With less than 24 hours until Sony is expected to hit New York to make some big announcements regarding the future of its PlayStation brand, a patent design has been leaked which could shed some light on how we can interact with games and content on the new console – while also pushing some of Apple’s buttons at the same time.
The concept is called ‘PlayStation Eyepad’ – a risqué play on words, particularly for a gadget which resembles a tablet computer and from the drawing shows something that resembles a CD case in shape and proportions and maybe not-so co-incidentally resembles rival Nintendo’s Wii U GamePad in its idea with a combination of functional buttons and a touchscreen.
The official word on the patent reveals this about the device:
“An input device for an entertainment device comprises a first main surface, one or more side edges, one or more motion sensors operable to generate motion data, and a wireless communicator for transmitting the motion data to the entertainment device, wherein an elongate illuminated region extends along some or all of one or more of the side edges.”
“In addition the input device may comprise a first stereoscopic camera and a second stereoscopic camera having respective viewpoints located at opposing corners of a first area of the main surface, the field of view of each stereoscopic camera encompassing a first volume of space immediately above the first area, wherein the first and second stereoscopic cameras are operable to generate respective stereoscopic images, from which a first depth map and complementary second depth map may be generated for opposite sides of an object placed within the first volume of space.”
This patent for the PlayStation Eyepad was filed in 2012, so this could be a disused concept – particularly considering several leaks of what many believe is the official PS4 controller. This concept may be employed later following the console’s launch or may never appear again – but it’s certainly an interesting addition to the rumour mill as we lead into tomorrow’s big reveal!