Sony files PS5 multitasking patent that will look very familiar to Xbox players

It seems that Sony has taken great interest in Xbox One’s now-discontinued “snap” feature and has filed a patent for its own variant of the multitasking scheme. If the patent’s feature comes to PlayStation 5, players may be able to watch video applications while playing any title.

In patent documents found by thegamepost, one explains “the user can play the game displayed on the main screen while viewing the video displayed on the sub-screen, or confirm the status of the game in progress.” This would be a first for PlayStation users, as the PlayStation 4 forces players to suspend their ongoing game to run video applications.

Although this may be an upgrade in UI for the PlayStation 5, the incredibly similar “snap mode” on the Xbox One was quite infamous with users when released in 2014, and was removed only three years later. Xbox One users took umbrage with the interfaces’ performance issues and difficult navigation, something PS5 users should note. Or, this may be Sony ensuring their idea does not get stolen, ironically enough.