A new patent from Sony aims to make toxic PS5 players seem happier than they actually are, it has been revealed.
The patent outlines a new system that would run players’ messages through an ‘Emotion Analytics Server,’ detecting negative language and transforming it into positive messages. According to the patent, this would even include voice chat, with the system seemingly assessing the tone and content of a player’s message, before altering it to appear more pleasant.
The patent discusses “user emotion profiles” that are specified by players, and while details are kept vague, it seems that PS5 players would be able to note the type of communication they wanted to hear. For instance, if a player didn’t want to hear any negative in-game voice chat, the new system would moderate all communication in order to ensure this didn’t happen. The patent notes that this would help improve players’ mental health.
The patent was filed back in 2021, though has only recently been publicized via Gamesual. This means that Sony has been considering this system for at least two years now, though it has yet to put it into practice.
It’s unclear how exactly this would be implemented. Would voice chat simply be censored to remove the negative language, or would Sony seek to somehow alter communications between players? It’s certainly a strange patent, but if it makes players’ happier, then we’d be curious to see it in action.
In other Sony news, the company is currently preparing for a major cloud gaming push. It also recently called a regulator “irrational” for its stance on the Microsoft and Activision deal.
