Sony has patented a new AI feature that can show gamers ads while they wait for their game to load. The patent could potentially lead to more revenue for Sony, but that doesn't mean gamers will like it.
Advertising in sports has long been controversial. Although they've changed a lot over the course of the video game industry's lifetime, players have been seeing advertising and product placements in games dating back to the 1990s. Nowadays, ads are most prevalent in free-to-play games where game developers can keep and develop games online with revenue from those ads. This new technology, however, is not tied to free games.
Sony patented system that could finally solve multiplayer game pausing problems
Sony has claimed a new patent that could finally solve the problem of players having to pause their multiplayer games and improve gameplay.
A Sony patent claims ads can mean loading screens
Now, Sony has patented AI technology that can detect load times, calculate them, and show players things like ads while they wait for a game to be ready. According to the patent, which was originally filed in 2024 and published on May 21, 2026, when a player reaches a loading screen, AI will estimate how long that loading screen will last, and then decide whether to play media or ads. Ads will be selected based on their duration, with ad breaks being shorter than the loading sequence, so an ad isn't in the way when the game is ready to play.
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Players may not be too thrilled with the idea of being bombarded with ads while waiting for a game to start. However, in addition to ads, the patent indicates that the technology could potentially show gamers other things to break loading times. For example, videos from developer or publisher accounts can be played, AI-generated highlight reels can be shown, or even AI-generated reports about a player's upcoming competitors in their next match. In theory, this patent could help keep players tuned in to game loading screens when they might normally have their attention elsewhere.
This is the first time Sony has filed for a patent on AI or machine-learning technology that could impact gaming. Since 2025, Sony has patented things like creating game guides based on player activity, an NPC system that learns how gamers play and copies their style, or a so-called “AI ghost” that can help players when they get stuck in games. There are no announced plans to integrate any of these technologies into the current PlayStation 5 ecosystem, but that could change at any time.
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Sony and other game companies often claim patents that describe technology that never makes it to consumers. There are many reasons for the tech not making it into actual gaming, such as not meeting internal expectations, or putting too much strain on the current hardware capabilities of the PS5 consoles for example. As such, it remains to be seen if players will encounter ads and other additions to their loading screens in the future, on the PS6, or any other console, for that matter.
