Strategy guides have been a staple of the gaming world since the earliest days of video games. Many of the most popular games over the years have received their own physical guidebooks giving players hints and information about games. While physical guides aren't as prevalent today as they were in the early days of the internet in the 1980s and 1990s, games like Elden Ring continue to see dedicated guidebooks to this day. Now, a new technology from Sony may see PlayStation owners getting a built-in voice-activated strategy guide.
A recent patent filed by Sony details a "video game guidance system" with Sony apparently working on a system to provide players with information and strategies for playing a game. Sony's system looks to be voice-activated with a player's voice prompt calling on a database filled with game objective information, returning a guide for players to complete a difficult section. The patent's discussion likens the system to printed strategy guides, citing the "complexity" of modern games as outpacing the "conventional game strategy guide."
The patent heavily references the idea of game objective databases throughout, suggesting Sony may be developing a centralized collection of objectives. Depending on the scope, the database could include hundreds to even thousands of games between the combined PS4 and PS5 libraries. The patent also discusses some of the prompts that could be recognized by the software. The voice-activated guide system would range from both generic help requests to specific instructions for completing certain objectives within a game.
Sony's potential development of a generic game guide software would not be the first time a developer has attempted similar features within specific games. Persona 5 has implemented similar ideas within its gameplay with online players able to obtain information on other players' activity choices, as well as help on Persona 5's in-game exams. Some digital games also include built-in guidebooks alongside a game's download, formatted similarly to physical guides.
The implementation of guides into games comes as Sony has made strides into accessibility with several of its major first-party titles. New games like God of War Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West have made accessibility a focus, providing solutions for players with limited hearing, vision, and motor function. The Last of Us Part 1 detailed its accessibility features recently, boasting both accessibility presets and individual changeable settings. Sony's voice activated guide system could look to make gaming just a bit easier for any player.