However, that doesn’t mean their won’t be a surprise game-changer NGP detail that will make it the must have device for holiday 2011 - such as PlayStation Move integration or even Kinect like functionality?
According to a patent filed back in 2009, Sony was experimenting with an entertainment docking station that would allow TV screens to display data from portable devices such as the line of PSP handhelds as well as compatible cellphones. However, the tech wasn’t limited to just a pleasant-looking AV pass-through, the patent indicates that the device would also sync with certain handheld units - unleashing dynamic integration for home set-ups.
The images in the patent tease a number of intriguing possibilities, including PlayStation Move compatibility as well as robust Kinect-like tracking - meaning that should the Move ball disappear outside the dock’s field of view, the device could physically turn to recapture the signal. The NGP will have a front-facing camera (presumably a high-quality one), so it’s not a stretch to imagine that Sony could integrate Move controls into some NGP titles - or even deliver a controller-less Kinect-like experience (between the NGP internals and the tech-filled docking station).
Check out the full Sony patent - HERE - or read a brief excerpt below:
The Move was trounced by Kinect, and considering how many different hardware markets Sony has their hands in (TVs, Stereo Systems, PCs, etc), it’s in their best interest to build a robust and integrated bridge between all of their different products - and, given the heavy-focus on social network functionality in the NGP, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear the manufacturer is still waiting to announce some compelling brand-integration features.
Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick and let us know what other NGP features you’re hoping to see announced at E3.
The Sony NGP will release this 2011 holiday season.
Source: Free Patents Online [via BYT Unplugged]
