A newly discovered Sony patent describes a new device that could enable cloud gaming services when paired with a streaming stick.
This potential streaming device could apparently obviate the need for a PS5 console. The patent (opens in a new tab) himself, discovered by VeryAli Gaming (opens in a new tab) shows that the device acts as a relay between your TV and the streaming sticks of your choice.
One of the diagrams in the patent shows Sony’s PS Now streaming service added to the streaming stick’s home menu, along with other options you’d typically find like movies, music, and more. on a Fire TV Stick 4K Max, for example. However, the patent was originally filed in May last year, meaning it would have been written before the PS Plus refresh which integrated PS Now into the new tiered service.
It’s still unclear what the final product will look like – if it will even release at all – and what the library of games available to play will consist of. But it’s an interesting proposition from Sony that could see it enter the cloud gaming space much like Xbox Game Pass.
Head in the clouds
(Image credit: future)
Admittedly, I think Sony’s interpretation of a cloud streaming device, as depicted by the above patent, is a little clunky. Since this is a pass-through device, it will require a streaming stick to be usable at all. Judging from the patent, PlayStation’s streaming services appear to be integrated into the menu of the streaming stick being used.
It would be great to have a huge library of cloud games accessible without needing to own a console, of course, but we don’t really know how big the catalog will be.
Currently, PS Plus subscribers playing on PS5 can stream a library of PS4 and PS3 games (as well as legacy consoles such as PS3, PS2, PS1, and PSP). If Sony’s pass-through device allows gamers to access all of these games without needing to play on console or PC, then that’s really very commendable.
However, I doubt this is Sony’s way of introducing streaming PS5 games, given that only a few of the best PS5 games are available to download via PS Plus.
Still, if Sony is able to get this device off the ground, it could be a way for the company to gauge interest in something like a genuine PS Plus streaming stick, without the need for a relay to work properly. And that’s something I would really like to see.
Microsoft really got the ball rolling with Xbox Cloud Gaming accessibility, with that service now built right into Samsung TVs and handhelds like the Nvidia Shield. So I’m all for Sony putting its hat in the streaming ring properly, especially for its vast library of classic PlayStation titles.
