PS5: Unique feature hints at new and innovative multiplayer function, according to leaked Sony documents

Sony's final State of Play presentation for 2019 is officially over with no PlayStation 5 teasers in sight. While others are hopeful that The Game Awards 2019 on Friday might finally take the covers off the elusive next-generation machine, insiders claim it will not make an appearance. In fact, the company has allegedly set its debut for February 2020. While it is evidently disappointing for fans, a new leak will hopefully keep gamers satisfied until the official announcement. According to sources, the PS5 might include a unique multiplayer feature that could take gameplay on another level.

While Microsoft chooses to keep silent about its Project Scorpio, Sony has been gradually sharing intriguing details about the successor to the PlayStation 4. The gaming community already has an idea of what the console is capable of.

The PS5 is apparently packing a custom octa-core AMD chipset using the third-generation Ryzen architecture. Ray tracing support will be handled by the GPU, while the SSD storage is purportedly NVMe. Then there's the DualShock 5 with adaptive triggers and haptic feedback in place of the traditional rumble.

Reports reveal that a recently approved patent application from Sony hints that a new kind of multiplayer feature might be on its way. The documents were filed with the USPTO last year and titled "Bifurcation of shared controls and passing controls in a video game." Credit goes to LetsGoDigital for the discovery, which includes images that provide a clue as to how this PS5 feature might work.

Once activated, the function will assign different buttons to several players. The group will be controlling one character on screen, but movements and actions will be handled by each member. Each individual will hold their own DualShock 5 controllers, but only certain buttons will be active. This sounds confusing at first, but the description is somewhat straightforward.

For example, in a fighting game, Player A handles movement, Player B controls attacks, while Player C is in charge of defence. One of the images included in the patent document suggests it can support up to eight users with a maximum of four for each group. Sony might have more on this when the PS5 is finally unveiled.