New Sony Patent Could Use AI and a Camera Pointed at Your Fingers to Work Out What Button You’ll Press Next

Sony's latest patent hints at a potential game-changer for future PlayStation consoles: an AI-powered latency reduction system. The patent, WO2025010132, focuses on optimizing "timed release of user commands" by predicting player inputs.

Sony's current PlayStation 5 Pro, featuring PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), already tackles upscaling. However, technologies like frame generation introduce latency, impacting responsiveness. Competitors AMD and Nvidia have addressed this with Radeon Anti-Lag and Nvidia Reflex, respectively. Sony's approach, as detailed in the patent, leverages a machine learning AI model to anticipate player inputs.

The patent suggests using external sensors, such as a camera monitoring the controller, to gather input data. This data feeds the AI model, enabling proactive command execution and minimizing lag. The sensor could also integrate directly into the controller itself, potentially utilizing analog buttons.

While the patent's specifics may not directly translate to the PlayStation 6, it demonstrates Sony's commitment to reducing latency without sacrificing responsiveness. This is especially relevant given the increasing prevalence of frame generation technologies like FSR 3 and DLSS 3, which often add latency.

The benefits are clear, particularly for fast-paced games requiring both high frame rates and low latency, such as twitch shooters. However, the ultimate implementation of this technology in future hardware remains uncertain.