Sony's latest patent hints at a potential game-changer for future PlayStation consoles: a latency-reducing system powered by AI and additional sensors. The current PlayStation 5 Pro, while boasting the impressive PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) upscaler, faces a common challenge with newer frame generation technologies: increased latency. This means smoother visuals can sometimes come at the cost of responsiveness.
Competitors AMD and Nvidia have already tackled this issue with Radeon Anti-Lag and Nvidia Reflex, respectively. Now, Sony's patent, WO2025010132, intriguingly titled "TIMED INPUT/ACTION RELEASE," proposes a solution to streamline "timed release of user commands" by predicting player inputs.
The patent details a system utilizing a machine-learning AI model to anticipate player actions. This AI could be fed data from an external sensor, such as a camera observing the controller, to identify the player's next input. The patent even suggests the sensor could be integrated directly into a controller button, potentially utilizing analog button technology Sony has championed in the past.
While the exact implementation in a future PlayStation 6 remains uncertain—patents rarely translate directly into final products—the patent demonstrates Sony's proactive approach to minimizing latency. This is especially crucial given the growing popularity of frame generation technologies like FSR 3 and DLSS 3, which often introduce additional latency. The benefits would be particularly noticeable in fast-paced games requiring both high frame rates and low latency, such as twitch shooters.
Whether this innovative technology finds its way into future hardware remains to be seen, but it signifies Sony's commitment to enhancing the responsiveness and overall gaming experience for its players.
