As its reveal event grows closer and closer, Sony's PlayStation 5 continues to generate more excitement and speculation than its competitors.
With the continual rumors of different technological breakthroughs being made (and developers weighing in about how they're more interested in the PS5 than the Xbox Series X), it's clear that the newest PlayStation will be a major leap forward to the next generation of consoles. One of the latest patents, which details new changes to the game invitation system, shows that the PS5 is making major improvements down to the smallest details.
All players of multiplayer games should be familiar with the game invitation system. Whether the system is part of the game itself or integrated into the platform it plays on, multiplayer games allow players to send invites to their friends so that they can play together online. While most systems allow players to accept the invitations and launch the game on their own, the PS5's changes take a different approach.
According to the patent, Sony's new game invitation system allows players who are sending an invitation to the game to also launch the game on their friend's console. The filing goes on to explain that the second player's PlayStation 5 will show a launch/boot screen for the gaming session as a notification. However, if said user is playing a game or watching a film, the game will launch in the background. If a picture-in-picture feature is enabled, players can also view the game launch while they wrap up their current activities.
Because this information was filed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, it is highly likely that this information is accurate. Other reliable leaks about the PlayStation 5 have been uncovered through similar means, such as the PS5 reveal event's date and location. Although this feature might not ultimately appear in the final console and the patent may end up going unused, it is clear that Sony is exploring all avenues of improvement for the player experience. The fact that the PS5 can handle background or picture-in-picture launching in this innovative fashion also demonstrates how powerful the console might potentially be.
Although some players might find the new feature unnecessary or frustrating, they should not worry about the new game invitation system too much. There is always the possibility that Sony will offer the option to revert back to the old invitation system, or that allowing the system to complete the game's launch automatically might prove to be more convenient. In the end, it is this spirit of experimentation and innovation that might give the PS5 an early lead in the console wars.
Source: Sony/USPTO