Looks like the folks at Sony and PlayStation are literally going bananas with their next concept for a PS5 controller, as a patent was registered in which objects like a mug, a pen, or yes even a banana can be used as a controller for the PS5.
As the patent explains, the concept sounds like the makings of a new controller device for the system the works in conjunction with PSVR. Images were even shared by PlayStation that described how an object as simple as a banana could be used to play a game — and that’s literally where it’s left to the imagination of the player on how that works.
A system for generating video game inputs, the system comprising: an input unit operable to obtain images of a passive non-luminous object being held by a user; an object detector operable to detect the passive non-luminous object being held by the user in the obtained images; wherein the object detector is configured to detect an area in the image corresponding to the passive non-luminous object based on the pixels corresponding to the object and not based on a physical identifier that has been added to the object; an object pose detector operable to detect changes in pose of the passive non-luminous object based on the obtained images of the object; wherein the object pose detector is configured to detect the pose of the passive non-luminous object based on at least one of (i) a contour detection operation and (ii) the output of a machine learning model that has been trained to detect the poses of passive non-luminous objects in images; and a user input generator operable to generate a user input based on detected changes in the pose of the passive non-luminous object, and to transmit an indication of the generated user input to a video game unit executing an instance of a video game, so as to update the display of a virtual object in the video game in accordance with the generated user input.
It would be desirable if a user could use an inexpensive, simple and non-electronic device as a video game peripheral,” the application reads. “The present disclosure seeks to address or at least alleviate some of the above-identified problems.
As technology progresses and video game developers look for more innovative ways to present playing video games to society, using common objects like a banana doesn’t sound like a far fetched idea at all. The only thing left to see is how Sony executes this ambitious patent idea — and it looks like it will define the future of PSVR if that is indeed working in tandem with the concept. Of course seeing that this is a patent, it by no means is an indication that it will actually happen.
In related news, the PlayStation Store will discontinue TV and Movie purchases and rentals beginning on August 31.
