Sony Patents a Rewind Button to Assist Gamers in Tough Spots

For many years, the ability to save your progress mid-game has been a staple of the emulation community, but it appears this feature might soon be heading to consoles. Recently, a patent filed by Sony has been discovered, suggesting an upcoming PlayStation controller could boast a dedicated Save State button. Tech4Gamers found this intriguing detail within a legal document on PatentScope. According to the document, “The user is able to enter the rewind mode from the live gameplay using one or more controller inputs to view recent gameplay (e.g. rewinding, fast-forwarding, playing, etc.) and returning to live gameplay afterwards.” However, it’s important to remember that not all patents end up becoming actual products.

For those familiar with various emulators, this newly described “rewind mode” might sound akin to the familiar save and load state features. Even Nintendo Switch Online now offers save states and quick rewind options for its retro games. Rather than binding this feature to a specific key like with PC emulators, or using a custom button combination as seen on the Switch, Sony seems keen on incorporating a dedicated button specifically for this purpose, probably located conveniently near the D-Pad.

Stepping outside the realm of both official and unofficial emulators, we see that save state functionality isn’t entirely novel in gaming. Take for example the classic Prince of Persia: Sands of Time from 2003. This action-adventure game, initially launched on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube, introduced a unique time-reversal mechanic that allowed players to undo deaths caused by challenging enemies and tricky environmental hazards—very much echoing the essence of system-level save states in letting players rewind from mishaps.

However, implementing such a feature universally isn’t without its hiccups. Notably, a dedicated button like this would simply not mesh with every type of game, especially multiplayer titles, which depend on synchronizing game states across players and servers. This means that such functionality would likely be confined to single-player experiences. Additionally, hardcore fans of more challenging genres might argue that such a feature could compromise the intended difficulty, particularly those devoted to the grueling nature of Soulsborne games.