Sony recently filed a new patent for a roulette system that could help PlayStation 5 players discover new content. Despite being hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic at launch in late 2020, the PS5 has been extremely profitable for Sony over the past few years, even surpassing sales of its predecessor, the PlayStation 4. This success was bolstered by a slew of blockbuster PlayStation exclusives such as Return, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, as well as God of War Ragnarok.
These popular and highly successful titles are part of a vast library of video games that players can access via digital versions on the PlayStation Network and the revamped PS Plus subscription service – most recently Grid Legends, Chivalry 2 and Descenders. A growing list of available titles. With so many titles to choose from, it can be difficult for gamers to discover new titles they might be interested in, but Sony is reportedly working on new ways to make it easier to find games that fans might like.
Sony Interactive Entertainment has applied for a patent for a “roulette system” that would recommend PlayStation 5 games and other content to users based on their preferences. These preferences will be stored in a profile that tracks the user’s gaming habits. Using the information stored in these profiles, the system will select a set of games that match the player’s preferences, then randomly select a game and recommend it to the player.
This is far from the only new video game-related patent that Sony has filed in the past few months. Some of the potential new features teased for the PS5 via patent filings include improved parental controls and a way to prevent younger players from accessing age-restricted content. Other patents mention virtual dojos for players to improve their game skills, and even an “inventory couch” that would help users manage their inventories in games like the aforementioned God of War and Ragnarok.
Sony’s latest patent for a “roulette system” could help players discover new video games by randomly selecting a title from a list generated from a user’s past preferences. The system needs to take into account many variables, such as what genres PlayStation users like best and how often they play other games, as well as things they themselves might not choose when searching for new games to try. If Sony’s latest patent can take advantage of these factors in addition to the random element, it could prove to be a useful tool for PlayStation 5 owners who are overwhelmed by the plethora of online games.