The PS5's interface is still shrouded in mystery; while we have confirmed the PS5 console, dual-sense controller, and a healthy lineup of games, we know nothing about the PS5's navigation scheme, save for one screen.

However, a recent Sony patent may give us a glimpse into the PS5's menu scheme. This time, Sony wants to seamlessly integrate games, music, and video, and control all aspects of the system through a single menu.

The information comes from the US Patent Office, and as you might imagine, the text is quite dense. Don't try to read the whole thing without caffeine at hand, but the basic breakdown is this: Sony claims that most gaming systems have to follow too many different types of menus depending on what the user is playing, watching, or listening to

"The program is not a simple one.

"While one of the programs is running, the user may wish to run another program in parallel or launch another program in place of the running program," the patent states.

"However, the input of instructions regarding the running program (e.g., instructions to terminate execution) and the input on such a menu screen are usually entered in a clearly separated manner on the user interface. [Therefore, when parallel execution of programs or switching between programs is desired, the user must perform these operations using a separate user interface. On the other hand, there is a strong need to develop a unified user interface that allows various operations in order to give users a novel user-friendly impression"

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Even with a single word, the basic gist is easy to understand: game systems have very different interfaces for different utilities, such as playing games or listening to music. This creates friction when users try to switch between these utilities. Sony's patent proposes a unified interface that users can launch from anywhere on the system.

The patent does not specifically mention the PS5, which appears to be quite different from the PS4 system. The game launcher and music player are completely different, and the music player and the overlay of the music player in the game are completely different. A unified interface would make these disparate elements easier to use and would also make switching between them faster.

(There is speculation that this patent could facilitate a technology similar to the Xbox Series X's Quick Resume feature that allows users to interrupt multiple games simultaneously. The patent does not specifically address this idea, but in general anything is possible as it would make it easier to suspend and resume apps.)

It is worth pointing out that this patent is not just an application; the Patent Office granted it on June 23. So Sony is free to incorporate this technology into their gadgets; will it be an update to the PS4, a hint at a PS5 interface? Is this an ambitious project that Sony is abandoning? We will know by the end of the year.