New PlayStation Patent Aims to Make Wait Times in Games Less Boring With Picture-in-Picture Content
While most loading times in games these days are super fast — to the point that they’re instant, that’s not the case for every game. There are still those that take a while to load or it can even be about waiting in a lobby for matchmaking to finish. Based on our findings, Sony seems to be planning something that should make the wait a lot more entertaining for gamers.
MP1st has uncovered a new patent from Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), which is the PlayStation division of Sony, and it looks to provide gamers with picture-in-picture stimulation while a game is loading.
The patent was published on May 21, 2026, with the document ID “20260138036.”
Sony’s Latest Patent Aims to Make Matchmaking Queues and Load Times Less Boring
The patent aims to make the wait for loading times and even matchmaking queues a lot more bearable, and it will be using AI to intelligently show content while players wait.
Here’s a look at the patent’s visual example:
So gamers, instead of just starting at a “Loading…” or “Waiting for players…” screen, the console would automatically fill that dead time with short-form content.
This content could include:
- videos
- gameplay highlights
- social media clips
- AI-generated match analysis
- player scouting reports
- tips
- ads/promotions
The patent mentions how the system uses AI to predict how long the wait time will last, and then selects content that fits inside that time window.
One example given is how the AI predicts matchmaking will take 60 seconds, and the system will then play a 45-second clip, and the video will end before the match/game starts.
If the game or match loads earlier than expected, the content being shown can stop early, fade out or even skip remaining clips, which should let the player transition smoothly into gameplay.
Some of the other things the patent covers:
- picture-in-picture overlays
- resizing the loading screen
- controller interaction with the content
- pulling videos from linked accounts/apps
- caching content locally
- AI-generated gameplay highlight reels
- AI-generated reports about players in your upcoming match
One of the better, more game-focused applications of this patent could be that before a multiplayer match starts, the AI could analyze the in-game lobby and generate summaries for items such as the player skill rankings, preferred weapons or loadout, their playstyles, their win/loss history and more. It’s like getting an eSports pre-game analysis for free for every match.
From a business standpoint, this could help in keeping players’ attention, stop the player from leaving the game/app, increase engagement, and even create opportunities for recommendations and whatnot. From a consumer standpoint? Well, that’s where things get a little muddy. On one hand, if it’s content you are actually interested in, then it might not be so bad. Such as pulling from a video to give you an overview of a map in a multiplayer game, and revealing hotspots. On the other hand, what’s stopping ads and promotional content from just filling those spots? Hopefully, if this feature does come true, there’s a way to turn it off.
As is with all patents, this could be something Sony is actively to implement soon, or it could be something the company is experimenting with. Same as with some of the other patents, there is a chance this could never see the light of day. That said, the fact that Sony is looking into it, is worth reporting in our book.
In other PlayStation news, Sony is reportedly putting a stop to porting their first-party games on PC, and it applies to new games like Ghost of Yotei and Saros, and basically any game that doesn’t have a live-service focus.
Also of note, we’ve also uncovered a patent earlier this month by Sony that automatically turns gameplay into shareable highlights.
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