Didn't Sony and some other companies start their own cloud computing environment a few weeks ago?
PlayStaton Now started in January 2014, and before that they already have a server cloud for PSN, which debuted in 2006.
This is just a patent update for PS Now to include 5G (also includes the same but using 4G) support combined with reverse proxies (edge compute platform) to improve PS Now image quality and input lag.
So like a CDN but for Video Packets? My knowledge of the back-end of the internet isn't that great.
Yes, it's the same than a CDN. Something between the client and the server, but relatively close to the client, that acts as a buffer. So if the client needs to get again something recently asked to the server that still remains in that buffer (in this case some audio or video packets lost), it's sent from the buffer instead of making the full travel from the server. Shorter travel means shorter latency so less input lag for the gameplay and better image quality for the video streaming.
It improves the speed and specially latency to get the videos, and also reduces server costs because the main server will need to use less CPU, memory or bandwith by not needing to send again a ton of lost packets. It also improves the maximum distance between server and client allowed to have decent game streaming.
In this case, it mentions the idea of, in case you are playing via 5G, to have the 'CDN' acting as buffer in the 5G cell towers, because 5G towers typically use fiber connection to connect with the internet servers and because most of the packet losts are between the cell tower and the client, and because the cell tower is so close to the client that its ping is tiny compared to the one between the client and the server/data center.
So if some packet gets lost and needs to be sent again it will be way faster to send it again from the cell tower than from the server. So it will improve input lag and video quality.
For mobile gaming... maybe PSNow support for mobile is coming back.
Don't really care for this either way.
Yes, Sony mentioned in a IR meeting while ago that they plan to support playing PS Now on mobile.
But what mentions this patent is another thing: to play PS Now using 4G or 5G instead of your home router (not only in your phone, it mentions "Merely by way of example without limitation, the user equipment 122 can be a personal computer, a laptop computer, a tablet, a cellular phone, a portable gaming device, a set-top box, a game console, a smart display, a streaming stick or box, or any other device capable of receiving and rendering the video of the video game for viewing by the user") and some 'server side thing' to improve the input lag and video quality on PS Now which would help both if using 5G or not.
In terms of possible inputs to play via PS Now it mentions "such as a touchscreen, joysticks, buttons, motion sensing hardware (e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, etc.), camera, microphone, etc." and later "the user may operate or interface with one or more controller devices to generate inputs for the video game. Merely by way of example without limitation, such devices can include one or more of a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, trackball, gaming controller, motion controller, joystick, buttons, trigger, camera, microphone, etc."
Later also mentions "One example of a cloud gaming system is the Playstation® Now cloud gaming system. In such a system, the client device can be a game console, such as a Playstation® 4 game console, or may be another device such as a personal computer, laptop, tablet, cell phone, mobile device, etc.".
And they plan to use this on Microsoft azure servers OP??
What is mentioned in the patent, just like anything else they already do on PS Now or PSN, can be used on Azure or any other cloud server like Google Cloud, Amazon AWS and so on. But some time ago they moved to Azure, so very likely they will impement it on Azure.
gamingroute.com
