According to a recently published Sony patent, the manufacturer is currently working on a new feature to integrate into the DualSense, the PS5 controller. Via this unique technology, the console would be able to detect when the controller is no longer in the hands of the player in order to automatically pause the game.
In recent years, there have been countless patent applications filed by Sony to protect sometimes eccentric concepts. We remember, for example, these revolutionary replays of What If, the series available on Disney+. The idea was to offer replays of players’ games in different scenarios.
In January 2022, the Japanese firm also filed a patent application relating to a coaching system capable of explaining to players the errors made during a game. However, our colleagues from the TechRadar site have just discovered the existence of another patent application from the manufacturer.
Filed in 2021 and published on November 3, 2022, this patent details a new “method of detecting an inactive joystick”. The documents suggest the combination of motion sensors present in the DualSense with other technologies such as the microphone or the images of a camera to allow the PS5 to detect when the player poses the DualSense.
The DualSense will know when you are no longer there to play
If controller inactivity is detected, the console could therefore automatically pause the game. Practical, for example, if you have to leave your sofa in a hurry to pick up a package at the bottom of your building, or if you have an extremely urgent desire. As said above, this patent therefore suggests that the controller will be able to detect whether you are still playing or not, based in particular on information provided by the microphone or a camera.
While this set of data will certainly allow the controller to determine an approximate position of the player, this practice raises some concerns, particularly in terms of data security and confidentiality. Another point, the idea put forward in this patent does not seem to be unanimous among players, far from it.
Indeed, several players reacted to the news on the ResetEra forum. For some people, Sony has to focus on other prioritiesnotably the increased battery life of the DualSense. “I change position to get comfortable and the game randomly pauses? No thanks”, claims a user. However, like every patent, nothing says that Sony will decide to deploy this feature on the DualSense at some point.
Source: TechRadar