Every PlayStation owner is likely very familiar with the console's digital storefront. The PlayStation Store is the best way to buy digital titles or even claim PlayStation's monthly free games, and a recently published patent could show how it will be improving in the future.
PlayStation has had a variety of patents published in recent months that collectively show the company is looking into a variety of ways to improve the player experience on its consoles. From PlayStations giving players help when they need it, to accessibility options and new streaming technology, there are a lot of new ideas and technologies being considered at the company.
PlayStation's newest patent, however, looks to dynamically update the store pages for games for individual players. The patent suggests dynamically updating the store page using both information about the game itself and metadata about the user browsing the store. The game information that the patent looks at including is new information such as player counts for multiplayer titles or where the game is in its lifecycle. For example, this could let the PlayStation store ensure that customers know that they can buy Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War this Fall if they would like to, but an area of the store page would alert them that Call of Duty 2021 is just around the corner.
Tailoring the game's store page based on the player browsing the store is where the patent suggests making most of the dynamic changes. The patent looks at analyzing the player's history across the console and comparing the game being viewed to other games they have played. This could include information like similar controls or features, comparing story aspects or playtimes, or including a screen that integrates third-party services like reviews from websites that the player has visited on the console before. For example, this would allow the PlayStation store to leave a comment on the new Aliens: Fireteam if the player recently watched an Alien movie on the console.
Of course, many patents never end up leading to any meaningful updates or developments, so it is possible that these features will never make their way onto the PlayStation Store. However, this particular patent does seem plausible. The new features are more of an iteration on many of the techniques digital storefronts already implement using shopper metadata, and none of what the patent suggests is too revolutionary or complicated for the company to pursue. If the patent does lead to anything, there is no way of telling just how long it will take. Maybe it will be out by the time Sony lets Cyberpunk 2077 back onto the PlayStation Store.