Sony Patents a Rewind Button to Help Gamers Improve

For many in the gaming community, having save state functionality is pretty much standard fare when it comes to emulation. Surprisingly, this feature might soon be making its way over to consoles. Sony’s recently filed patent suggests they could be working on a future PlayStation controller version with a special button just for save states. According to details found on PatentScope by Tech4Gamers, the document mentions, “The user is able to enter the rewind mode from the live game play using one or more controller inputs to view recent game play (e.g. rewinding, fast-forwarding, playing, etc.) and returning to live game play afterwards.” Of course, it’s worth remembering that not every patent ends up becoming an actual product.

For anyone familiar with emulator software, the idea of a “rewind mode” sounds similar to the save and load state features we often see with those programs. Even Nintendo Switch Online incorporates save states and quick rewind capabilities for its classic games. While PC emulators usually allow you to bind this function to a specific key, and the Nintendo Switch uses custom button combinations, Sony appears to be planning a dedicated button—perhaps placed near the D-Pad—just for this task.

In gaming, save states aren’t entirely new outside of the world of emulators. Some games have already played with this concept in unique ways. Take, for instance, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time from 2003. Released for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube, this action-adventure game let players harness the sands of time mechanic to rewind and rectify a fatal slip-up against enemies or environment hazards. It echoes the emulator feature where players can undo death or errors by rewinding.

It’s crucial to consider, however, that this proposed button might not fit every gaming scenario. Multiplayer games, which depend on player or server synchronization, can’t support such features—this button would likely be reserved for single-player experiences. Moreover, the introduction of such a feature could be controversial among gamers, particularly those who cherish the unyielding challenge of games like the Soulsborne series, which thrive on a fixed level of difficulty.