Game Rant reports that in recent months, Sony has been applying for patents for its PlayStation 5 hardware and software. This hints at Sony’s potential for future improvements in services and technology. Some of Sony’s recent patents include a multi-GPU system for cloud gaming. This feature is designed to enhance graphics capabilities when playing cloud games on its PlayStation system. However, the latest patent filed by Sony includes the PlayStation 5 case design.
Although PlayStation 5 is very popular, it only has a black and white shell design. There is no other official custom shell available, and it is not as good as Xbox Series X in terms of personalization. When a third party launched a custom shell for PlayStation 5, Sony’s approach was to take legal action to prohibit the production.
One year after Sony filed a lawsuit against a third-party housing manufacturer, a new patent document of the company was published in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent describes a “decorative design of the housing of an electronic device,” which contains an image of the PlayStation 5 and its housing from many different angles.
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It is not clear what Sony’s patent application is for. It may be to prevent third-party manufacturers from selling the PlayStation 5 case, or it may be to launch an official custom case.
PlayStation 5 scarcity to get worse next year
Sony is having a hard time with the PlayStation 5 manufacturing due to the ongoing shortage in the semiconductor industry. In fact, many customers are still having trouble buying a unit. Even after almost one year since the launch of the console. There are just a few minutes and they become available in stores for a short time window. Besides “common” customers, there are also scalpers buying the console to sell it for a higher price due to the high demand. Many PlayStation fans were hoping for a better situation in 2022, but apparently, it will not be the case.
A recent Bloomberg report shows that Sony has been reducing its internal production forecasts for the PlayStation 5. The reason behind this choice is the chip shortage plaguing the global electronics industry. According to Sony’s initial plans, it will produce 16 million PlayStation 5’s between April 2021 and March 2022. However, now it has dropped the figure by a million because of the continuous supply constraints. Despite this situation, Sony is happy with the market performance of the PS5 so far. Apparently, it’s having a very positive start with the console.
