Mysterious Sony Patent Could Be Our Next Gen Console
Could we be looking at the PlayStation 5? A new patent filed by Sony in Brazil has fans wondering if the company is letting the cat out of the bag regarding its next-gen console, or if everyone's reading too far into some other piece of gear.
The patent — discovered and published by tech outlet Let's Go Digital — certainly has the look of something that could be a gaming machine. Its classification also matches that of the PlayStation 4 patent filed in Brazil. And others have noted the V-shape of the device, which could be representative of the Roman numeral "V" (as in "5" for PS5).
But wow, is this thing beefy. We're unsure what kind function those grills serve on the outside, but the interior of the V definitely looks to be packed with vents. There are far more USB ports in this illustration than we've seen on any home console thus far. And there appear to be either status lights or buttons above the disc slot on the left-hand side of the system.
If this is tied to the PlayStation 5 in any capacity, it's more likely to be a developer kit than anything that would wind up sitting in someone's entertainment center at home.
It looks as though it was built to give off the impression of something powerful (which by all accounts, the PS5 is). Yet the design also looks more functional than aesthetic, like something that'll enable developers to push the hardware to its limits without outright destroying the machine. Given the svelte designs of past PlayStation consoles, it's very hard to believe this is the system Sony would sell to people, especially when you consider what Microsoft was able to pack into a smaller and more standard-looking box with the Xbox One X. And Sony just isn't a company known for loudly designed consumer products. So if we had to guess at this being a PlayStation product, our guess is dev kit.
We'll keep you up to speed with any other PlayStation 5-related news as it comes in. If this is indeed a developer machine and Sony is patenting the design, it could mean the kits are going out to more studios in the near future. And that could mean the next generation is very close to starting up.