Sony has received a new patent that could potentially pave the way for native advertising in PlayStation games. This involves technology for displaying "alternate content" during loading, match waiting, and other pauses in gameplay.
The patent, titled Delivery of Alternate Content During Video Game Wait Times (20260138036), was filed in late 2024 but only published this month. The document describes a system designed to keep the player's attention during forced stops — for example, while resources are loading, new users are connecting, or transitioning between matches.
In the patent description, Sony emphasizes that such pauses can break immersion. The company notes that users often get distracted while waiting: they switch to other applications, move away from the screen, or simply stop paying attention. Because of this, players might miss the start of a match or other important moments.
To solve the problem, it is proposed to show so-called "alternate content". Examples include short video clips that can be displayed over the free part of the loading screen in a picture-in-picture format. The content can be loaded from external servers or applications.
The patent also mentions generative AI. According to the description, artificial intelligence technologies can be used to create or adapt such content for a specific user.
Although the document does not directly mention advertising, the concept itself is ideally suited for native advertising integrations. In fact, the patent demonstrates that Sony is exploring ways to unobtrusively interact with the audience of its ecosystem, which numbers about 125 million PlayStation Network users.