Child's Play Movie Sony PS4 1

The Sony of today may not be quite as batsh*t crazy as it was in the Rolly era, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely given up on outlandish concepts for good. A new patent filed by the platform holder introduces the idea of a robot companion who will watch you play your PlayStation and react to your emotions. Apparently, research shows that when gamers are observed they’re more motivated to play, and so the proposed companion would theoretically be able to congratulate you when you complete a level or encourage you when you get stuck.

Robot Sony PlayStation Patent 1

The Japanese giant is obviously no stranger to robotics, having previously produced a pet dog named AIBO, which is still receiving firmware updates to this day. Alas, we can’t imagine this particular patent will ever culminate in a commercial product, but with most of the world in lockdown right now, maybe we could all do with a virtual pal.

[source appft1.uspto.gov, via respawnfirst.com]