Sony Patents a Specialized Rewind Button to Help When Gaming Gets Tough

For many years, the world of emulation has enjoyed the convenience of save state functionality, and it appears that this might be making its way to gaming consoles soon. Recently, Sony filed a patent hinting at a future PlayStation controller equipped with something quite revolutionary—a Save State button. This intriguing development was uncovered by the keen-eyed team over at Tech4Gamers through a legal document on PatentScope. The document describes, “The user can enter the rewind mode from live gameplay with one or more controller inputs, allowing them to review recent gameplay sequences such as rewinding, fast-forwarding, and returning to real-time gameplay.” It’s important to remember, though, that just because something is patented, doesn’t mean it’ll necessarily hit the market.

For those familiar with various emulators, the notion of a “rewind mode” will ring a bell, as it closely mirrors the save and load state features they typically offer. Even the Nintendo Switch Online service now includes save states and brief rewind opportunities for retro games. While PC emulators often assign this functionality to a specific key or custom button combinations on the Switch, Sony seems to be considering a dedicated button specifically for this purpose. This button is likely to be positioned conveniently near the D-Pad.

Other than emulators, save state functionality has found its way into gaming in creative ways beyond just typical save files. Remember the 2003 hit adventure game, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time? This classic utilized a time-reversal mechanic, allowing players to rewind and correct mistakes after unfortunate encounters with foes and environmental hazards. It’s a mechanic strikingly similar to the save state features in emulators, which let players undo errors or avoid losses.

That said, it’s crucial to understand that this feature isn’t universal—it won’t mesh with every game type. Multiplayer games, for instance, which require synchronization of game states across multiple players and servers, wouldn’t support this. Such a button would mainly enhance single-player experiences, though some purists, especially those loyal to challenging games like the Soulsborne series, might argue it could spoil the authentic difficulty that defines those titles.