The Bizarre Truth About PS5's Robot

It seems like every time we get more info about the PlayStation 5, it's weirder than the last thing we learned. A new patent filed by Sony for a PlayStation 5 peripheral may easily be the most bizarre leak yet. Considering we're talking about the company that wants the DualSense controller to analyze your sweat during gameplay, that's really saying something. One word, PlayStation fans: robots.

Yes, Sony has filed a patent for an unnamed new robot companion to watch and react while you play video games. This is meant to boost feelings of interactivity between the player and the game by building a rapport with their new robot friend.

"The inventor has focused on possibility of utilizing a robot as a joint viewing player who experiences sympathy with a user," reads the patent. "For example, it is expected that the user's affinity with the robot is increased and motivation for playing a game is enhanced by the robot viewing the game play next to the user and being pleased or sad together with the user."

However, the robot won't simply be there to cheer you on, but to also offer a genuine sense of companionship. It will be considerate of your feelings and seek to understand the nuances of each game and how you respond to them.

Your little robot pal's interests extend beyond gaming, though. The robot will absorb all forms of entertainment in this way. The patent expresses the hope that the companion robot will also watch television and movies with its owner. Just like when the user plays a video game, it is hoped that the robot will pick up on how the user feels about certain moments in the program, as well as form its own reactions based on stimuli from the show. 

"Further, regarding not only the game but also a movie, a television program, or the like, it is expected that the user may enjoy content mere by viewing the content with the robot as compared to the case of viewing it alone," reads the patent.

In addition to sounding like the chillest roommate possible, it will also encourage the user to live their best lives. According to the patent, "If the user is living an irregular life, the robot ... may propose improvement of the life rhythm, for example, saying 'Let's go to bed soon.'"

As for what this little guy will look like, well, that's another story entirely. Maybe the most bizarre aspect of the patent is the design of the robot. It's unclear if this is meant to be a placeholder for a final design, but the result we see in the patent notes is like a character design straight out of Adventure Time. The robot seen in sketches looks like a cloud with arms and legs and a smiling face.

The robot is also being considered for use in interesting VR applications. While wearing a VR headset, users will be able to look at their little robot buddy and see a version of it interacting with you. Again, this is a neat idea in theory. However, it's hard not to chuckle when you imagine ripping the head off of an enemy in Doom Eternal and then looking over to see the smiling face of your fuzzy companion.

It's worth remembering that this isn't the first time a video game company has turned to robots in an effort to sell consoles. Back in the 80s, Nintendo introduced R.O.B., a robot with very limited functions, for this very reason. In fact, R.O.B. has been credited in some circles for saving the NES during its U.S. launch. 

Following the crash of the video game industry in the early '80s, retailers were less than enthusiastic about selling the NES. That's why R.O.B. was created. The little guy "played" a few games and didn't have much functionality, but the overall design and concept was enough to get kids excited for the new system.

It's not much of a stretch to see a correlation between the two robot concepts. We've been worried for a little bit about the PlayStation 5, particularly in regards to pricing and release strategy. It was recently reported that we should expect the PS5 to ship in limited quantities during its first year. The addition of this little robot pal as a peripheral could be the shot in the arm needed for parents who are on the fence about getting their kids a new console. 

Hopefully we'll get to see this little guy in action soon. It's such a bizarre concept that we simply have to know more.