Sony has patented a new AI feature that could display ads while gamers wait for games to load. The patent could potentially lead to more revenue for Sony, but that doesn't necessarily mean gamers will like it.
Gaming advertising has long been a source of controversy. Although there have been quite a few changes over the course of the video game industry, players have seen advertising and product placement in games from the 1990s. These days, advertising is most prevalent in free-to-play games, where game developers can rely on that ad revenue to keep their games online and moving forward. But this new technology isn't necessarily limited to free-to-play games.
Sony patented system finally solves multiplayer game pausing issues
Sony claims a new patent that could finally solve the problem of players having to pause multiplayer games and improve gameplay.
Sony patent could mean ads on loading screens
Sony now has patented AI technology that can detect and calculate loading times and show players things like ads while they wait for the game to be ready. According to patent information first filed in 2024 and published on May 21, 2026, when a player reaches a loading screen, AI estimates how long that loading screen will last and then decides whether to play media or ads accordingly. Ads are selected based on playback time and are shorter than the loading sequence, so they won't be intrusive when you're ready to play the game.
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Gamers may not be overly excited by the idea of being bombarded with ads while waiting for a match to start. But according to the patent, the technology could potentially also show gamers other ways to beat loading times. For example, a video from a developer or publisher account may be played, an AI-generated highlight reel may be shown, and an AI-generated report about upcoming competitors in the player's next match may also be shown. In theory, this patent could help keep players focused during game loading screens when they might normally focus their attention elsewhere.
This isn't the first time Sony has filed a patent for AI or machine learning technology that could impact gaming. Starting in 2025, Sony has patented things like creating game guides based on players' activities, an NPC system that learns how gamers play and copies their style, and so-called “AI ghosts” that can help players when they get stuck in the game. There are currently no announced plans to integrate these technologies into the current PlayStation 5 ecosystem, but that could change at any time.
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This means that patents are often filed by Sony and other gaming companies that describe technology that will never be made available to consumers. There are a number of reasons why technology may not make it into actual games, for example, failing to live up to internal expectations or placing too much strain on the current hardware capabilities of the PS5 console. So it's not yet known whether players will encounter ads and other additions to loading screens on PS6 or other consoles in the future.
