Newly-Published Sony Patent Shows New Game Cartridge Idea

Don’t start celebrating on Vita Island just yet, but a new patent from Sony Interactive Entertainment shows there are some intriguing ideas floating around the portable gaming space. This patent, which was published this month but appears to date back to 2017, is literally labeled, “electronic game cartridge.”

The discovery of this patent can be traced back to German outlet Techtastic, which of course is raising questions about whether or not Sony has some imminent designs on a new handheld gaming platform. Lines can also be drawn to a patent that surfaced last year, showing an idea for a device that pretty much looked like a PlayStation version of the Nintendo Switch, with two halves of a DualShock 4-like controller attaching to a portable screen.

The patent itself doesn’t contain information on how the device functions, but it does house several images of the design from various angles. Whatever it is, it has some kind of port at the bottom, along with multiple indentations. Without the “game cartridge label,” one might almost assume it could be some kind of memory expansion or storage solution.

As is always the case with patents, there is no actual indication something is actively in development or on the train to announcement town. Patents are very much a part of research and development, and are more representative of ideas being kicked around than anything you should be getting your hopes up about. Still, they do provide as close a look into what goes on behind closed doors than most of us can get otherwise.

[Source: Techtastic]