Get Unstuck: Sony’s Game-Changing Rewind Button Patent Could Revolutionize Gaming

Sony patents a dedicated rewind button to save us when we’re lost in a game

Stateful functionality has been a part of the emulation scene for years, but it looks like it may be moving to consoles. A recent patent created by Sony describes a future version of the PlayStation controller with a dedicated save state button, according to legal documents discovered by PatentScope by the folks at Tech4Gamers. An exact quote from the document is “Users can use one or more controller inputs to view recent gameplay (e.g. rewind, fast forward, replay, etc.) and then return to live gameplay and enter rewind mode in live gameplay .” Keep in mind that not all patents become actual products.

For users of various emulators, this descriptor of “rewind mode” brings to mind the save and load state features common in those applications. These days, even retro games on Nintendo Switch Online support save states and a simple rewind window. But rather than configuring this feature with a key binding like in a PC emulator or a custom button combination like on the Switch, Sony is looking to implement a dedicated button for this specific feature, most likely right near the D-Pad.

Sony’s “Rewind Gameplay Through User-Triggered Bookmarks” patent graphic highlights buttons that bring up control overlays, save states, and more. (Image source: Sony via Patentscope)

Aside from official and unofficial emulators, there are a few other ways to use save states in your games. Not just regular old save files. One of the most interesting examples is the 2003 action-adventure game Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. The game was first released in November 2003 on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube. The game’s titular sands of time mechanic allows players to turn back time and undo the unfortunate deaths of many of the game’s enemies and environmental hazards. This is very similar to how system-level saved state features often allow users to undo deaths or other mistakes in emulators.

Of course, it’s good to know that these buttons won’t work in all games, even if implemented at the system level. For example, multiplayer titles that rely on synchronizing game state between players, servers, or both will not allow for features like this. Dedicated buttons like this can only be used in single-player games, and some fans, especially Soulsborne fans and its commitment to static difficulty, might argue that it would detract from that experience.