Sony filed a patent for scene tagging with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Nov. 21. The technology will reportedly be used to level up the way content is being shared on PlayStation 5.
According to the patent filing, the scene tagging is described as a way to characterize the “user-generated content” on video games. As with most patent filings, the words are meant to obfuscate. But if you analyze the description, it seems to point to the feature to record videos or take screenshots. The technology could be tied to the AI feature, such as the PlayStation Assist.
But that is not all. When you take recordings or screenshots, details about where and when it was taken will be collected as metadata. The details of the captured objects will also be included in the metadata. This would make it easier for gamers to search for a specific recording in the library. They can also focus their search to particular objects.
Finally, gamers can relive the whole experience when they go back to the saved recording. For example, you made a one-in-a-million shot from over 1,000 yards away, and you recorded the scene. You can then pull out the clip and watch the whole scene unfold before your very eyes.
However, the patent filing didn’t specify whether or not the scene tagging feature will be used on the PlayStation 5. It’s now all speculation for now. But it’s easy to see the scene tagging as another component of PlayStation Assist.
You direct the voice assistant to take a screenshot of the object. You can also tell PlayStation Assist to record the last 20 seconds of the game for future reference, for instance.
But then again, fans will simply have to wait for more information from Sony. The company does not make it a habit to explain its patent filings. To be fair, it is the standard practice of most tech companies to keep innovations close to their chests.
Gamers may have their answers once the PlayStation 5 drops in the holidays of next year. The next-generation console will feature SSD and PSVR support. It can also support 8K games, although for now, the feature is simply a novelty. The exact month is not known, but analysts believe that it’s going to be in early December. It would also be the same month that Microsoft’s Project Scarlett is expected to launch.
