PS5 gets spoiler-blocking technology to dodge Last Of Us Part 2-style leaks

PS5 looks set to be full of highly advanced hardware. According to a technology-heavy presentation by lead system architect Mark Cerny, it's packing a huge solid state drive which will reportedly eliminate loading times, an output of 10.2 Teraflops of graphical power, and a controller with never-before-seen haptic feedback triggers. 

All these features are there to enhance your enjoyment of the game you're playing. So isn't it a real bummer when you're halfway through an engrossing story-driven game, only to find someone has leaked the plot all over the internet.

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Most recently, we've seen it happen with The Last Of Us Part 2, the highly-anticipated follow up to 2013's blockbuster hit. However, you can rest assured that in the eight generation of consoles, Sony is taking steps to ensure your gaming experience remains unspoiled. 

Sony has recently been granted a patent by the USPO for a "spoiler-blocking technology" that could be integrated into the PS5. The general gist of the new patent is as described: a service to block content from appearing about a game you've yet to complete. 

However, it's more sophisticated than that. The patent document suggests the service could prevent content from being shown that specifically relates to parts of the game you haven't encountered yet, while leaving information regarding parts of the game you have completed free for you to browse.

What exactly the nature of this content might be, we're not sure yet, but it tells us a lot about Sony's vision for the PS5. The patent reads the following:

"The technology disclosed herein can allow players to engage with friends and the community around narrative games with the confidence that they will not accidentally see spoilers (which can include an activity, character, item, outcome of activity, action, effect, location, and attribute of character or item)."

Judging by what's seen here, the PS5 will allow gamers to interact in a more sophisticated fashion, engaging with friends and gaming socially. Most gaming forums are hosted online, and are accessed away from the console on a phone or laptop. With PS5 DualSense's Create button and in-built microphone, Sony seems to be placing a huge emphasis on social gaming. 

It seems as though Sony understands the scope of discussion around games, and is looking to harness that to keep players on the console for longer. 

The PS5 will rely on developers to mark certain pieces of information as "secret", although we're not yet sure how the console will be able to reveal them in conversation without scanning and vetting every message. Leaks and details will always be on the internet too, in the same way they've been for the last decade.

We must be clear this is a patent, and does not guarantee the technology will be co-opted and used in the new console. Nevertheless, it's exciting to see Sony plan for a new era of connected gaming. 

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