Sony has filed a patent for a new technology designed to fill waiting time on loading screens and in pre-match lobbies. The existence of the patent document was reported by MP1st.
The system would use artificial intelligence to automatically estimate how long a game will take to load — for example, during fast travel sequences or while waiting for a round to begin. Based on this estimate, the AI would select short-form content of a matching duration and display it in picture-in-picture mode while the main process continues in the background. If the game loads faster than expected, the video would smoothly fade out or stop so as not to interrupt gameplay.
The patent outlines several types of media content that could be shown to players:
- Social media clips and gameplay highlights
- Analytical reports about other players in the lobby, including their current ranks and equipment
- In-game or external advertisements, such as announcements for new seasons or cosmetic items related to the game currently being played
As a reminder, the World Cup mode for EA FC 26 has received an official release date.