The concept of save states has been prevalent in the world of emulation for what feels like forever, but there’s talk that it might soon make its way to consoles. In a move that’s sparking curiosity, Sony has filed a patent for a potential future PlayStation controller featuring a special Save State button. This info comes from a legal document that was highlighted on PatentScope by Tech4Gamers. Interestingly, the document says, “The user is able to enter the rewind mode from the live game play using one or more controller inputs to view recent game play (e.g. rewinding, fast-forwarding, playing, etc.) and returning to live game play afterwards.” Of course, we know that not all patents become actual products, so take this with a pinch of salt.
For anyone familiar with various emulators, this so-called “rewind mode” is reminiscent of the save and load state feature we often see in those applications. Even Nintendo Switch Online offers save states and brief rewind functionalities for its retro games. What Sony seems to be doing differently, though, is creating a dedicated button for this function, likely situated conveniently near the D-Pad, as opposed to configuring a key bind as done with PC emulators or using custom button combinations like on the Switch.
There’s a nifty little patent graphic floating around, labeled “Gameplay Rewind With User Triggered Bookmarks,” showing the button that will bring up a control overlay, save states, and more. It’s an intriguing glimpse of what might be on the horizon from Sony.
Beyond emulators, save states have found their place in gaming through other means—beyond your standard save files. A classic example is “Prince of Persia: Sands of Time,” released in November 2003 on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube. This game introduced a time-reversing mechanic that allowed players to undo unfortunate encounters with enemies or environmental traps. It’s a bit like the rewind features seen in emulators, letting players reverse undesired actions.
However, it’s important to remember that a feature like this would have its limitations. In multiplayer games, which depend on synchronized game states between players and servers, implementing such functionality simply wouldn’t work. This button would only be effective in single-player games. Moreover, there’s a chance some purists, particularly fans of the Soulsborne series who cherish its unyielding difficulty, might argue that this option could undermine the intended player experience.
