For years now, save state functionality has been a staple in the world of emulation, allowing gamers to revisit their favorite moments with ease. However, we’re now seeing hints that this feature might soon jump from the confines of PC emulators to mainstream gaming consoles. A recent discovery by the team at Tech4Gamers brought to light a Sony patent filed for a prospective PlayStation controller, which includes a distinct “Save State” button. As per the patent documentation from PatentScope, the controller allows players to rewind or fast-forward through gameplay, adding an exciting layer of control. Of course, not all patents make it to production, so it’s worth keeping a pinch of salt handy.
For those who’ve navigated various emulators, this “rewind mode” might ring a few bells. With both Nintendo Switch’s retro offerings supporting save states and brief rewinds, it’s a notion many gamers are familiar with. Yet, while PC users map these features to key shortcuts or combine buttons creatively on the Switch, Sony envisions a dedicated button nestled conveniently near the D-Pad.
A quick look at the “Gameplay Rewind With User Triggered Bookmarks” patent graphic released by Sony reveals a glimpse into this idea. This button is anticipated to pull up a control overlay, making accessing save states a breeze.
In the context of gaming beyond emulation, save states have had creative uses as well; take Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, for instance. This classic 2003 action-adventure title, available on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube, brought players the innovative ability to reverse time, akin to today’s save state features, allowing them to bypass untimely deaths and environmental dangers.
Still, it’s crucial to mention that a system-level button like this won’t be universally compatible across all game types. Multiplayer games, with their reliance on synchronized states among players and servers, wouldn’t support such a feature. It’s likely that only single-player experiences could benefit, and even then, some purists might argue that elements like these could diminish the challenge—particularly those faithful to the rigorous difficulty level in Soulsborne genres.
Whether or not this concept makes its way to our gaming setups, it certainly stirs up interesting conversations about the future of gaming interfaces and experiences.
