entity to a peculiar location. At immoderate constituent during nan unrecorded crippled play, nan subordinate whitethorn person forgotten portions of aliases each of nan information, and whitethorn wish to revisit their caller crippled play ... Accessing caller crippled play while nan subordinate is playing a video crippled is difficult, and requires hacking an existing work to position nan information of nan crippled play of interest.

The patent past astir outlines nan existent method of viewing gameplay video, highlighting really cumbersome and disruptive it is to nan player. It past specifications its strategy for making a much user-friendly and integrated experience.

The strategy will let players to create "bookmarks" to rewind to that constituent to reappraisal specifications – nan opening of a ngo aliases quest, for example. They tin besides simply rewind from their existent constituent successful nan game. These actions are facilitated by a surface overlay that appears erstwhile nan subordinate presses nan Rewind (currently Share) button. The overlay provides respective options for creating bookmarks aliases clips and scrubbing guardant aliases backward done video. It sounds for illustration players tin besides position their past gameplay while playing nan crippled – astir apt picture-in-picture aliases pinned to nan broadside since that's really multitasking presently useful (above video).

Other publications understandably sewage nan incorrect belief of this feature. The absurd is poorly worded and confusing to nan constituent of being useless. It's not until you excavation into nan explanation that nan meaning becomes clearer utilizing straightforward language.

That said, it's conscionable a patent filing. There are nary guarantees that Sony will instrumentality this. However, arsenic described, it would not beryllium excessively difficult to implement. The hardware already exists connected existent controllers, and portion of nan video buffering strategy is mostly there. Additionally, nan PS5 personification interface already allows players to pin hints and YouTube walkthrough videos to nan broadside of nan crippled surface to watch arsenic they play (above). Sony refers to this strategy arsenic "cards."

To make this patent happen, Sony only needs to create a autochthonal video paper that uses nan PS5's existing buffering solution and immoderate supplementary package to thrust nan system. Additionally, since it would tally natively, it wouldn't require developer support, truthful it could activity for immoderate game, conscionable arsenic nan existent buffering strategy does.