Sony patents system to let struggling PS5 players call in experts to help

Sony has filed a patent that would allow struggling players to call on experts to help guide them through a game.

The patent, dubbed "connecting a player to expert help in real-time during game play of a gaming application," was originally filed last week (via Patentscope). Summarising its idea, Sony states that "video games are becoming more complex and expansive," but that increased complexity means that "users may find it increasingly difficult to navigate through and/or complete the videogame."

To help with that, the company has come up with a system in which players are able to connect to an "expert" - a more experienced player - who can guide them over real-time text or audio chat. Those who qualify as experts, based on their own progress and achievements in-game, could be incentivized to help out with in-game content or exclusive achievements.

Sony likens the system to hailing an Uber, suggesting that it'll use information about the player's current gameplay session - including where they're stuck and what gear they're using - to help pick out an expert with similar experience. When asking for help, however, players will be able to turn on a spoiler warning to help ensure that their expert doesn't reveal important story information.

Sony's patented a number of similar patents in recent months, including a system to make boss fights easier and another that would train an AI profile to play games on your behalf if you want to take a break. As with any patent, there's no guarantee that any of these will be developed into fully-formed features for the PS5 or any future Sony console, but the apparent focus on accessibility-adjacent features is certainly a positive step.

For a list of the titles the system might one day make its way to here are some upcoming PS5 games.